Eleventh-Hour Decision on Oldham School Registration-September 3, 1963

NORWOOD — An eleventh-hour session of the Oldham School Building Committee is being held tonight to make the decisive call on whether the newly constructed school will officially open its doors for student registration tomorrow morning.

Final Scramble and Boiler Inspections

Workmen labored through the weekend, including a full day on Saturday, trying to wrap up numerous minor finishing tasks alongside major repair and painting demands insisted upon by the building committee, whose members conducted a thorough inspection of the premises over the weekend.

Of prime concern to both the school committee and the building committee is official approval of the school’s heating system. Boiler safety tests—originally scheduled for Friday—were forced to cancel due to a lack of electric power, which was finally restored on a temporary basis Friday by employees of the Norwood Light Department following a spirited push by committee members to accelerate lagging construction. A representative from the Department of Public Safety was slated to arrive at the Prospect Street school for the boiler test, as state occupancy approval is mandatory before the school can open. Additionally, the Norwood Fire Department must sign off on vital safety factors, including the heating system.

Unfinished Construction and Dissenting Voices

The greatest concentration of unfinished work centers on the kindergarten rooms, which were originally scheduled to open Monday, along with uninstalled carpeting in the principal’s office, teachers’ rooms, and the library, plus considerable interior and exterior tile work. Furthermore, about 1,600 square feet of tile flooring deemed “unsatisfactory” by the building committee must be replaced by general contractor Goverman at their own expense, though Clerk of the Works William Snyder reported that replacement work will be conducted in stages to avoid an unsightly appearance.

Despite Building Committee member Arthur Rodgers and Mrs. Ellen Dixon strongly opposing opening the school under any unfinished conditions—even discussing involving the bonding company—the building committee ultimately voted unanimously during its Wednesday night meeting to proceed with plans to open. Clerk of the Works Snyder privately expressed his opinion that the building is still roughly two to three weeks away from being fully complete.

Meanwhile, school department custodians worked feverishly over the weekend moving furniture into classrooms and conducting a deep cleaning. While exterior landscaping, hot-top walkways, and driveways are nearly finished, much of the remaining site work and classroom tile replacement will be handled after school hours. If the heating system passes state and local inspections, approximately 450 students are expected to walk through the doors tomorrow morning.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger