George F. Willett School Faces Potential Temporary Reprieve-October 18, 1979

Enrollment and Space Questions Revive Closing Debate-October 18, 1979

The future of the George F. Willett School is back under intense scrutiny. Although the School Committee voted on January 17 to shutter the facility in 1980, School Superintendent Louis J. Taris told the committee last night that the timeline might be flexible.

“The timing hinges on whether enrollment and space considerations warrant it,” Taris stated, instantly reviving an emotional community debate and sparking renewed hopes, fears, and political maneuvering among local families.

Parents representing the Cleveland, Willett, Oldham, and Callahan schools packed last night’s committee meeting, waiting patiently through routine administrative business for any official word on the school’s fate. Taris announced he would deliver a final recommendation to the committee on October 31, following personal visits to every elementary school in town to evaluate classroom space utilization firsthand.

The announcement caught leadership off guard. “The committee voted to close the Willett. Are you saying that decision could change?” asked Committee Chairman Rudith Berkowitz, registering clear surprise.

“No, the decision stands, but I want to be sure we are not crushing school programs by overcrowding,” Taris clarified. “The question now is ‘when’ as far as closing the second school is concerned.”

Under the same January vote, the Aaron Guild School was successfully closed in June. Taris explained that subsequent discussions among the committee revealed an apparent consensus that the exact timing of the Willett closure should depend on enrollment shifts and available space. He is currently auditing the effects of redistricting former Guild students to neighboring facilities to assess the true capacity situation.

Capacity Concerns and Logistical Hurdles-October 18, 1979

Committee Member Joseph M. Pentowski weighed in on the superintendent’s remarks, noting, “If there are space crunches, we could defer our action for a year or two.”

Initial plans suggested relocating Willett students into the Cleveland School, but Taris revealed that the Cleveland is already operating at maximum capacity. Observers following the meeting pointed out that room at the Cleveland has grown severely limited since displaced Guild students were redistricted there. Meanwhile, Committee Member Richard Joseph urged Taris to explore alternative cost-saving measures, suggesting the closure of the Winslow School administration building instead.

Under the original January vote, the committee gave firm assurances that the Willett School, once closed, would not be repurposed for any public school-related use, with Taris previously confirming it would not house the school administration.

Additional School Committee Actions-October 18, 1979

Beyond the contentious school closing debate, the committee handled several other key items of business:

• Teacher Contracts: Formally signed the 1979-80 labor contract with the Norwood Teachers’ Association and agreed to immediately commence negotiations for the 1980-81 school year.
• Staff Appointments: Voted to hire two new instructional aides—Sandra Barner for a Prescott School first-grade classroom, and Carol Powers for kindergarten and second grade at the Willett School. Committee Member William J. Pudsey abstained from the vote because Sandra Barner is his sister.
• Grievance Hearings: Reached an agreement with the Norwood Teachers’ Association to conduct all future grievance hearings in executive session. In exchange, the teachers’ association agreed to drop pending charges of unfair labor practices previously filed against the committee regarding a grievance heard in an open session.

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