Incomplete Sprinkler System Threatens Extended Half-Day Sessions at Norwood High School-September 9, 1976

Unless construction work on a new sprinkler system is fully completed by tonight, Norwood High School will be forced to continue operating on half-day sessions next week, and the School Committee may pursue formal legal action against the contractor, ABC Sprinkler Co. of Allston.

Construction Delays and Financial Impact

Philip C. Swain of the permanent building construction committee reported that the project had suffered from poor initial engineering work. While Swain expressed hope that work would wrap up sufficiently to permit normal operations by Monday, the remaining unfinished tasks are concentrated in the school kitchen and cafeteria.

School officials emphasized that even after construction finishes, custodians and 22 cafeteria personnel will require a few days to thoroughly clean up accumulated debris and sanitize kitchen equipment before hot meals can be safely served. The original contract specified August 27 as the completion deadline, but repeated postponements have plagued the project.

School Committee member Richard W. Kief urged immediate punitive action, suggesting the town pull the contractor’s performance bond. “They keep putting off the completion date and are not performing in accord with the agreement. We should take the strongest possible action,” Kief declared. Kief further noted that the school department faces mounting financial waste, including potential overtime pay for cleaning crews and paying full-day wages for 114 teachers and cafeteria workers despite the truncated schedule.

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