An independent school needs survey conducted by the Cambridge consulting firm Arthur D. Little, Inc. and presented to town officials and School Committee members last night warns that Norwood schools are “critically overcrowded” across all three educational levels.
The $21.8 Million Master Plan and Overcrowding Crisis
Commissioned by the Finance Commission at a cost of $42,000, the master plan outlines a sweeping $21.8 million building program to be implemented over a five-year period. However, study representatives cautioned that even if town meeting immediately approves the full recommendations, Norwood may already be lagging behind an extremely tight construction schedule.
While taking no immediate action on the report—which will undergo thorough review by the school committee and other town boards ahead of a public open hearing planned for the first week of October by Chairman Robert A. Bulger—school committee members questioned several financial and growth projections in the study.
School committee member Eugene F. Thayer challenged the report’s underlying assumptions regarding tax base increases, noting that the preceding ten-year period used for projections represented the town’s greatest historical growth era. Thayer pointed out that the Endean Farm site proposed for the new senior high school is one of the last large remaining parcels in Norwood that could otherwise be developed to boost the town’s assessed valuation.
Financial Projections and Tax Forecasts
The master plan projects that Norwood’s assessed valuation will climb from $82.7 million to $109.5 million by 1980, reflecting what consultants termed the “inflection of the town’s reaching physical capacity,” which would likely necessitate a community renewal plan within five years. Alongside rising valuations, the study forecasts substantial tax rate increases, peaking at $26.25 in 1974. When questioned by committee members about these projections, Arthur D. Little representatives acknowledged they had not factored specific land-use limitations into their financial models.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
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Permanent School Building Construction Committee Votes to Proceed with Permanent Roof Plans for Burned-Out Junior High South and Aaron Guild School-September 15, 1972
School building construction committee votes to proceed with permanent roof plans for Junior High South and Aaron Guild School, while Endean Park junior high plans secure SBAB approval.
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Committee Votes to Reroof Aaron Guild School Ahead of Winter Months-September 8, 1972
Norwood’s building committee votes to undertake immediate reroofing of the Aaron Guild School, eliminates skylights, and reviews Endean Park school construction and athletic field costs.
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Gridlock Over $6-Million Junior High Rebuilding Plan and Norwood Arena Noise-This Day in Norwood History-June 27, 1971
A dual crisis hits Norwood in 1971 as a $6-million junior high deficit triggers political warfare and state experts condemn racetrack noise.
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Work Under Way At Junior High North-May 29, 1970
In 1970, Norwood Junior High North saw new fencing, repaving, and drainage improvements while a major school facilities survey moved toward completion, shaping long‑term planning.
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Norwood Kills Funds For School Addition-June 26, 1969
Voters approve a $1,000 Endean Park drainage compromise and reverse a zoning rule to relocate Carl A. Johnson’s Norwood Cadillac Co. along Route 1.
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Strikes And Weather Delay North Junior High School Construction-June 17, 1969
Superintendent Warns Of Possible Double-Session Classes If Washington Street Facility Openings Fail A steel strike at the end of last summer halted installation of metal decking for the roof and delayed the roofer. Snow and freezing weather further hampered the project before the roof could be completed at the new school site. Without a roof,…
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Parents Challenge Junior‑High Redistricting Plan-June 12, 1969
In June 1969, furious Cleveland School families took their grievances directly to town leaders, sparking a tense debate over school enrollment, modern facilities, and neighborhood identity.
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Willett School Wiring Dispute Adds $9,000 to Construction Costs Ahead of September Opening-July 28, 1968
⠀ The Norwood Permanent Building Construction Committee last night voted to approve the installation of additional circuit breaker panels so that the Willett School can open on schedule in September. The cost of the electrical installation is estimated at approximately $9,000. William J. Kates, supervisor of the Municipal Light Department and inspector of wires, advised…
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Ground Broken for $1.23 Million George F. Willett Elementary School-August 11, 1967
Following a $1.04 million contract award and emergency state borrowing approval, Rocheford Construction Co. broke ground on the 16-classroom George F. Willett Elementary School.
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Superintendent Coakley Tells PTA Council That $4 Million in New School Construction Is Mandatory-September 10, 1965
Dr. Philip O. Coakley tells the PTA Council that $4 million in new school construction—including a new elementary and junior high—is mandatory to handle over-capacity enrollment.
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