Norwood’s school committee was warned last night that the town’s special education program faces a severe fiscal crunch for the upcoming academic year.
School Business Manager Lawrence Canter reported that the town may run short of funds to pay for specialized services and external placements mandated by the state’s landmark special education law, known as Chapter 766.
While the school department budgeted $70,000 for outside treatment agencies, preliminary estimates indicate that roughly $60,000 of that total is already earmarked. Canter warned that costs are expected to escalate further due to state funding cutbacks—including the loss of Department of Mental Health funding for a private nonprofit agency serving local children, which could force Norwood to cover increased tuition costs.
Legal Precedent and State Funding Lawsuit
Adding to the financial uncertainty, Canter noted that approximately $55,000 unspent from the 1974–75 special education budget is currently in question following a recent Supreme Judicial Court ruling against Worcester. The court nullified Worcester’s use of Chapter 766 funds to offset its tax rate, forcing the city to transfer $714,000 back into a special education account. Canter urged the committee to seek guidance from Town Counsel Justin C. Barton to determine if Norwood’s accounting practices are similarly affected.
In response to state under-funding of the mandated program—for which Norwood is expected to receive $128,416 this year—school committee member Richard Joseph proposed joining a multi-town lawsuit to compel the state to fully fund Chapter 766 mandates. Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley agreed to confer with Town Counsel Barton regarding the proposal.
Special Education Transportation Contracts
During the meeting, the committee awarded three-year transportation contracts totaling $60,730 annually to two firms: Carl F. Kiessling Transportation Co. of Dedham and Kiessling School Transportation Co. of South Walpole. The awards were approved after rejecting one- and five-year terms. Committee member William Travers advocated for the three-year limit over competing Norwood-based bids to allow local providers an opportunity to re-bid sooner.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
-
Norwood Junior High School Honor Rolls for the Last Term-This Day In Norwood History-July 21, 1997
Celebrating Academic Excellence at Norwood Junior High The academic landscape at Norwood Junior High School was highlighted by a formal recognition of student achievement, as the administration released the latest honor rolls for Grade 7 and Grade 6. These lists, comprised of students who attained HIGH HONORS and HONORS status, served as a public commendation…
-
Norwood High School Revives Latin Classes After Nearly a Decade-September 26, 1994
Norwood High School brings back Latin classes for the first time in nearly a decade, led by young instructor Stephen Olbrys to enthusiastic student enrollment.
-
Norwood Elementary Grades Drive Enrollment Increase-September 2, 1993
School System Reaches 3,565 Total Students Norwood public schools have experienced an overall enrollment increase of 136 students compared to the previous academic year, bringing total district enrollment to 3,565 students, according to an announcement made by Assistant Superintendent Roderick Smith during a school committee meeting. Enrollment Breakdown by Grade Level The surge is heavily…
-
Summer Education Program Helps Students Stay Sharp-August 12, 1992
Federal Chapter 1 funding revived Norwood’s summer remedial education program at the Cleveland School, combining academics with local field trips for 48 students.
-
Prescott Elementary School Parents Urge School Committee to Alleviate Overcrowding-September 12, 1991
Prescott Elementary School parents petition the Norwood School Committee to hire a part-time teacher to alleviate overcrowded kindergarten classes.
-
Schools Open with Retained Programs Despite Budget Cuts and Staff Reductions-September 3, 1991
When Norwood students return to classrooms tomorrow for the start of the new academic year, they will encounter a few visible adjustments—including higher cafeteria prices, a smaller teaching staff, and the discontinuation of Latin courses. However, school officials emphasized that despite a roughly $600,000 reduction to the $18 million school budget amid town-wide cutbacks, Norwood…
-
Search for Superintendent Stirs Conflict on Committee-July 24, 1991
The Norwood School Committee engaged in a tense debate over expanding the superintendent search committee to include PTA representation and broader community voices.
-
Norwood High School to Drop Latin Program Due to Dwindling Enrollment-September 27, 1990
Citing dwindling enrollment and a lack of cost-effectiveness, Norwood High School officials announce that Latin courses will be eliminated from the curriculum after June.
-
Joseph Katchpole Succeeds George Usevich as Vice Principal of Norwood High School-August 23, 1990
Health and physical education department head Joseph Katchpole has been named acting vice principal of Norwood High School, succeeding George Usevich in the school administration.
-
Norwood to Sue Blue Hills School to Block Budget-July 19, 1990
The town of Norwood was on a collision course with the Blue Hills Regional Technical School in July 1990, as officials prepared to file a lawsuit to block the school’s revised budget for the upcoming academic year. The dispute had been brewing for several weeks, ever since the four district towns – Norwood, Holbrook, Dedham,…
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.