School Committee Recommends Endean Site for New Junior High, Sparking Town Meeting Debate
The School Committee’s pursuit of a new site for a junior high school culminated last night in an offer from Walpole landowner Charles S. Bird to sell 9.2 acres in the Endean area for $9,500 an acre, bringing the total land cost to $85,500.
The Endean Site Proposal
The committee unanimously voted to recommend the Endean acreage—located near the Norwood-Walpole boundary just behind the Little League ballpark—to the permanent building construction committee. Board member William F. Egan enthused over the location, noting the town already owns 39 adjacent acres of playground land.
“It’s the most gorgeous, the most beautiful site, way back of the Little League ballpark,” Egan said, adding that the $9,500 per-acre price tag is exceptionally reasonable compared to residential house lots costing between $15,000 and $20,000 in town.
However, the proposal drew immediate skepticism and sharp questioning from town meeting members in the audience. Critics demanded to know why the committee was abandoning the April Town Meeting mandate, which had voted to restore, update, and expand the fire-damaged Norwood Junior High School South despite a lack of state aid. Others questioned how architectural cost estimates for reconstructing Junior High South had escalated from an initial $3.5 million to a preliminary $6.7 million projection before architects eventually firmed up figures between $4.2 and $5.6 million.
Town meeting member Edmund G. Linehan warned the committee to prepare for a difficult defense at the upcoming special town meeting, stating, “No matter what you sell there, you’re going to have a real tough job… and it gets tougher every day.” Other members, including Charles C. Saraca and Herbert Wiggin, urged officials to provide clear comparisons regarding student busing costs to the outlying Endean area versus a centrally located site.
Financial Shortfalls and Special Town Meeting Request
Adding to the school department’s immediate challenges, the committee voted to ask selectmen to postpone a scheduled meeting regarding a request for a special town meeting. The board needs approximately $188,600—either through appropriations or reserve transfers—to cover school operating expenses through December 31, following annual town meeting cuts of $126,558 from the department’s 1971 nonsalary budget request in June.
Airport Apron and United Fund Launch
In other municipal actions:
- Airport Financing: Selectmen authorized the town treasurer to borrow $29,600 to construct a new aircraft parking apron at Norwood Airport, following a 3-2 vote in January. Chairman John F. Lydon also secured unanimous support for motions requesting an airport commission report on potential municipal revenue sources, such as parking and landing fees, and a review of runway expansion plans.
- United Fund Drive: The Norwood United Fund campaign kicks off tomorrow with a mail solicitation aiming for a $51,000 community goal to support local health and welfare agencies, including the American Red Cross, Family Service of Dedham, Home Health Association, and the Norwood Visiting Nurses Association.
- Open-Campus Programs: The school committee granted administrators permission to explore an offer from the Rev. Clifford Anderson of the Evangelical Baptist Church to provide voluntary religious study, debate, and science discussion programs for senior high students during free periods under the new modified open-campus plan.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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