Norwood School Committee Approves Balch School Remedial Class and Eight-Period High School Day-July 31, 1975

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The Norwood School Committee voted last night to begin a transitional first grade and modified kindergarten at the Balch School in September. Assistant Superintendent Umberto V.C. Napoleone said the need for the transitional first grade was brought to light when twenty-three kindergarten students failed to achieve a passing score on a kindergarten screening test administered last October. The Balch School produced the highest number of those not passing with 37, followed by the Callahan with 20, Aaron Guild with 19, Willett with 14, Oldham with 13, Cleveland with 9, and Prescott with 5.

Of the 23 Balch pupils who failed the screening test, only 16 were recommended for the transitional first grade, while others remained in kindergarten, were promoted to regular first grade, moved out of the district, or were placed in the modified kindergarten. Seven of the children came from families of limited English-speaking ability. Member Rudith M. Berkowitz was critical of the high absenteeism rate among resource personnel at the Balch School, noting that for a total of 80.5 days at the school, no teaching services were available from specialists due to absences. She stated, It’s possible that the children were being disserviced by that amount of absenteeism. Included in her motion to approve the pilot program was the stipulation that bilingual teachers be hired for school openings in September.

Member Richard W. Kief abstained from the vote after expressing reservations about the financial implications and a lack of cost estimates for additional transportation, noting, I’m frustrated because I support the transitional first grade but I’d like to know what we’re putting ourselves in for. Members were told there will be no additional staff increases to implement the program. Children selected for the modified kindergarten will aim to sharpen skills to bring them up to the level of regular classes. Umberto V.C. Napoleone also reported the results of last year’s testing in grades three through six using the California Test of Academic Achievement and the Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude, where 1,863 students were tested and 117 received an aptitude score of 85 or below.

In other high school actions, the board made it official that the high school will convert to an eight-period day in the fall, cutting back from the current nine-period schedule. The open campus will still be in effect for seniors and juniors, while sophomores will be restricted from leaving school grounds and scheduled during periods two through eight. Member Richard Joseph, whose presence was awaited for the official vote, endorsed the change.

Additionally, senior citizens looking forward to low-cost hot lunches in the schools next fall are out of luck. Superintendent Philip O. Coakley told the school committee that there are currently no state or federal funds available to pay for the services administered by the state school food services department. The school department budget passed at the annual town meeting had included $7,200 to get the hot lunch program started under a proposal by the town’s Council on Aging, but business manager Lawrence Canter stated that the money will have to be turned back to the town if external funding cannot be secured.

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