In a reversal of a previous decision, the School Committee has voted to keep 46 elementary school children from the Nor-West Woods apartment complex at the Oldham School, rescinding a July 5 vote that would have transferred them to the Shattuck School.
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley explained that the committee revoted on the matter roughly a month prior after conferring with the complex owners, who clarified that only apartment units would be rented out by September. “The stability factor was taken into consideration,” Dr. Coakley noted, adding that the pupil-teacher ratio at Oldham will remain consistent with the previous year.
The initial July transfer had sparked immediate protest from Nor-West Woods parents who attended school board meetings to decry the lack of space and facilities at the Shattuck School—Norwood’s oldest operating school at 70 years. While the board initially stood firm—with only member Charles C. Saraca dissenting—parents subsequently retained Norwood attorney John J. Mulvehill, who successfully petitioned the board for reconsideration. Both Dr. Coakley and School Board Chairman John J. Cavanaugh emphasized that the reversal applies exclusively to the upcoming academic year.
Norwood and Walpole Boards Set to Meet on Route 1 Sewer Tie-In
In municipal affairs, a joint meeting between Norwood selectmen and Walpole officials is scheduled for tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Norwood Town Hall to address a proposed sewer tie-in for a planned Walpole shopping center. Consideration of the Route 1 and Union Street connection had been postponed for three consecutive weeks due to the absence of Walpole selectmen.
Selectmen Chairman Walter J. Dempsey confirmed that Walpole’s board has agreed to formally request approval for the agreement drafted by town counsels. The arrangement would allow developers Allen Associates Inc. to construct a sewer line along Route 1 connecting to Norwood’s interceptor. However, intense local opposition is expected: representatives from the Traphole Protection Association along with residents from both Norwood and Walpole plan to present petitions opposing the tie-in, citing fears that runoff from the paved commercial center will cause severe flooding and pollution along Traphole Brook.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
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School Building Committee Votes to Recommend Addition to Cleveland School-August 16, 1963
By a 3-2 vote, Norwood’s Elementary School Building Committee recommended an eight-room addition to the Cleveland School rather than constructing a new facility on Wilson Street.
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Oldham School Building Committee Grapples with Defective Tile Work and Construction Delays-August 7, 1963
At a special meeting addressing 22 construction issues, the Oldham School Building Committee and architect George H. Stoner rejected 1,100 square feet of improperly installed exterior tile.⠀
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School Board Studies Hockey Rink For School, New Schools, Sets New Weather Policy-This Day in Norwood History-June 30, 1946
The Norwood School Committee institutes a firm new inclement weather academic policy, launches cost evaluations for a high school hockey rink, and updates educational equipment for the local schools.
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