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
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Norwood School Board Rejects All Special Needs Busing Bids-August 21, 1980
With opening day just two weeks away, the Norwood School Committee voted 4-3 to reject all bids received the previous week for special needs student transportation. Acting under emergency procedures, the board announced it will call for new bids by Tuesday, with a potential contract award scheduled for Wednesday night. The rejected proposals came from…
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Henry O. Peabody School Director Ruth Shea Ponders Retirement After 14 Years-August 12, 1980
After 14 years expanding vocational education, Henry O. Peabody School director Ruth Shea ponders retirement while securing a 97 percent graduate job placement rate.
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Norwood School Administration Relocates to Willett School-July 24, 1980
The Norwood School Administration relocated to the George F. Willett School and enacted strict new graduation credit requirements.
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Students to Face Stiffer Standards-July 18, 1990
In 1990 the town of Norwood was on the cusp of a significant change in its educational system. The school administration, led by Superintendent Louis J. Taris, had been studying ways to improve academic standards for over a year and a half. The result of this study was a proposal to double the number of…
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Aaron Guild School Leased to Norwood CETA Consortium and EdCo for One Year-August 1, 1979
Norwood selectmen voted unanimously to lease the closed Aaron Guild School for one year to the Norwood CETA Consortium and the Educational Collaborative of Greater Boston (EdCo) for $148,000.
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Norwood School Bus Billing Questioned-July 31, 1979
The Patriot Ledger’s July 31, 1979 edition brought to light a controversy surrounding the billing practices of Kiessling School Transportation of Dedham, which had been contracted by the town of Norwood to transport special needs children. The issue at hand was whether the company had overcharged the town for mileage on certain routes. According to…
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School Department Releases Bus Routes and Eligibility Rules-August 30, 1978
As the late-summer excitement of a new academic year approached in 1978, the Norwood School Department officially released its comprehensive student transportation schedules, route mappings, and eligibility guidelines for the upcoming school term. Designed to ensure safe and orderly transit for thousands of local students, the announcement established clear boundaries and behavioral expectations for families…
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Norwood School Committee Considers Staggered School Closing Plan-July 14, 1978
The school housing needs committee last night recommended a second school closing plan that would close the doors of the Callahan School in September, shut down the Balch School in 1981 and close a third, unnamed elementary school in 1983. The plan was backed by seven of the nine members voting and was billed as…
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Norwood High School Accessibility Concerns-July 10, 1978
On July 10, 1978, parents of handicapped students in Norwood voiced serious concerns regarding the lack of physical accessibility at the local high school. Mrs. Charlotte Haskell, president of the Norwood Special Needs Parents Group, recently sent a formal letter to School Superintendent Philip O. Coakley. In the communication, she urged the district to take…
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School Board Recall Urged-July 8, 1978
Discover the 1978 budget battle in Norwood, where deep cuts to the school district’s $11.3 million budget led to a controversial recall effort and a lawsuit involving the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
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