The School Committee conducted formal interviews last night with two prospective candidates for the vacant business manager position while becoming embroiled in a stormy debate regarding student transportation contracts and administrative authority.
The committee interviewed Ralph E. Brooks, business manager for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and John D. Sheehan, assistant business administrator in Weymouth, who are vying to succeed Lawrence S. Canter following his resignation.
Busing Controversy and Yellow Cab Dispute
In addition to administrative interviews, the session flared into heated debate over student busing. On a motion by member Richard Joseph, the committee agreed to meet with Yellow Cab President Richard Armour and Town Counsel Justin Barton, stipulating that Armour must appear strictly as a “private taxpayer” rather than a corporate representative, given that Yellow Cab has an active lawsuit pending against the committee over bidding procedures.
Tensions escalated as members Charles Siraca and Joseph Pentowski sharply rebuked Superintendent of Schools Louis J. Taris for reassigning special student bus routes previously held by Yellow Cab to Kiessling School Transportation of Dedham without convening a special school committee meeting. Superintendent Taris authorized the transfer after Yellow Cab indicated it could not fulfill contractual routes without a fee adjustment to offset soaring gasoline prices. Committee Chairman Ruth Berkowitz and member Richard Joseph defended Superintendent Taris’s administrative emergency actions, keeping division within the board on display.
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 Committee Criticizes Secondary Education Quality-August 9, 1979
The Norwood School Committee sharply criticized secondary education quality, citing poor final exams, grammatical errors in curriculum guides, and low SAT scores.
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Norwood School Committeeman William Pudsey Proposes Ban on Student Parking at Norwood High School-August 1, 1979
School Committeeman William Pudsey proposed eliminating student parking at Norwood High School, citing safety hazards, reckless driving near the school rotary, and severe parking shortages for visitors.
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Norwood School Committee Closes Aaron Guild and Willett Schools-December 7, 1978
In a meeting that ended in a shouting match, the Norwood School Committee last night voted 4 to 3 to close two of the town’s seven elementary schools in September. School Supt. Louis Taris, in proposing the closings, said the school population had declined steadily in recent years and would lose 200 students each year…
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Superintendent Sets Nov. 1 Deadline for School Closing Plans Amid Enrollment Decline-September 14, 1978
Superintendent Louis J. Taris sets a Nov. 1 deadline for school closure contingency plans as the Norwood School Committee weighs enrollment drops and facility consolidation.
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FinCom Stuns School Committee with Sudden Reversal-August 22, 1978
In a sharp reversal, the Norwood Finance Commission voted against restoring $335,000 to the school budget, leaving the School Committee weighing lawsuits and alternative funding paths ahead of town meeting.
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FinCom Not Appeased by $255,000 School Cut-July 14, 1978
The town of Norwood was abuzz with controversy in the summer of 1978 as the finance commission (FinCom) and the school committee engaged in a heated debate over the school budget. The issue at hand was the $255,000 cut to the school budget voted by the school committee on Wednesday, which a majority of FinCom…
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Tight-Fisted Town Meeting Holds Firm On School Department Budget Cuts-June 22, 1978
A deadlocked floor fight over a massive school funding reduction brings threats of lawsuits, board recalls, and a complete municipal showdown.
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Opening Salvos Fired in School Budget Battle-June 15, 1978
A $126,000 budget variance, classroom ratio disputes, and proposals to redistribute students stir debate at Norwood Town Meeting.
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New Teachers Association President Richard T. King Focuses on Students and Educational Priorities Over Dollars-September 25, 1977
Newly elected Norwood Teachers Association President Richard T. King outlines a cooperative agenda focused on educational issues, special needs training under Chapter 766, and student scholarship programs.
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Norwood Zeroes In On School Vandals-August 3, 1977
A newly formed blue‑ribbon security committee convened to confront a surge of costly vandalism at Norwood’s public schools. Members reviewed structural, technological, and community‑based deterrents while assigning formal research duties for a comprehensive townwide response.
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