Board Accedes to Parents’ Scheduling Wishes

The school committee last night reversed its votes on two previous decisions: changing the order of double sessions next year at Junior High School North, and allowing 160 Shattuck School pupils to remain as part of the Junior High North enrollment.

The vote to reverse the previous decisions was unanimous, with the sole exception of Committeeman Francis X. Sheehan, who opposed the scheduling reversal.

A crowd of 30 Shattuck School parents had packed into the board’s cramped Administration Building to hear the committee’s decision. Elated by the reversal, the parents left the meeting together.

The New Junior High Schedule

As a result of last night’s action, all students from the Shattuck School will remain in the same sessions as Junior High School North.

The final schedule for the upcoming school year will follow a “flip-flop” system to ensure equity between the two student bodies, reversing halfway through the year:

• Fall Semester: Junior High North pupils will attend morning sessions; Junior High South students will attend afternoon sessions.
• January (Post-Honors Banquet): The procedure will completely reverse. South pupils will move to mornings, and North pupils will move to afternoons.

Administrative Reactions

The school board had previously received a petition signed by 90 percent of Junior High South students asking to attend morning sessions next spring, as they had been relegated to afternoons all this year.

School board member Henry W. Diggs asked if the North students had been questioned on the matter. Mr. Sheehan replied, “You may have the answer next week when we sit,” noting the massive administrative workload required to completely rewrite the schedules.

“The administration still has no particular preference, but as a result of today’s meeting, we thought the change would be equitable.” — School Committee Member William F. Egan

Superintendent Dr. Philip Coakley stated that the biggest remaining problem is defining the exact enrollments of the two schools. Dr. Coakley estimated current figures at 1,070 students for the North session and 800 students for the South session.

Dr. Coakley noted that while there was a sound educational basis for the original balancing proposal, the administration chose to return to the original enrollments after “recognizing the emotional feeling evidenced against the transfer at the open meeting and the possible upsetting influence on the children.”

Additional School Board Actions

During the same session, the School Committee addressed two separate requests from Town Manager Walter A. Blasenak:

• Civic Center Student Poll: The board gave permission to have a questionnaire distributed to all junior and senior high school students asking their views on the use of the civic center. The 10-point questionnaire was prepared by Selectman Joseph W. Wall.
• Norwood Hospital Parking Dispute: Another letter from Mr. Blasenak asked the committee’s views on allowing personnel from Norwood Hospital to use the driveway at Junior High South for parking and construct a parking lot on the school’s front lawn.

Member Sheehan was vehement in his objection to the parking lot idea, stating, “There’s little enough green in this town now.” Chairman August Petrovek Jr. jokingly recommended a second proposal recommending a sign reading, “Keep off the grass.” The committee ultimately gave its approval to the use of the driveway until such time as construction begins on the school renovation and addition, but strictly banned the lawn parking lot.

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