School Housing Needs Committee Proposes Staggered Elementary School Closings in Norwood-November 3, 1978

Committee Backs Staggered Closure Plan Targeting Callahan, Balch, and a Third School by 1983

Facing declining student enrollments across Norwood that began back in 1971, the School Housing Needs Committee advanced a second school closure proposal last night. Backed by a 7-2 vote, the newly favored blueprint outlines a phased, staggered schedule: closing the Callahan School in September 1979, shutting down the Balch School in 1981, and closing a third, unnamed elementary school by 1983.

Presented as a “statement of preference” that does not legally bind the School Committee, the recommendation will be submitted alongside last week’s more aggressive proposal—which called for the simultaneous September closures of both the Callahan and Balch schools while shifting all town sixth graders into the two junior high schools.

Committee Chairman Richard J. Smith defended the group’s exhaustive review, noting that six alternative strategies (designated Plans G through L) were examined to preserve the existing kindergarten-through-grade-6 elementary structure. Smith argued that staggering the closures would eliminate multi-story facilities that pose challenges for handicapped students and Chapter 766 programs, avoid future maintenance expenses on the Callahan School, and upgrade overall learning facilities.

Overview of Alternative Closure Plans (Plans G–L)

Selected Proposal (Plan L) & Alternatives

Plan L (Majority Vote): Closes Callahan in Sept 1979, Balch in 1981, and an unnamed school in 1983. Logistics outline moving Willett students to Cleveland to house displaced Callahan pupils, though Chairman Smith noted relocation logistics were illustrative only.
Plan G: Closes Callahan and Willett in September.
Plan H: Closes Callahan and Balch next year.
Plan I: Closes Cleveland in September; Callahan in 1981.
Plan J: Closes Willett in September; Callahan in 1980.
Plan K: Closes Guild in September; Callahan in 1981 (favored by dissenters **Francis Ahern** and **Frances Phipps** as least disruptive for 1979).

Community Pushback & Financial Debate

Callahan PTA Response: Callahan PTA President **Robert Pennie** voiced immediate hostility, predicting the School Committee will protect the neighborhood school concept: “They know we won’t allow it to happen.”
Financial Skepticism: Finance Commission representative **Allan Howard** questioned the savings, arguing that financial gains from closing the Callahan would be largely negated by increased student busing costs.
Elimination Criteria: Smith explained that superior school design at Oldham and the location of Prescott exempted them, leaving five candidate schools from which three must close.

Next Steps and School Committee Review

The committee’s dual recommendations will be delivered to the Norwood School Committee next week. Superintendent Louis Taris is expected to submit his own administrative report within a few weeks, paving the way for public hearings before a final municipal decision is reached.

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

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