Seeking to bring local students into the emerging computer age, school officials announced plans to request nearly $62,700 in funding at the upcoming special town meeting scheduled for September 20.
Proposed Computer Acquisition and Distribution Plan
The School Committee is formally proposing the purchase of 16 microcomputers to be distributed across the district’s school buildings:
- Elementary Schools: One computer for each of the five elementary schools (plus three units allocated to the Peabody School).
- Junior High Schools: One computer in each of the town’s two junior high schools.
- Norwood High School: Six computers to anchor secondary instruction.
Louis Buscone Jr., high school vice principal and head of the district’s computer education project, stated Wednesday that he anticipates securing the strong backing of the Finance Commission ahead of the September 20 special town meeting vote.
Educational Goals and Long-Term Vision
According to Buscone and high school math department chairman Al Carver, the newly acquired technology will serve a dual purpose: teaching students fundamental operational skills for high-tech machinery and providing targeted remedial assistance in core academic subjects.
School officials outlined an ambitious long-term objective to place a computer in every elementary classroom—where foundational introduction to technology should begin—with the complete rollout estimated to take between three and five years. In addition to general classroom use, educators plan to expand specialized computer instruction to students enrolled in college preparatory mathematics courses.
“Workers in almost any field will have to operate computers in the future,” Buscone emphasized, noting that the educational rollout would proceed independently of a separate municipal study exploring the purchase of larger computer systems for town data storage and financial management.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
-
Norwood Kindergarten Bus Routes Announced for Fall Term-September 9, 1983
School officials have officially released the comprehensive morning and afternoon bus route schedules for Norwood kindergarten students, with classes set to begin on Monday. Schedule and School-Specific Route Details The morning kindergarten session commences at 8:40 a.m. (with first pickups beginning at 8:20 a.m. and dismissal at 11:15 a.m.), while the afternoon session begins at…
-
Rain-Damaged Cleveland and Prescott Schools Expected to Be Repaired by September-August 17, 1983
Unexpected rainstorms caused roof leaks at the Cleveland and Prescott schools during active construction, though officials expect full contractor-funded repairs before the September opening.
-
School Committee Warns of Political Firestorms Over Forthcoming School Closing Study-October 21, 1981
Praising the progress of a long-range school planning study, Norwood School Committee members warned that recommendations regarding school closures could spark emotional political debates in January.
-
School Officials Seek $62,700 from Town Meeting to Fund Classroom Computers-September 10, 1982
School officials plan to ask town meeting for $62,700 to purchase 16 computers for elementary, junior high, and high schools to introduce students to computer technology.
-
Selectmen Target $82,500 for Gymnasium Repairs While Uncovering Wider $750,000 School Roof Crisis-September 9, 1982
Facing extensive water damage at Norwood High School, selectmen tentatively agreed to recommend an $82,500 appropriation at the September 20 special town meeting—while a broader engineering survey revealed an estimated $750,000 in necessary roof repairs across the school district. Gym Floor Damage and Architectural Estimates An August 9 rainstorm caused severe rainwater leakage from a…
-
John Poce Appointed Acting Principal of Junior High School North-September 9, 1982
Junior High School North vice-principal John Poce is unanimously appointed acting principal by the school committee following James R. Savage’s promotion to superintendent.
-
Norwood Public School Students Score Strongly on State Basic-Skills Exams-September 2, 1982
Students across Norwood public schools have demonstrated exceptional academic performance, scoring remarkably well on state-mandated basic-skills tests for the second consecutive year. Released recently following examinations administered last spring, the district data reveals that only a very small handful of students across grades three, five, and eight failed to achieve minimum passing standards in reading,…
-
School Long-Range Planning Panel to Deliver Progress Report-August 24, 1982
Facing declining enrollments, Norwood’s school planning panel will deliver a progress report in October and final recommendations on grade configurations and potential school closures in January.
-
Norwood School Committee to Ask Teachers to Renegotiate Contracts-August 20, 1982
Citing finance commission opposition and Proposition 2 1/2 limits, the school committee will ask teachers to renegotiate 8 percent pay raises or face town meeting review on September 20.
-
Norwood School Committee Narrows Superintendent Search to Three Finalists, Including Junior High North Principal James R. Savage-August 11, 1982
Junior High North Principal James R. Savage was named one of three finalists for Norwood superintendent of schools, alongside Arlington assistant superintendent William J. Birmingham and Rhode Island administrator Nora M. Walker.
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.