When Norwood students return to classrooms tomorrow for the start of the new academic year, they will encounter a few visible adjustments—including higher cafeteria prices, a smaller teaching staff, and the discontinuation of Latin courses. However, school officials emphasized that despite a roughly $600,000 reduction to the $18 million school budget amid town-wide cutbacks, Norwood schools remain in a comparatively strong position relative to neighboring communities.
Preserved Programs and Cafeteria Price Hikes
“Norwood has its art, music and physical education programs intact,” School Committee Chairman Marilyn Saltzberg noted. “We don’t have user fees for any of that. Norwood has a lot of advantages over surrounding communities.”
Students will immediately notice changes in the cafeteria, where hot lunch prices are rising by 10 cents—representing the second price hike within the past year. Lunches will now cost $1.10 at the elementary level and $1.20 at the junior and senior high schools. Food Services Director Mary Nagle explained that the price increases are necessary to rescue the school lunch program, which has run a deficit for several years driven by rising food costs and declining student participation.
Staffing Reductions and the End of Latin
In the classroom, students will see six fewer teachers, reflecting layoffs approved by the school committee in the spring and bringing Norwood’s total teacher layoffs to 24 over the past four years. While administrators stressed that staffing reductions will not impact core programming, the opening day marks the end of an era with the official elimination of high school Latin courses.
According to Cheryl Brown, chairman of the foreign languages committee, Latin was dropped exclusively due to dwindling student enrollment, concluding a historical run when the subject served as the anchor of the district’s foreign language curriculum. Meanwhile, class sizes have crept upward, particularly in elementary schools where Superintendent James Savage reported that the largest classrooms hold approximately 28 students.
Opening Day Schedules
Superintendent Savage released the official first-day arrival and dismissal schedule for the district:
- Elementary Schools: Report at 8:40 a.m.; dismissal at 2:50 p.m.
- Junior High Schools: Report at 7:50 a.m.; dismissal at 2:20 p.m.
- High School: Report at 8:00 a.m.; dismissal at 2:00 p.m.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
-
Almost 50% of Graduates Head To College-July 10, 1969
The Norwood High School guidance department released a significant report on July 10, 1969, detailing the educational future of the school’s 419 graduates. The data revealed that approximately 45 percent of the class planned to attend four-year colleges that fall, a figure the department noted was likely the highest percentage of four-year institution acceptances in…
-
Special School Program Enters Fourth Year-June 24, 1969
Utilizing a low 5-1 student-to-teacher ratio, a staff of 36 professionals works to reinforce reading skills and improve academic performance for public and parochial school children.
-
School District Prepares for New Academic Year with Orientation Institute and Registration Dates-August 14, 1968
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley announced student registration dates and school opening schedules as Norwood public schools welcome dozens of new educators for the 1968-1969 academic year.
-
Alan R. Wonson Reappointed as Principal of Winslow Elementary School-August 31, 1967
Following an executive session, Committee Chairman Francis X. Sheehan Jr. announced that the Norwood School Committee has reappointed Alan R. Wonson of Westwood as principal of the Winslow Elementary School, effective immediately. Wonson, the former vice-principal at the Cleveland Elementary School, had previously been appointed by a unanimous committee vote earlier in the month; however,…
-
School Committee Discloses Closed-Session Debate Over Elementary School Principalship Merger-August 25, 1967
School committee minutes revealed a shelved plan to merge Shattuck and Winslow schools
-
School Committee Considers Sweeping Administrative Reorganization Plan-August 24, 1967
School Committee Chairman Francis X. Sheehan Jr. proposed a sweeping administrative reorganization creating an associate superintendent to streamline Norwood school management
-
Schools Prepare for 5th Annual New Teacher Orientation-August 22, 1967
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley welcomed 58 incoming educators at the fifth annual teacher orientation institute at Prescott School, introducing new faculty across secondary and elementary schools.
-
Norwood Teachers Association Submits $1,000 Pay Increase Proposal-August 18, 1966
The Norwood Teachers Association submitted a $1,000-plus pay raise proposal as the school committee signed its first collective bargaining agreement amid debate led by John J. Cavanaugh and William Egan.
-
Andrew J. Ciarletta Jr. Appointed Principal of Winslow Elementary School-July 27, 1966
The Norwood School Committee appointed Andrew J. Ciarletta Jr. as principal of Winslow Elementary School, succeeding Alan R. Wonson.
-
Norwood School Committee Reviews Summer School Program and Proposes Token Fees-September 3, 1965
Following the successful completion of Norwood’s first town-sponsored summer school program—which enrolled approximately 330 local students in remedial coursework—the Norwood School Committee is evaluating future administrative structures, including a proposal to institute a nominal student fee. Superintendent Philip O. Coakley presented a comprehensive report detailing the inaugural summer session, noting that progress reports for every…
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.