Superintendent of Schools Louis J. Taris is pushing to rein in the surging volume of outside organizations utilizing school facilities during evening and weekend hours, citing mounting financial burdens on the school department.
Dr. Taris informed the school committee that dozens of local organizations currently utilize school buildings after hours, frequently without paying any rental fees. Because these groups—primarily charitable or non-profit entities such as the Boy Scouts—are granted free access, the school department is forced to absorb all utility and custodial overtime expenses. Furthermore, Taris noted that even when rental fees are collected from fee-paying organizations, the revenue is deposited directly into the town’s general reserve account rather than offsetting the operational costs incurred by the schools.
Proposed Policy Adjustments and Committee Response
Taris is currently conducting a comprehensive cost analysis of after-hours facility usage. He indicated he may soon recommend expanding the roster of groups required to pay rent and substantially increasing existing rental fees. Pending the completion of his study, Taris formally asked the school committee to implement an immediate moratorium prohibiting any new outside groups from gaining facility access. While emphasizing that he has no desire to shut out legitimate community and civic organizations, Taris stressed that the school department can no longer afford to “swallow the costs.” He also advocated for restructuring fee collection into a dedicated “revolving account,” which would directly cover custodial overtime expenses rather than flowing into the town reserve fund.
The school committee declined to enact an immediate ban on new groups until Superintendent Taris completes his formal financial assessment. Committee member Rudith Berkowitz voiced opposition to a blanket freeze, arguing that it would be inequitable to permit established organizations to continue using the facilities while arbitrarily locking out new applicants.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Public Schools Enrollment Down 341 Students, Though Upcoming Apartment Construction Expected to Boost Numbers-September 16, 1976
Norwood school officials report a drop of 341 students in total enrollment, but anticipate new apartment construction will push numbers back up.
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Louis Buscone Jr. Appointed High School Vice-Principal After Close School Committee Vote-September 9, 1976
Louis Buscone Jr. wins a one-year appointment as Norwood High School vice-principal by a 4-3 school committee vote as the board reviews declining enrollment figures.
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Norwood School Committee Seeks Field Trip Funds and Awards Bus Transportation Contracts-July 29, 1976
Facing budget cuts that eliminated student field trips, the Norwood School Committee voted to appeal to the Finance Commission and special town meeting for restoration funds.
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Norwood Board Rejects Blue Hills Collaborative-July 29, 1976
The summer of 1976 was a time of great change and uncertainty for the town of Norwood, Massachusetts. As the nation celebrated its bicentennial, local residents were grappling with issues of education, finance, and community involvement. One such issue that dominated the headlines in July 1976 was the proposed Blue Hills Collaborative, a vocational school…
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Balch School Welcomes First Full-Time Bilingual Teacher for Growing Portuguese Student Community-October 24, 1975
Driven by parent advocacy led by Manuel DaCosta, the Balch School welcomed its first full-time bilingual teacher, Mrs. Diane Lawrence Callahan, to support Norwood’s growing Portuguese student population.
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Balch School Library to Be Officially Dedicated as Grace M. Beverly Memorial Library-October 23, 1975
The Balch School library in South Norwood will be dedicated as the Grace M. Beverly Memorial Library, honoring the beloved former principal’s lifelong dedication to children’s literature and education.
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Oldham School Sixth Graders Discover an Outdoor Classroom During Rainy New Hampshire Wilderness Trip-October 9, 1975
Oldham School sixth graders brave a rainy week of hiking, craft-making, and ecology studies during an outdoor education field trip to New Hampshire.
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School Committee Reviews Standardized Test Results-September 18, 1975
Norwood School Committee reviews standardized test results, prompting officials to push for a return to basics in math and language skills across all grade levels.
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Norwood Faces Fiscal Crunch Under Chapter 766 Special Education Mandates-August 28, 1975
School officials report that Norwood’s special education program faces a funding shortfall under state Chapter 766 mandates, prompting legal review and contract awards.
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Norwood School Committee Approves Balch School Remedial Class and Eight-Period High School Day-July 31, 1975
The Norwood School Committee approved a pilot transitional first grade and modified kindergarten at Balch School to address kindergarten screening results and language needs.
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