Willett School Overcrowding And Parent Protests-September 5, 1974

School Committee meetings turned contentious as parents packed town chambers to protest severe overcrowding at the Willett School, where burgeoning student populations from the Windsor Gardens apartment complex have strained classroom capacities.

Appearing before the board, parent representative Mr. Turner criticized school administrators for failing to address the crisis sooner and for neglecting to place the parents’ group on the official agenda. Turner’s figures, verified by Willett Principal Alan R. Wonson, revealed an enrollment of 421 students taught by 17 teachers. At the kindergarten level, two half-day sessions were divided into groups of 24 and 30 pupils, prompting teachers Marcia Krasnow and Barbara O’Beirne to describe opening-day conditions as a “disaster” plagued by procrastination.

While school officials initially offered a half-time teacher or full-time aide only for kindergarten, parents demanded broader structural solutions. Assistant Superintendent Umberto V. Napoleone reported that opening day elementary figures reached 3,136—surpassing May estimates of 3,050. District 7 Town Meeting member Thomas Michienzi also raised safety concerns regarding young pedestrians walking under bridges on Lenox and Dean Streets to reach the newly opened Junior High School South, citing past fatalities. The board voted to request a police patrolman be stationed at the Cedar Street underpass and took under advisement suggestions to abandon or widen sidewalks and request Penn Central give up a seldom-used rail spur.

Amid the friction, the board received praise from Boston University special education professor Dr. Gerald Gorman for working with parents to relocate special needs students from a basement classroom at the newly opened Aaron Guild Elementary School to the Oldham School, praising the Guild’s basement adaptation as an effective resource center.

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

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.
Peabody School Graduates Told Of Obligation To Support Education-June 25, 1982

School officials emphasize community obligations and moral commitments to public education during exercises at Junior High School South.
Norwood High School Senior Edward J. Skricki Named Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist; Three Peers Commended-October 13, 1981

Norwood High senior Edward J. Skricki achieves National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist standing, joined by commended classmates Judith Martowska, Susan O’Brien, and Joseph Petrie Jr.
Superintendent Taris Seeks to Curb Rising Costs of After-Hours School Building Use-September 4, 1981

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…
Norwood School Committee Votes Eliminate Youth Hangout-July 31, 1981

Following rampant vandalism, late-night drinking, and brush fires near Callahan Elementary School, the Norwood School Committee voted to fund a $6,000 clearing project to eliminate a notorious youth hangout.
School Committee Awards New Transportation Contracts-July 16, 1981

After a difficult budget cycle in 1980, the committee avoided controversy by budgeting accurately and selecting trusted local transportation providers.
Winslow School eyed for elderly housing-September 3, 1980

Following the closure of school administrative offices at the Winslow School, the Norwood Housing Authority is actively setting its sights on converting the historic four-acre property at the corner of Chapel Street and Winslow Avenue into much-needed housing for the elderly. During a unanimous vote last night, the housing authority agreed to submit a formal…