Norwood School Committee approves five-year strategic plan and two new curriculum programs

NORWOOD — May 21, 2026 — Norwood School Committee approves five-year strategic plan, two curriculum adoptions, and superintendent's contract in one session. The three-member quorum — Chair David Hiltz, Joan Edmond, and a third member identified as Mike — voted 3-0 Wednesday on all major items after a nearly three-hour meeting. The Norwood Public Schools Strategic Plan 2026-2031, built from surveys of more than 750 community members and nine public forums, was adopted unanimously; Superintendent Timothy Leff said annual action steps tied to the plan's four focus areas will come before the committee at the June 3 meeting. The committee also adopted Reveal Math for grades five through nine at a five-year cost of approximately $210,000, and Fish Tank Learning for K-through-4 English Language Arts with text purchases of roughly $160,000, partially offset by an estimated $80,000 from the district's PRISM grant, with both curricula to be implemented in the fall. Separately, the board ratified a new five-year superintendent contract replacing the final year of Leff's existing three-year agreement, locking in a 3 percent annual cost-of-living increase through 2031.