Westwood Superintendent John Antonucci and School Committee Member John J. O'Brien discussed the current economic climate and its affect on state-wide school systems during a school advocacy event this week at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.The 26th annual event, dubbed "Day on the Hill," was sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). There, school officials and legislators from all across the state met to discuss the current economy and its impact on school systems state-wide."The bottom line, it's really a way for School Committee members and …

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing the economy's effect on local schools. The Westwood School Committee held its second reading of the school budget for Fiscal Year 2012 on Thursday night. With the exception of some mixed views on a Dean of Students Position, the School Committee and Superintendent John Antonucci said they were satisfied with what the budget offers. Antonucci noted that Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget was also released recently, and Chapter 70 State Aid will give them an additional $20,000 to work with. Thus, instead of a 2 percent budget …

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing the economy's effect on local schools. It was a packed house when the Westwood School Committee gathered Thursday night for the first reading of Superintendent John Antonucci’s recommended Fiscal Year 2012 budget. Antonucci's budget request is for $33,697,419, a 2-percent increase of $660,733 over FY '11. It was the first time the School Committee had seen the budget, which was presented by Antonucci, Director of Student Services Audrey Seyffert, Thurston Middle School Principal Allison Borchers, and High School Principal …

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing local schools. This story focuses on various fundraisers and charities that have been organized through the school system during the last few months in an effort for students to give back to the community. The holiday season certainly offers residents the chance to give back to the community, either through a charitable organization, a pet shelter or simply cleaning up around town. The Westwood Public School system has been doing just this, with several clubs and organizations getting into the holiday spirit and doing …

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing local schools. By December 31, all school departments in Massachusetts are required to have an anti-bullying policy in place. But Westwood couldn't wait that long to compose a final draft. Westwood Superintedent John Antonucci had previously set an internal deadline of December 1 for the school department's Anti-Bullying and Prevention Plan. The deadline was in fact met, and the plan will be available on Saturday, December 4, to students and parents. "We wanted to meet the deadline but we also want to make sure this is the…

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing the economy's effect on local schools. A number of communities throughout the state and the rest of the country have undoubtedly felt the heat of the economic downturn. But for students in the Westwood Public School system, things have turned out rather beneficial, due to a hard-working administration and an override in FY07. Three Westwood High School students recently sat down with Westwood Patch to tell their side of how the economy is affecting everyday activities in the school system. While some small aspects have …

Editor's Note: This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing the economy's effect on local schools. The Westwood school system's budget is something that directly involves the way the school is run, what is funded and what is cut. So, with a zero-percent increase in the budget for the second straight year, the system was forced to make cuts in several areas. While the budget was level for Westwood, Superintendent John Antonucci said that this is still essentially a cut, as every year the school needs anywhere between $800,000 to $1.5 million to keep up with increasing fixed costs. "…