USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1951-1957 > Part 27
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$209,366.79
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND RESERVES $209,366.79
60
DEBT ACCOUNT
Net Funded or Fixed Debt
$ 69,000.00
Water Main Loan, Chestnut and Prospect Sts. $ 17,000.00 8,000.00 Water Main Loan, Elm Street Water Main Loan, Plain Road 44,000.00
$ 69,000.00
$ 69,000.00
TRUST AND INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS
Trust and Investment Funds
$ 15,643.63
Cemetery Perpetual Care
$ 14,788.10 Firemen's Relief Fund 80.24 General Care Fund-Main St. Cemetery 10.00 Hill Cemetery General Care Fund 765.29
$ 15,643.63
$ 15,643.63
GERTRUDE B. ROGALESKI,
Town Accountant
61
Appropriation Table
1956 Appro- priation
Additional
Total Available
Spent
Balance to Revenue or Forward
Moderator
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Selectmen's Salaries
900.00
900.00
858.33
41.67
Selectmen's Clerk
200.00
200.00
200.00
Selectmen's Expense
150.00
150.00
144.71
5.29
Accountant's Salary
1,475.00
1,475.00
1,475.00
Accountant's Expense
125.00
125.00
109.44
15.56
Treasurer's Salary
1,875.00
1,875.00
1,875.00
Treasurer's Expense
475.00
475.00
469.66
5.34
Collector's Salary
1,400.00
1,400.00
1,400.00
Collector's Expense
650.00
650.00
650.00
Assessors' Salary
1,650.00
1,650.00
1,650.00
Assessors' Expense
400.00
10.60
410.60
410.60
Attorney's Fees
200.00
200.00
200.00
Town Clerk's Salary
1,775.00
1,775.00
1,775.00
Town Clerk's Expense
350.00
350.00
346.46
3.54
Election and Registration
875.00
875.00
859.83
15.17
Elector's Salary
10.00
10.00
10.00
Town Hall
6,000.00
33.09
6,033.09
6,033.09
62
Police Dept.
2,500.00
2,500.00
2,461.99
38.01
2,500.00
600.00
3,100.00
3,052.65
47.35
1,600.00
1,600.00
1,473.45
126.55
Moth Work
1,000.00
1,000.00
989.40
10.60
Civil Defense
575.95
575.95
538.45
37.50
Sealer Weights & Measures Salary
200.00
200.00
200.00
Sealer Weights & Measures Expenses
100.00
100.00
98.92
1.08
Public Health
500.00
500.00
242.28
257.72
Insp School Children-Imm.
200.00
200.00
200.00
Insp. Children-Tuberculosis
75.00
75.00
75.00
Dental Clinic
450.00
450.00
284.00
166.00
Well-Child Clinic
200.00
200.00
154.29
45.71
Visiting Nurse
1,250.00
1,250.00
1,250.00
Insp. Animals and Slaughter
360.00
360.00
360.00
Elm Street Sewer and Filter Bed
503.67
503.67
491.86
11.81
North Street Sewer
2,800.00
500.00
3,300.00
3,235.74
64.26
Old Farms Road Sewer
1,300.00
1,300.00
1,299.03
97
School Physician
400.00
400.00
400.00
Highway General
7,000.00
7,000.00
6,994.12
5.88
Highway Chap. 81
22,250.00
22,250.00
20,261.42
1,988.58
Highway Chap. 90 Maint.
3,900.00
3,900.00
3,076.11
823.89
Highway Chap. 90 N. C.
26,282.13
26,282.13
26,238.02
44.11
Road Machinery
3,000.00
3,000.00
2,927.70
72.30
Street Lights
4,300.00
26.00
4,326.00
4,326.00
Bridge Repairs
493.98
493.98
5.30
488.68
Dike Repairs
200.00
200.00
163.20
36.80
Fire Dept. Tree Work
63
Fence Repairs Elm St. Sidewalk
200.00
200.00
200.00
2,500.00
2,500.00
2,374.08
125.92
Purchase New Truck
5,000.00
5,000.00
4,981.19
18.81
Public Welfare
4,000.00
4,000.00
2,482.89
1,517.11
Disability Assistance-Town
3,500.00
3,500.00
3,014.93
485.07
Disability Assistance-Federal
1,758.05
1,758.05
1,752.71
5.34
Disability Assistance-Fed. Adm.
34.03
34.03
34.03
Aid to Dependent Children
2,000.00
2,000.00
957.69
1,042.31
Aid to Dependent Children-Federal
1,327.69
1,327.69
1,260.63
67.06
Aid to Dependent Children-Fed. Adm.
11.24
11.24
11.24
Old Age Assistance
16,500.00
110.10
16,610.10
16,610.10
Old Age Assistance-Federal
9,110.90
9,110.90
8,776.19
334.71
Old Age Assistance-Fed. Adm.
170.19
170.10
170.19
Veterans'Benefits
2,000.00
2,000.00
1,200.24
799.76
School Comm. Exp.
200.00
200.00
38.67
161.33
Schools
105,000.00
105,000.00
104,884.09
115.91
Schools-George Barden
814.12
814.12
814.12
School Athletic Fund
1,973.84
1,973.84
1,283.81
690.03
Expense Building Committee
3,988.00
3,988.00
3,966.37
21.63
School Lunch Coll.
12,626.78
12,626.78
10,807.00
1,819.78
School Lunch C. D. F.
4,701.50
4,701.50
4,701.50
Vocational Tuition and Trans.
2,500.00
981.77
3,481.77
3,481.77
Library
3,000.00
271.70
3,271.70
3,271.51
19
Build New Room at Library
7,922.57
7,922.57
2,958.35
4,964.22
Bind Town Records
50.00
50.00
50.00
Care of Town Clock
50.00
50.00
50.00
64
Insurance
4,000.00
4,000.00
3,721.17
278.83
Memorial Day
350.00
350.00
341.00
9.00
Print and Deliver Town Reports
600.00
600.00
444.00
156.00
Recreation
700.00
700.00
700.00
Reserve Fund
6,000.00
6,000.00
5,642.63
357.37
Retirement
1,955.12
1,955.12
1,955.12
Telephone
250.00
250.00
242.68
7.32
Unclassified
100.00
100.00
49.99
50.01
Unpaid Bills
62.50
62.50
62.50
Water Commissioners' Salaries
600.00
600.00
600.00
Water Dept.
7,000.00
1,881.07
8,881.07
8,881.07
Purchase and Install New Chlorinator
972.90
972.90
889.11
83.79
Water Main Elm St. 8" Line
36.84
36.84
36.84
Purchase or Take Land-Watershed
2,800.00
2,800.00
2,800.00
Cemeteries
900.00
416.09
1,316.09
1,102.99
213.10
Land Purchase-Main St. Cemetery
200.00
200.00
200.00
Grading and Draining New Cem. Purchase
800.00
800.00
799.60
40
Land Purchase -- North Hatfield
300.00
300.00
300.00
Interest
500.00
500.00
500.00
Interest-Water Main Loan
1,351.50
1,351.50
1,351.50
Water Main Loans
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
$332,893.50
$4,830.42
$337,723.92
$316,132.71
$21,591.21
65
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
OF THE
TOWN OF HATFIELD
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1956
69
School Organization
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Edward S. Kowalski, Chairman
Term Expires 1957
Eugene F. Proulx
Henry F. Kulesza
Term Expires 1958 Term Expires 1959
Regular school committee meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the High School
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Arthur G. Scott, Jr.
School Office:
High School Building
Telephone: CH 7-2361
Home Address : Middle Street, Hadley, Mass.
WORK CERTIFICATES AND SCHOOL CLERK
Marie P. Sheehan 15 Chestnut Street Office telephone CH 7-2361
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN Dr. Robert C. Byrne 46 Main Street Telephone CH 7-2661
SCHOOL NURSE Mrs. Lucille Godek, R.N. 19 Prospect Street Telephone CH 7-3553
70
CORPS OF TEACHERS 1956-1957
Superintendent of Schools and Principal of Smith Academy
Arthur G. Scott, Jr.
Smith Academy
John Skarzynski-Assistant Principal Algebra I, II; Plane Geometry; Solid and Trigonometry; Chemistry; Driver Education
Florence Muller French I, II; Latin I & II; World History
Margaret Pruzynski Typing I, II; Shorthand I, II; Bookkeeping; Secretarial Practice; Junior Business Training
Mary E. Ryan English
Mary Spakowski Home Economics ; Biology; General Math; Home and Family
John F. Symanczyk General Science; United States History ; Problems of Democracy; Physical Education
Center School Grades 6, 7, 8
Dorothy Breor: Acting Principal; English Ann Labbee: Temporary; Grade 8; Science Sarah Kiley: Grade 7; History and Geography Jean Kempisty: Grade 6, Arithmetic
71
Grade 5
Frances Celatka
Joyce (Duval) Prince
Grade 4
Marjorie Ryack
Grade 3 Jane Blauvelt
Grade 2
Martha Boyle
Moira Callahan
Grade 1
Lena Fitzgerald
Helen Kostek
Supervisors
Music-Esther Norris Art-Mrs. Eric Lampard Penmanship-William J. Rhinehart Co.
Custodians
Elementary-Chester Celatka High School-Stanley Piankowski
Transporter Henry Labbee Bus Co.
School Lunch Workers
Hazel Roberts, Manager Susan Zima Helen McGrath
Irene Labbee Winifred Betsold Phyllis Kuzontkoski, Sub.
Hilda Fortsch
72
Report of the School Committee
To the Citizens of Hatfield:
Your school committee herewith submits its annual report for the year 1956. The committee held eleven regular meetings and six special meetings during the year. As in the past years the committee has strived to maintain and improve the existing educational system of the community so that the pupils of this community may receive an education which is equal to or better than that received by pupils in the other communities with whom they must be prepared to compete upon the termination of their formal public education.
The educational problems which your committee faces are those which are common to other communities, the state and the nation as a whole. Our local problems regarding education are a small part of the national prob- lems of education, but they affect us in a direct proportion to our size.
This committee considers the following problems as major ones : 1. The supply of competent, trained and avail- able educators. 2. The rising enrollments of the local schools. 3. The problems of curriculum and 4. Finance.
Personnel
This community and the committee have not escaped the problem of providing competent teachers for our classrooms. This year four teachers and one adminis- trator, for varying reasons, have left our system.
73
An account of our staff changes follows :
Mr. Raymond Jenness-six months leave of absence to April 30, 1957-employed as assistant-principal of the junior-senior high school at Stowe, Mass.
Mrs. Norma Gates-resigned June 1956.
Mrs. Moira Callahan-resigned December 1956.
Mr. George Feiker-resigned August 1956.
Miss Maude Boyle-unable to return after an auto accident.
Mrs. Dorothy Breor-elected acting principal of the Elementary School.
Miss Joyce Duval-elected fifth grade teacher.
Mrs. Marjorie Ryack-elected fourth grade teacher.
Mrs. Anne Labbee-temporary 6th, 7th, 8th grade Science and eighth grade teacher.
Mrs . Eleanor Stenglein-temporary grade two teacher.
Mrs. Esther Norris-elected as Music Supervisor.
At present the committee realizes that it must secure the services of at least three new teachers for September 1957 and the full extent of the staff problems will prob- ably not be known until late in the summer months.
Although qualified teachers are in serious short sup- ply at the present time, the full seriousness of this prob- lem is not expected for another four or five years. It is predicted that the supply of teachers will continue to be- come smaller in th ensuing years.
During the year the committee appointed a part time school department clerk. The committee found that by combining several smaller school expenditures which had
74
been regularly made over the past several years, a part time clerk could be employed without requesting addition- al funds. Previously expenditures for clerical type serv- ices within the department had been made under the items of Work Certificates and Clerical Services from the regular school budget and an additional expenditure for the same type service had been made from School Lunch funds. The committee has re-assigned the clerical serv- ices and payments to one person.
All clerical type services are now handled in the school department office, where previously they were dis- tributed elsewhere.
Enrollment
The number of pupils enrolled in our schools in- creased this year, as it has done over recent years. This year, on October 1, there were 414 pupils enrolled in all grades, one through twelve. Three hundred twenty-two pupils were enrolled in grades one through eight and 92 in grades nine through twelve.
The increase in enrollment this year totaled 28 pupils over the last school year. The elementary enrollment in- creased 14, while the secondary enrollment increased 14 pupils. This is a total gain of 28 pupils in regard to the entire school system.
At present there is being added to the school system the equivalent of one classroom per year.
The Hatfield School Committee, as early as 1952, pointed out the need for additional school facilities. In order to provide these facilities a School Building Needs Committee and a School Building Committee were ap- pointed to confirm the need and present plans, respective- ly, for additional facilities. On February 21, 1955, the findings and report of the School Building Committee
75
were accepted in regular Town Meeting and at the same meeting the Building Committee was authorized. At a Special Town Meeting October 22, 1956, the Building Committee submitted preliminary plans and cost esti- mates for a proposed addition to the present Center School, which were turned down by the voters of the town.
The fact that the proposals of the Building Commit- tee were turned down does not resolve the problem of needed additional facilities. The School Committee takes this opportunity to again inform the community that with the increased enrollments, present and anticipated, the need for additional facilities continues to exist and new proposals for them must be made and considered at the earliest possible time. The school committee takes note that the prospects of "double sessions," in truth a part time education, are close to realization and that with each delay the possibility of double sessions increases.
A summary view of past and anticipated enrollments is presented in charts to be found incorporated in this School Department report on another page. You are en- couraged to turn to the charts and examine them closely.
Curriculum
During this past year the committee has noted the strengthening of the curriculum in both Elementary and High School. Both the Superintendent's and Elementary Principal's reports carry a more detailed account of the activities in this area. The afore-mentioned reports have been delivered to, read, and approved by the school com- mittee and your attention is called to them.
Finance
The problems of financing our schools beset this com- mittee, as they do each school committee in the Common-
76
ealth. The demands for increased school expenditures are due to the same reasons that all school departments find pressed on them, namely increased costs for goods and services of all types, demands for increased services, and expanded pupil enrollments within the schools.
Each year the school committee prepares its antici- pated budget for the following year. At least two months are devoted to estimating and considering the ensuing budget estimates. During the month of December a joint meeting of the Hatfield Finance Committee and the Hat- field School Committee is held, at which time the budget estimates are, for the final time, thoroughly studied and examined by both groups. Complete explanations of the School Department estimates are given the Finance Com- mittee by the School Committee and many questions re- garding the submitted budget are discussed and an- swered.
The anticipated school expenditures, as represented by the submitted budget estimates, are the results of careful consideration of the school committee and have the approval of the Finance Committee.
The voters of the community often inquire as to ways of easing the local taxes necessary to support our schools. The committee wishes to remind the voters that during the present year the Town of Hatfield has re- ceived a total of $26,412.48 for Regular Day School and $1,060.88 for Vocational Tuition and Transportation as reimbursements for educational expenditures made from taxation, but because of the laws of the Commonwealth, these funds are not returned to the town to be credited for use against current or anticipated educational ex- penditures, but rather are returned to the town and de- posited in the Reserve Fund where they are drawn upon for expenditures for other purposes. Reasonably giving due credit for educational reimbursements to educational
77
expenditures, the true or net costs of operating the School Department can be determined by deducting educational reimbursements received during the year from the total educational expenditures for the year, thus arriving at the net operating school costs.
The committee wishes to bring to the attention of the voters certain proposals being made on a state basis by several responsible groups to increase state aid to local communities for educational purposes which has recently come to our attention in a report from the Massachusetts Teachers Association which follows:
A STATE-AID REPORT
Now that the state-aid-to-schools problem is still a very hot one (nothing having been accomplished at the State House in the 1956 session to meet the problem), it is desirable for voters to get in touch with their legis- lators to urge that they give active support in the 1957 Legisture to state-aid-to-schools legislation, including Senate 34 of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
At hand is the recent lengthy "Report of the Legis- lative Research Council Relative to Increasing State Aid for Schools," known as S.570 of 1956. This study is a rather complete review of the state-aid-for schools situa- tion, with some new statistics thrown in.
NOW WE QUOTE THE REPORT
"State aid for schools in Massachusetts accounts for 22.2 per cent of total school expenditures and for 23.9 per cent of operating school expenditures. When the propor- tion of undesignated shared taxes is excluded, state aid runs to about 17 per cent of total school expenditures and to about 15 per cent of operating school expenditures.
78
"It can be safely concluded, however, that state sup- port of public schools in Massachusetts is well below the national average of 41 per cent, even when undesignated aid is given its proper weight. Despite post-war ad- vances, Massachusetts is a state of relatively low school aid, and the local property tax continues to be relied upon as the major support of public schools.
"There is a wide range among the cities and towns in school costs and in taxable resources . . . For the cities, the range between the lowest and highest figures for valuations per pupil is over $14,000. At the bottom is the one city with valuation per pupil of less than $8,000; at the top are two cities with valuations per pupil in ex- cess of $20,000.
"About 77 per cent of all school expenditures in Mas- sachusetts are borne by the cities and towns. The bulk of the local share of school costs in Massachusetts comes from the local property tax. Massachusetts ranks second among the state in local property tax collections per capita and fourth among the state in local property tax collections as a per cent of individual income.
"According to the latest projection of public school population by the State Department of Education, the 1933 high would be passed in 1958, and by 1960 there would be over 250,000 more pupils in the public schools of Massachusetts than in 1946. This means that public school population for 1960 was estimated to increase by 44 per cent over 1946. It seems safe to predict that the operating expenditures for public schools in Massachu- setts will be $25 million to $35 million greater by 1958.
"Local property tax collections in Massachusetts were $94.59 per capita in 1953, which makes Massachu- setts the second highest property tax state in the coun- try. It is surpassed only by New Hampshire. Local property tax collections in Massachusetts were 5.2 per
79
cent of individual income in 1953. In this respect, Mas- sachusetts is outranked by just three states-New Hamp- shire, South Dakota, and Iowa."
A second matter which should be brought to the at- tention of the voters is that of Federal Aid to education which has recently been thoroughly reported in daily and periodical literature.
These matters are submitted by the committee as a matter for public interest and the board does not attempt to interpret, evaluate or condone in any way the merits involved in them.
The matter of increased state or federal aid to educa- tion can only be determined by the desires expressed by voters to state or federal political leaders.
The School Committee wishes to take this opportuni- ty to express its sincere regards to the townspeople and school personnel for their support, understanding and co- operation during the year just passed.
Respectfully submitted, EDWARD KOWALSKI EUGENE PROULX HENRY KULESZA
80
Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee and Citizens of Hatfield:
I herewith submit my second annual report as Super- intendent of Schools of Hatfield, it being the first full- year report of this administration.
During the past year your Superintendent has worked very closely with the School Committee in the solution to the many problems which have confronted it in the operation of the School Department.
These are indeed trying times in the operation of the School Department, but with resolve and determination, each problem has been met and solved-some permanent- ly, some of necessity on a temporary basis.
As advisor and executive officer of the School Com- mittee, it is my duty to make suggestions and recom- mendations to the Committee and to carry out the deci- sions which they arrive at.
The Community is indeed fortunate during the past year to have had such a capable and sincerely interested School Committee. It has been a Committee interested in the educational welfare of the pupils in our schools as well as the interests of the citizens of the town.
During the past year a considerable improvement in our curriculum was undertaken in the matter of extend- ing and consolidating some of the subject areas in both the Elementary and Secondary schools.
81
In the Elementary schools the curriculum areas of science, music, and social studies (history and geography) were strengthened by the provision of single series of texts for classroom use. The science curriculum was ex- tended downward to include the third grade and the Singer Science Series published by Singer Publishing Company is now basic to all grades-three through seven. The music curriculum is now based on the Ginn Music Series published by Ginn and Company. The social studies basic text series is based on the Follett Social Studies Series published by Follett Publishing Company.
In each of the mentioned curriculum areas, after an inventory had been taken, it was found that mixed series of texts were available; or, in some cases, no texts were available to the grades. As with a ladder, so with educa- tion; in order to get to the top, one rung after another must be used. Where texts are missing, there is a blank spot in the progress of pupils and where there is a dupli- cation or omission because of the grade placement of in- formation in various basic series, there is either an un- necessary repetition or the complete omission of informa- tion needed for normal and continual pupil progress.
The completing of these basic text series for all grades will be carried out during 1957.
In the High School the curriculum was improved by the addition of one new course in the Commercial Depart- ment, Junior Business Training, in which eighteen pupils are enrolled. The Driver Education course was retained again this year and has twenty-two pupils enrolled.
New texts were either completely or partially pro- vided for Junior Business Training, English, Mathematics, Languages, and History. For the most part, texts were provided to meet increased enrollments or to bring the texts on technical subjects up to date.
82
During the year the Vocational Agriculture course was discontinued in the face of Mr. George Feiker's resig- nation and the decreased enrollment in the program. As of August 1956, there were only six boys enrolled in the program, which is nine less than the State Department of Education considers necessary in order that the program could be reimbursed.
After the resignation of the instructor was accepted, inquiries were made to secure a replacement but none were found to be available. The problem was discussed with Mr. John C. Glavin of the Massachusetts State De- partment of Education, who advised that in view of the unavailability of an instructor and the very low enroll- ment the best course of action would be to discontinue the course. All factors were given consideration by the Com- mittee and it was with reluctance that it was voted for immediate discontinuance of the course.
The dropping of Vocational Agriculture has not forced any pupils to leave Smith Academy. Each of the six boys involved decided to remain at the Academy and have successfully been incorporated in the other curricu- la. Full credits for previous couses have been given these pupils toward their graduation credits.
During the past year a new temporary classroom for the Elementary grades was provided in the Center School basement. A new tile floor was installed, two archways blocked and a door installed, fluorescent lights installed, a bookcase provided, chalkboard and bulletin boards were installed and the room was painted contrasting shades of yellow and maize blue. The facility provided is pleasant and attractive.
Before this new room was worked on Mr. David C. Milne, State Building Inspector from the Pittsfield, Mass., office, made an inspection of the area so that the School Committee could be assured that permission to use it as a
83
classroom would be secured after the alterations and in- stallations were made. A copy of his letter granting temporary approval follows :
*
DIVISION OF INSPECTION 246 North St., Pittsfield August 9, 1956
To: Arthur Scott, Supt. of Schools, Hatfield, Mass.
Subject: Hatfield Elementary School, basement
1. Confirming my conversation with you today, the room in the rear corner of the Hatfield School basement cannot be approved for classroom use. Regulations of this Department for classrooms require classroom ceiling height not less than ten feet and glass window area equal to 20% of floor area. Classroom ventilation is required providing air intake and exhaust at the rate of 15 c.f.m. for each pupil.
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