USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1923-1927 > Part 2
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TABLE II, SHOWING LOSSES IN GOING FROM GRADE TO GRADE
(This has also been figured on the basis of percentages with differences so small as to be negligible.)
Membership
Dcc. 1
Dec. 1
Sept. 17
Losses Between Grades
Grade
1921
1922
1923
1922
1923
Senior High .
283
307
-322
57
48
12
67*
91*
76*
11
11
11
102*
87*
107
27
22
10
114
129
143
19
15
Junior High .
579
628
685
71
75
9
148
159
190
32
29
8
191
219
227
21
24
7
240
251
271
17
22
Elementary
1826
1902
1929
23
47
· 6
268
293
292
(No. 7)
6
5
286
298
311
(No. 3)
10
4
295
321
332
13
5
3
334
337
308 +
14
(No. 20)
2
351
286 ł
321
6
46
1
292 |
367
374
* Small numbers probably due to withdrawals for war industrics during years '16 to '18. See thesc years in table above.
t Increase.
# Membership reduced by increasing entrance requirement.
ESTIMATED HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS UP TO 1928
Using the foregoing figures for the basis of calculation it is estimated that the Junior and Senior High School requirements will be as follows:
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Year
Junior High
Senior High
Total
September
1923
685
322-
1007
November
1924
715
363
1078
November
1925
793
459
1252
November
1926
854
562
1416
November
1927
855
661
1516
November
1928
885
735
1620
The method used in making this calculation is to take the registration as of September 17 and to deduct from the numbers of registrants accumu- lated losses in passing from year to year as shown by table. In taking these figures as our base these facts are to be taken into account: (1) That the registration for September 17 is smaller than it will be on December 1. (2) That an unusual inducement is offered to high school boys and girls to remain in industry by labor demands and high wages. Therefore, the estimate shown above would not seem to be an overstatement of prob- abilities.
URGENT NEED FOR NEW JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Considering the fact that we have at the present time no Junior High School Building, that the 7th grade is temporarily housed in the old Everett School which has been condemned, that the eighth and ninth grades are housed in the Senior High School which was designed to accommodate only 550 pupils, the urgency which gives rise to this special report is appar- ent.
Because of controversy over the question of the normal capacity of the present High School building, the following figures are submitted:
Floor
Full Seating Capacity Totals by Floors
First floor:
4 rooms, 40 each.
160
1 room, 25.
25
185
Second floor:
1 room, 60 (Library)
60
6 rooms, 40 each.
240
300
Third floor:
5 rooms, 40 each. 200 200
Grand total, when every seat is full all of the time
685
Deduction due to class organization and shifts from study room to class room uses 20 per cent.
137
Estimated normal capacity
548
From the foregoing it is apparent that there is need for a new Junior High School building that will initially accommodate not less than 800 . pupils, so planned and located that it may be added to from time to time in anticipation of new seatings and other requirements, and that in con-
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nection therewith there should be adequate playground, auditorium, gymnasium and athletic facilities.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS
Assuming that three years hence the Senior High School building may be entirely relieved from Junior High School uses, it is evident that it will be necessary then to begin construction of an addition for increasing registra- tion which by 1928 promises to rise to between 700 and 800. Another complication which gives rise to a present demand is this. The Senior High School building as planned was to have had a large auditorium and gymnasium. During the war this part of the project was abandoned.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
These needs being so obvious and coming so pointedly before the Town in the present congestion in school building facilities and the consequent derangement of the school and home management, the School Committee renews its recommendation made in its last Annual Report; viz., that the Town enter upon a building program which will have for its end, over- coming the present deficiencies as well as taking care of the accumulating population increase. To this end, it was recommended by the School Committee that the Town should arrange to spend about one hundred thousand dollars a year for the next five years-after which it was thought that it might look forward to building requirements of about $50,000 a year.
It now seems that this estimate was too small to include both the High School and the Elementary School needs-unless the development of the Parochial Schools in Norwood would relieve the pressure in the lower grades to such an extent that practically the whole amount indicated ($500,000) may be devoted to Junior and Senior High School purposes.
COST OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH DEVELOPMENT
Assuming that such a financial program is agreed to, the School Com- mittee recommends:
1. That not less than $200,000 be made available for use during the year 1924 in the construction of additional Junior High School facilities.
2. That $100,000 be made available for Junior High School Construction use in 1925.
3. That $100,000 be made available in 1925, the purpose being to provide a building of approximately 30 standard units, with auditorium and gymnasium facilities - thereby giving to the Town of Norwood a Junior High School building completely equipped by September 1, 1926, adapted to indefinite expansion.
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4. That $100,000 be made available in 1926 for the construction of an auditorium on the Senior High School, thereby giving to the Senior High School a well-rounded plan which would be adapted to indefinite expansion.
HOW THE PROPOSED BORROWING PROGRAM WOULD AFFECT THE TAX RATE
This leads to the second financial question. How would the proposed building program affect the annual tax? The only way this can be an- swered is to consider the amount of the debt increases, the added interest and retirement charges and the probable assessed valuation, a computa- tion of which is shown below:
Estimated annual increases in charges against taxation over rate for 1922 in case whole proposed school program is put through on borrowings as indicated in the table on the following page:
Year
Inereases in School
Debt Over 1922
Increases in Interest
Charge
Inereases in Debt
Retirement
Total Inereased
Charges
Estimated Valua-
tion in Millions
Increase per $1,000
1923
$ 69,000
$ 3,100
$ 5,000
$ 8,000
19.9
0.40
1924
134,000
6,030
10,000
16,030
20.5
0.77
1925
193,000
8,685
15,000
23,685
21.1
1.12
1926
247,000
11,115
20,000
31,115
21.7
1.45
1927
301,000
13,545
25,000
38,545
22.3
1.73
1928
301,000
13,545
27,500
41,045
22.9
1.80
1929
299,000
13,455
30,000
43,455
23.5
1.85
For this purpose the interest is figured at 43%; the retirement increases 5% on the new issues; the annual increased valuation $600,000, this being only $100,000 more than the value of new buildings constructed last year, which, having in mind the shortage in dwellings and stores, would seem to be conservative. In other words, the increase in taxes for a person who owns a residence valued at $5,000 would be $2.00 the first year and at the end of five years would amount to $8.65 a year-the maximum increase being about $10.00, after which the annual charge would be reduced.
HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT THE SCHOOL DEBT
Simply for the purpose of getting before the citizens of the Town what would probably be the effect of such an arrangement of the school debt of the Town-without the preparation of new estimates to confirm the ad- vanced aid to borrowing-the 1923 table which appeared in our last De- cember Report is reproduced here:
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TABLE III. ESTIMATED TOTALS OF SCHOOL DEBT DECEM- BER 31, EACH YEAR, IN CASE WHOLE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS PUT THROUGH ON BORROWINGS
Date as of
January 1
School Debt Amount
Automatic Retirements
Remaining Debt
Proposed Borrowing
1923
$392,800
$30,700
$362,100
$100,000
1924.
462,100
35,700
426,400
100,000
1925
526,400
40,700
485,700
100,000
1926
585,700
45,700
540,000
100,000
1927.
640,000
46,000
594,000
100,000
1928
694,000
49,700
644,300
50,000
1929.
694,300
52,200
642,100
50,000
1930.
692,100
54,700
637,400
50,000
Thus by carrying out the program proposed the school debt would con- tinue to rise over a period of six years, when it would reach the maximum of $694,000; and on the eighth year it would begin to decrease, due to the fact that the automatic retirements would exceed the borrowing.
HIGH SCHOOL POLICY
In making these recommendations the School Committee has avoided the discussion of questions of school policy insofar as this relates to the loca- tion of the High School buildings. The questions involved are indicated in the Warrant by which the Town Meeting has been called, and are offered for consideration of the citizens in that form-it being considered that the financial program as recommended would apply to any solution of policy so far as the buildings were concerned. In addition to the foregoing cost must be added the purchase of land and improvement of playgrounds.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS EXPANSION
Without going into the question of providing adequate facilities for elementary schools in the future, except to foresee that added facilities will be required, the School Committee recommends the purchase of addi- tions to grounds of the Balch, Winslow and Shattuck Schools as indicated in the Warrant, leaving the question of acquisition of grounds for a new East Norwood School to be considered at a later meeting.
Respectfully submitted, . F. A. CLEVELAND, JULIA R. O'BRIEN, FLORENCE M. FIELD, ARTHUR S. HARTWELL, BRAINARD A. ROWE.
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(b) Chairman of Planning Board stated that the Planning Board had no report to offer at this meeting but that it would report at next Special Meeting.
Voted: To accept the following report.
To the Citizens of Norwood in Town Meeting assembled,
November 16, 1923
The Committee on Town Memorial Building have no complete report or plans to offer at this time, and no appropriation is now asked, as we were aware from conversations with the Finance Committee that they were giving a great deal of time and study to the working out of an ade- quate program for the schools, and it was agreed it was best not to crowd too much at one time.
Inasmuch, however, as the Town is now considering its building and financial plans and so it may have this project in mind, we wish to report that from such information as we have at the present time, the probable cost of a suitable building that will properly take care of the Town's needs would be in the vicinity of $200,000.
At a later date complete report with plans will be offered.
Respectfully submitted, FRANCIS J. FOLEY, Chairman,
NELLIE T. MORROW, WILLIAM G. UPHAM, ALFRED N. AMBROSE, FRANCIS E. BERNIER,
Committee on Town Memorial Building.
Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to borrow and appropriate a sum of money to repair and alter the present Everett School building to meet the State requirements, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: By borrowing under the Emergency Clause, the sum of $1300.00.
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to purchase one or more of the following described parcels of land for use for elementary school purposes and to raise by loan or otherwise appro- priate money for such purchase, or take any other action in the matter, viz .:
(a) Parcel on Winslow Avenue adjoining the present Winslow School grounds.
Voted: To so authorize the Selectmen, and there was appropriated the sum of $5,100, to be raised by taxation in the year 1924.
(b) Parcel on Nahatan Street adjoining the Shattuck School grounds.
Voted: To so authorize the Selectmen, and there was appropriated the sum of $6,100, to be raised by borrowing in the year 1924.
(c) Parcel to the rear of and adjoining the Balch School grounds.
Voted: To accept the deed gift from Charles Sumner Bird to the Town of Norwood of a parcel of land containing 6 acres 24,100 sq. feet and further
20
voted that the appreciation of the Town be expressed by the Selectmen to Mr. Bird.
(d) Parcel at or near the corner of Pleasant and East Cross Streets. Voted: Referred to School Committee.
Article 4. To see if the Town will authorize the acquisition of one or more of the following described parcels of land to be used for High School purposes, or take any action in the matter, viz .:
(a) Parcel on Washington Street between Guild and Winter Streets, owned and used by the Norwood Hospital.
(b) Parcel on Washington Street between Winter and Hoyle Streets, owned and used by the Norwood Civic Association.
(c) Parcel on Winslow Avenue with entrances on Chapel Street and Walnut Avenue, formerly known as the grounds of the Norwood Press Club Association and now owned and used by the Elks Building Corpora- tion of Norwood.
(d) Parcel on Winter Street between Bullard and Beech Streets known as the Smith lot.
(e) Parcel adjoining Rosemary Street and Chickering Road and ad- joining properties fronting on Walpole, Pond, and Bond Streets and owned by the Norwood Housing Association and known as the Chickering lot, together with an adjoining parcel which might be desirable for use in connection with said Chickering lot.
(f) Parcels at the head of Elliot and West Streets and Oak Road, known as the Page tract and the Baker tract, or so much of these parcels as may be desirable for such school use.
Voted: That the School Committee consider and report with recom- mendations at a later Town Meeting upon the subject matter of this article.
Article 5. To see if the Town will vote to borrow and appropriate the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of acquiring land for a new school building or for constructing additions to school buildings where such addition increases the floor space, and for the purchase of original equipment and furnishings for such building or such additions as authorized by Chapter 318, Acts of 1923, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That the School Committee consider further and report at a later Town Meeting upon the subject matter of this article.
Article 6. To see if the Town will authorize the Finance Commission to petition the next General Court for appropriate legislation authorizing the Town to incur indebtedness in excess of the statutory limit, not ex- ceeding one hundred thousand dollars, for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing new school buildings or for constructing additions to school buildings where such additions increase the floor space, and for
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the purchase of original equipment and furnishings for such buildings or such additions, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That no action be taken at this meeting.
Article 7. To see if the Town will vote to adopt as a policy the appro- priation of one hundred thousand dollars each year for new school buildings and other educational equipment until the present shortage shall have been overcome, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: To favor as a .policy an adequate appropriation each year for the reasonable needs of the school system and that the amount of such ap- propriation be determined by the voters each year.
RESOLUTION OFFERED BY DANIEL F. SLATTERY
Voted: That a rising vote of thanks be extended the School Committee and the Finance Commission.
At 10.47 Voted: That this meeting be now dissolved.
Attest: JAMES E. PENDERGAST, Town Clerk and Accountant.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING December 28, 1923
On a Warrant duly issued by the Selectmen and dated December 20, 1923, and signed by Frank G. Allen, Thomas B. Mulvehill, Walter F. Tilton, H. Eugene Rice and Edmund G. Dalton, Selectmen of Norwood, the proper service of which was duly attested by William J. Barrett, Constable of Norwood.
All of the requirements of the Statutes and By-Laws having been com- plied with, the meeting was called to order by the Moderator, James A. Halloran, the articles contained in this Warrant and the action taken there- under being as follows:
Article 1. To see if the Town will approve a recommendation of the School Committee that the Junior High School and the Senior High School be developed as separate units of the Public School System.
Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 2. To see if the Town will approve a recommendation of the School Committee with respect to a proposed plan of nominating and elect- ing a Board of Governors of the Civic Association involving co-operation of the Town through its Selectmen and the School Committee.
Voted: That the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee be requested by the Town to co-operate with the Trustees of the Civic Asso- ciation in the nomination and election of members of the Board of Gover- nors in the manner proposed by the Trustees of the Civic Association in Article 5, Section 2 of their By-Laws as amended December 21, 1923.
22
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to purchase one or more of the following described parcels of land for use for elementary purposes, and to raise by loan or otherwise and appropriate money for such purpose, or take any other action in the matter.
(a) Parcel at or near the corner of Pleasant and East Cross Streets.
(b) The whole or a part of a parcel of land owned by Alfred L. Atwood and located at the end of Hill Street and containing about ten acres.
Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the acquisition of one or more of the following described parcels of land to be used for school purposes, and raise or borrow and appropriate money for said purposes, or take any other action in the matter; namely:
(a) Parcels on Washington Street and on Winter Street, severally owned by the Norwood Hospital, Holmes VanBuskirk and James T. Wellington.
(b) Parcels at the head of Elliot and West Streets and Oak Road known as the Page and Baker tracts, or so much of these parcels as may be de- sirable for school use.
Voted: To purchase in fee from the Norwood Housing Association, Inc., a parcel of approximately 10.55 acres under sub-division (b), and to appro- priate therefor from available receipts the sum of $12,903.31 (the parcel described in the vote being a definite parcel, that said vote contained a provision whereby in lieu of said parcel there may be purchased in fee by agreement of the School Committee and the Finance Commission acting in behalf of the Town that said Norwood Housing Association, Inc., for a sum not in excess of that appropriated, such other parcel of land from the same tracts or either of them as is substantially the same size of the parcel described in the vote).
Article 5. To see if the Town will vote to borrow and appropriate the sum of $100,000 for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing a new school building or for constructing additions to school buildings where such additions increase the floor space, and for the purchase of original equipment and furnishings for such building or such additions as authorized by Chapter 318 of the Acts of. 1923, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: To so authorize the Treasurer and to appropriate the sum of $100,000 for constructing a new school building for Senior High School grades on land located at the head of Elliot and West Streets, and that the expenditure of said sum for said purposes be made by a committee of five to be appointed by the Moderator. Committee appointed: Arthur W. Coolidge, Francis J. Foley, Dr. Frederick A. Cleveland, Herbert H. Miller and Charles E. Houghton.
Article 6. To see what sum of money in addition to money appropriated under Article 5 the Town will vote to raise and borrow and appropriate for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing a new school build- ing or constructing additions to school buildings where such additions in-
23
crease the floor space, and for the purchase of original equipment and furn- ishings for such buildings, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
·
Article 7. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Finance Com- mission to petition the next General Court for appropriate legislation authorizing the Town to incur indebtedness, in excess of the statutory limit, not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing new school buildings or for constructing additions to school buildings where such additions increase the floor space, and for the purchase of original equipment and furnishings for such build- ings or such additions, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Article 8. To see what sum the Town will vote to appropriate in addition to the sum heretofore appropriated, to meet the expense of the addition to the Balch School building, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That the sum of $1,000 be appropriated from General Revenue receipts to meet the expense of the addition to the Balch School building, said sum to be in addition to sums heretofore appropriated for said pur- poses.
Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to accept and allow a new town way as laid out by the Selectmen known as Mountain Avenue under the provisions of the General Laws authorizing the assessment of betterments, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That a new town way to be called Mountain Avenue as laid out and reported by the Selectmen be and the same hereby is accepted and established under the provisions of General Laws authorizing the Assess- ment of Betterments.
Article 10. To see what sum or sums of money the Town will vote to appropriate from available funds for the current fiscal year for the follow- ing purposes or any of them, the same to be in addition to the sums here- tofore appropriated for said purposes: .
(a) Fire Department, salaries.
(b) Fire Department, incidentals.
(c) Police Department, salaries.
(d) Particular Sewers.
(e) Maintenance and Improvement of Cemeteries.
(f) Maintenance and Operation of Water Department.
(g) .Construction of Main Drains.
(h) Town Counsel, incidentals.
Voted: That the sum of $3,950.00 be appropriated, under Section f, from the receipts of the Water Department for maintenance and operation of the Water Department and that the sum of $10,823.79 be transferred
-
24
from the receipts of the Municipal Light Department (of which amount $6,072.00 shall be in lieu of taxes), which whole amount is hereby appro- priated for the following purposes:
(a) Fire Department, salarics . $4,892.16
(b) Fire Departinent, incidentals . 420.75
(c) Police Department, salarics . 1,648.81
(d) Particular Sewers. 914.00
(e) Maintenance and Improvement of Cemeteries. 610.30
(g) Construction of Main Drains. 973.00
(h) Town Counsel, incidentals 1,364.77
Article 11. To see if the Town will vote to accept a gift of a certain sum of money in accordance with the terms of said gift, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That the gift by Honorable Frank G. Allen in the sum of twelve thousand nine hundred two and 2017 dollars be and the same is hereby accepted according to the terms of said gift, and that the Town Clerk be and hereby is authorized and directed to acknowledge the same and to express the thanks of the Town for the interest and generosity thus shown by the Doncr.
Article 12. To see what further sum the Town will vote to raise or borrow and appropriate in addition to sums heretofore appropriated for the extension of sewers and construction of filter beds, or take any other action in the matter.
Voted: That the sum of $4,000.00 be transferred from the unexpended balance for the maintenance of sewers and that the same be appropriated together with the further sum of $4,044.00 from the receipts of the Electric Light Department for the extension of sewers and the construction of filter beds, said sums to be in addition to the sums heretofore appropriated for said purposes.
A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION
Whereas, the Hon. Frank G. Allen and Walter F. Tilton, Selectmen; Arthur W. Coolidge, Finance Commissioner; George F. Willett and John E. Folan, Town Planning Commissioners, all being officials in the Town of Norwood, whose terms of office expire in January, 1924, and each. and all of whom have expressed a personal desire to retire from town office at that time;
And, whereas it is eminently fitting and appropriate that this Town should properly recognize the public labors rendered by all these town officials;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the citizens of Norwood in Special Town Meeting assembled December 28, 1923, express their deep apprecia-
25
tion to all of these officials for the gratuitous serviees so splendidly rendered the Town over a period covering many years, and who by their leadership and ability have proven themselves very important factors in the welfare and advancement of our community.
And be it further resolved that these resolutions be spread on our records and a copy sent to each of the officials herein named.
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