Norwood annual report 1927-1929, Part 50

Author: Norwood (Mass.)
Publication date: 1927
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1016


USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1927-1929 > Part 50


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3. It has the very important educational and moral advantage of keeping these small children away from the contacts with the older children in the former proximity to the Junior High School.


4 It also will keep these children in a residential district, away from the dangers and distractions of the old business center.


5. It will eliminate most of the cost of transportation which the location of the old Guild School made necessary.


6. It will provide these children from the East side with a modern building offering many educational benefits which were denied them in the old building.


7. It will make possible the closing of the East School, an unsatisfac- tory two room wooden building. All of the pupils now attending the East School would live within an easy walking distance of the proposed site.


Recommendations


Therefore, it is recommended that a new elementary school building to accommodate at the present time not less than 400 pupils be erected in the vicinity of the intersection of East Cross and Pleasant Streets.


The Problem of the West Side


The fire has also left a group of 143 pupils who live West of the railroad without school facilities. It is impossible for the present buildings to care for this number. While the Beacon and the Shattuck Schools might receive a few more pupils, the Winslow is in need of equal relief as is shown in the 1927 report on page 35. Therefore, some additional provision must be made to care for these children.


This emergency situation necessarily changes the entire schedule of buildings recommended for elementary schools in the former report. The problem must be met on the basis of the immediate needs.


The 143 pupils left without school accommodations in the Guild dis- trict live mainly between the railroad tracks and Washington Street, and in the region of the present Junior High School. The elementary school now standing the nearest to the center of this district is the Beacon. If this building were relieved of most of the present enrollment, it could easily care for the former Guild pupils in its own immediate vicinity.


Attention is called to the studies of new homes and of births in the 1927 report on pages 40 and 45. Here it will be seen that the greatest develop- ment in new homes has been in the outlying portions of the Beacon and


215


Shattuck districts as well as in the Guild district East of the railroad. Also it should be noted that next to the Balch district the largest number of births were recorded in the Beacon and Shattuck districts. New homes and births give us a very sure index of the needs of the elementary schools. This would lead us to the conclusion that in meeting the future as well as the immediate needs of the situation, an elementary school must be built somewhere in the outlying region of the Beacon and Shattuck districts.


Referring again to the report of 1927 on page 50, there will be found a map showing the recommended location of future school buildings. Such a building as is now needed is suggested in the neighborhood of Winter Street and Bellevue Avenue. A small six room building erected at this point would relieve the Beacon and Shattuck Schools to the extent that the homeless 143 pupils would be taken care of in these buildings. It would probably also make it possible to abandon the little West School. In this very rapidly growing section, such a building would be a forward looking project as well as an immediate relief. This proposal also has the advantage of bringing the elementary school nearer to the homes of the very small children.


Summary of Recommendations


Two definite building recommendations are made as a result of the present study.


1. That an elementary school to accommodate 400 pupils be erected East of the railroad in a site approximately at the intersection of Pleasant and East Cross Streets.


2. That a second elementary school of six rooms be erected on a site near the intersection of Winter Street and Bellevue Avenue.


These recommendations serve to meet the emergency caused by the fire and at the same time follow the proposed plan of future construction. It has the very definite advantage of bringing about much earlier than anticipated the breaking up of the very unsatisfactory and dangerous centralization of very young children in a down-town district and at an undesirable distance from their homes.


Respectfully submitted,


JESSE B. DAVIS


April 27, 1929."


After giving consideration to the report of Professor Davis and con- sidering the school site on the east side of the Town, as recommended in his report, the Committee felt that the expense of such a site would be too great. The Committee gave consideration, in conjunction with the Town Planning Board, to many school sites on the east side as the follow- ing summary will indicate:


At a meeting of the School Committee Thursday evening, June 27th, it was voted that a ten room school building for grades one to six be built


216


on the Fisher lot. This final decision of the School Committee is based on several considerations, the most important being the following:


a. A re-census of the children enrolled in grades one to six living on the East side of the Wrentham Branch taken beginning the week of June 17, 1929, shows that a large proportion of such a classification live an average distance of less than a half mile from the Fisher lot.


b. A greater number of pupils would have a shorter distance to walk to the Fisher lot than to any lot which has been considered.


c. The town already owns the Fisher lot.


d. The East School, an unsatisfactory wooden building, badly in need of extensive repairs, could be closed and the pupils included in the enroll- ment of the building placed on the Fisher lot. This would leave for sale the East School lot.


e. The Fisher lot already has been in part prepared as a playground center and very little expense would be required for laying out or com- pleting the playground.


f. It is an excellent location for a school building because of the following facts:


1. Far distant from any factories or other industrial agencies which may cause noise or smoke.


2. Not situated near heavily trafficked streets.


3. Fisher lot is high level land.


The following land sites have been considered by the School Committee for possible school building sites east of the Wrentham branch:


1. Fisher lot 3. Kelley lot


2. Hennessey lot


4. Smith lot (opposite Holliston Mills)


I. Reasons for favorable consideration of the Fisher lot and special studies concerning this lot are present on other pages.


II. There are listed below a few of the reasons for discontinuing con- sideration of the other three lots mentioned above as possible school sites :


1. Hennessey lot:


a. Cost of excavation due to ledge.


b. Lack of suitable playground space due to uneven ground and out- croppings of ledge.


c. The necessity of taking two houses providing access was to be gained from Cross Street or the school located facing Cross Street.


d. A probable very high cost of connecting with sewers.


e. Cost of taking over the land and the probable necessity for suitable orientation of the school of taking over and moving two houses which face on Willow Street. (The consulting architect stated that he did not be- lieve a school can be placed on top of the hill part of the Hennessey lot and be satisfactory. He felt the best location on the Hennessey property


217


would be the two lots facing on Cross Street and the taking of land ex- tending easterly on Pleasant Street. The architect stated that it would be very costly to build a school at the top of the hill due to the sewer lines and the building up necessary for the connection with the sewers.)


2. Kelley lot:


a. To obtain a suitable site for a ten room school, it would have been necessary to make the following takings: land of Catherine Drummey --- 1 parcel; Hub Realty Company-22 parcels; Carl and Suzanna Tribuson- 2 parcels; T. J. DcAlmedia-4 parcels; and Mr. Kelley-1 parcel. This would have involved a great deal of cost and probably much legal procedure.


b. The lowest amount estimated for thesc taking, including the land owned by Mr. Kelley, exclusive of the gas station, would have been $25,000.


c. It would have been necessary to purchase the house owned by Carl Tribuson, formerly the Boyden property, and to move this house or tear it down. This would have involved additional expense.


d. The architect stated that the construction on this site would be expensive and much cubage would have to be added, due to the building up of the basement wall to meet the contours at the proposed location facing Pleasant Street. The land in its present condition does not supply a good playground and much grading and filling in would have to be done. The lots owned by DeAlmedia are low and swampy.


3. Smith lot:


a. This lot is directly across the street from a large manufacturing plant. It is also very near the main tracks of the N. Y., N. H. & H. Rail- road. It would therefore be noisy and difficult for teachers to conduct classes satisfactorily. There is also much dirt and smoke which settles over this particular field.


b. It is very low land and partially surrounded by swampy fields.


c. A large number of the employees of the Plimpton Press and Holliston Mills own automobiles, making a traffic danger for pupils at the noon hour.


d. The site is on a street which already is much used by traffic and which may possibly some day become part of a main highway for trucks.


e. In order to properly make use of this site, it would have been most desirable to obtain a parcel of land owned by the Plimpton Press, bordered by Lenox and Rock Streets and 38,335 feet square. This lot of land could not become available as it is being held for possible extension of the Plimp- ton Press for factory or warehouse purposes.


f. The extension of Nahatan Street, if one of the plans now in existence is followed, would cut directly through this site, leaving small acreage for school purposes.


g. This is the poorest site of all in consideration of the possibilities of getting a playground. The cost of preparing one would probably be greater because of the filling required than any of the other lots under consideration.


Table III. Analysis of Cost of Schools


Year


Teachers' Salaries


Other Salaries and Wages


Supplies, Books and Other Expense


Heat, Light and Power


Outlay, Repairs and Replacements


Total


1914


$ 43,960.58


$ 8,500.72


$ 6,861.67


$ 3,890.58


$ 3,939.02


$ 67,152.57


1915


52,681.70


9,719.99


6,444.59


4,167.58


3,533.51


76,547.37


1916


55,499.33


9,873.30


7,816.06


3,726.00


2,819.31


79,734.00


1917


61,831.56


9,938.22


9,037.36


5,022.82


4,139.13


89,969.09


1918


63,680.58


11,999.32


8,367.61


8,516.41


4,000.37


96,564.29


1919


73,134.10


14,812.65


12,103.19


10,822.53


4,432.19


115,304.66


1920


108,152.15


20,528.69


15,328.19


13,305.89


8,878.00


160,182.92


1921


133,200.47


22,756.07


20,857.41


14,880.31


7,954.63


199,648.89


1922


156,304.31


25,144.95


21,050.74


11,701.55


8,911.13


223,112.68


1923


168,248.24


25,374.72


22,889.99


15,740.34


9,462.22


241,715.51


1924


175,831.65


28,127.86


25,118.79


15,006.69


13,147.34


257,232 33


1925


178,441.88


30,907.42


28,137.75


13,428.74


14,500.44


265,416.23


1926


200,267.80


34,119.15


29,221.12


18,268.31


11,353.70


293,230.08


1927


223,606.21


33,708.06


38,966.98


15,332.32


13,599.41


325,212.98


1928.


231,777.94


35,863.54


43,309.56


12,770.38


28,829.07


352,550.49


1929*


244,979.00


36,716.00


37,335.00


13,550.00


15,650.00


348,230.00


1929%


70%


10.5%


11%


4%


4.5%


100%


5-Year Average % .


· 68%


11%


11%


5%


5%


100%


* Figures based on appropriation.


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Table IV. Analysis of Cost of Schools per Pupil


Year


Teachers' Salaries


Other Salaries and Wages


Supplies, Books and Other Expenses


Heat, Light and Power


Outlay. Repairs and Replacements


Total


1914


$22.27


4.31


$ 3.48


$1.96


$2.00


$ 34.02


1915.


25.93


4.78


3.17


2.05


1.74


37.67


1916


24.38


4.34


3.43


1.64


1.24


35.03


1917


25.96


4.17


3.79


2.11


1.74


37.77


1918


26.42


4.98


3.47


3.53


1.67


40.07


1919


29.80


6.04


4.93


4.41


1.81


46.99


1920


12.12


7.99


5.97


5.18


3.46


64.72


1921


18.95


8.36


7.67


5.47


2.92


73.37


1922


56.35


9.06


7.59


4.22


3.21


80.43


1923


58.00


8.75


7.88


5.43


3.26


83.32


1924


57.85


9.25


8.26


4.94


4.32


84.62


1925


56.29


9.75


3.88


4.24


4.57


83.73


1926


59.89


10.20


8.74


5.46


3.40


87.69


1927


68.62


10.34


11.96


4.70


1.17


99.79


1928


72.25


11.17


13.50


3.98


8.98


109.89


1929*


77.77


11.65


11.85


4.30


4.97


110.55


1929'(


70%


11%


11%


3.5%


4.5%


100%


5- Year Average 0%


68%


11%


11%


5%


5%


100%


* Figures based on appropriation.


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Table V. Comparison of Expenditures by Massachusetts Towns from State Report, 1929


Expenditures per Pupils


Expenditures all Pupils


Valuation per Pupil


Tax Rate per $1000


Town


High


Junior High


Elementary


Amount


Rank


Amount


Rank


Brookline .


$162.55


$122.78


$134.33


$28,408


1


$20.00


Watertown


149.82


$102.13


74.27


88.93


38


9,795


15


30.00


Arlington .


145.20


126.43


79.43


102.37


11


9,931


11


31.00


Framinghanı


149.91


55.37


76.89


$2.30


53


8,126


27


29.00


Methuen .


91.81


69.81


79.37


60


5,559


62


39.25


Weymouth.


121.91


75.60


80.71


10,312


11


23.80


Winthrop.


126.40


84.29


61.04


78.07


64


7,893


31


26.70


Wakefield .


132.75


69.85


93.11


22


7,103


39


34.40


Southbridge


95.54


60.85


74.19


69


6,930


41


34.00


West Springfield


166.65


99.09


80.63


99.55


16


8,411


26


31.00


Belmont.


123.47


108.11


71.97


89.13


36


9,710


16


33.25


Greenfield


136.38


74.38


90.48


32


7,525


3-4


28.40


Milford


100.49


57.02


67.38


74


5,472


66


29.60


Clinton .


109.39


76.45


92.05


25


9,239


19


19.20


Norwood


163.24


95.12


91.82


99.71


10


8,57]


25


29.00


Dedham


109.52


79.90


66.85


81.37


55


7,868


32


30.00


Adams.


102.28


95.05


63.90


S2.06


54


7,451


36


30.00


Webster


183.50


73.96


67 39


103.77


10


9,005


21


26.70


Braintree


127.61


70.17


80.77


56


7,177


38


30.40


Plymouth


110.12


98.87


84.87


98.65


19


10,137


12


23.20


Natick.


136.39


96.34


58.95


79.00


61


1,858


72


13.40


Saugus.


79.77


67.63


54.54


65.11


75


4,527


73


35.40


Danvers


106.04


87.27


82.58


91.46


29


5,748 .


8,709


23


25.00


Winchester


115.27


90.24


105.56


8


11,509


-1


26.00


Amesbury .


101.45


98.88


79.48


102.25


12


9,667


17


28.00


Northbridge


108.71


84.43


80.83


89.12


37


5,845


52


28.00


Wellesley .


197.58


178.91


111.87


146.73


1


17,095


2


23.70


Mansfield.


136.97


73.22


59.93


78.76


62


5,705


57


36.00


Walpole


142.58


76.15


89.51


35


8,627


2-4


26.00


North Attleboro


131.69


62.00


73.84


92.12


8,761


22


32.50


.Averages


$129.10


$ 93.00


$ 75.33


$ 91.08


# 8,989


¥29.65


220


!


36.40


Easthampton


107.11


70.73


85.60


14


1


221


h. The cost of the land itself.


¿. It has always been a practice to keep schools, wherever possible, out of manufacturing districts. To build a school on the Smith lot would be placing 400 children for their schooling within 200 fect of the largest factory in Norwood.


The School Committee finally voted to request the Town to select the Fisher lot, so called, as the site for a new elementary school on the east side, and in a succceding article in the same warrant, that a sum of money be appropriated for the crection of such a school building.


School Furniture


By way of assisting the Building Committec for the new elementary school, the School Committee will be able to surrender school desks and chairs now in use in the Everett School and some which were salvaged from the Guild School, to equip fully at least five of the ten classrooms. At the time of the Guild School fire two rooms of movable chairs were purchased-these will be among the number of furniture pieces which will be moved for use in the new building.


Public Use of School Buildings


It is the purpose of the School Committee to allow broad usc of school facilities by Town organizations. With the provision of a fine double gymnasium at both the Senior and the Junior High Schools and the pros- pects of a community auditorium for the new elementary building on the east side, some excellent accommodations for meetings of a public nature are available.


Application forms for use of these accommodations may be procured at the office of the Superintendent of Schools. A schedule of payments to cover the expense of opening buildings, janitorial service, heat, light and upkcep will of course be required.


Tuition


The tuition rates established for the current school year are:


For the Senior High School $165.85


For the Junior High School 97.14


For the Elementary Schools 94.31


Thesc rates are based upon the per capita cost for educating Norwood pupils and this cost is obtained from the financial report submitted each year on the State returns.


At the present time there are nine pupils enrolled in the Junior and Senior High Schools from the Town of Westwood and one from Medfield


222


in the Junior High School. Where over-crowding is not necessary and where pupils may readily be accommodated in classrooms, the Committee believes it advisable to accept such pupils as considerable revenue is accrued thereby for the Town.


Tuition pupils are also accepted in the evening school divisions from Walpole and the per capita cost rate is employed there also.


Transportation


Norwood has never furnished transportation for high school pupils until the present school year. Requests brought by parents of pupils who live a distance exceeding two miles from the Senior High School, for transportation to and from that building, were considered.


The State law reads as follows: "If the distance between a child's resi- dence and the school he is entitled to attend exceeds two miles, and the school committee declines to furnish transportation, the department, upon appeal of the parent or guardian of the child, may require the town to furnish the same for a part or for all of the distance".


The State Department of Education declared that it was necessary for Norwood to furnish transportation for High School pupils and there- fore arrangements were made. This matter will be treated more broadly in the report of the Superintendent of Schools.


Respectfully submitted,


FREDERICK A. CLEVELAND, Chairman, JULIA R. O'BRIEN, ARTHUR S. HARTWELL CHRISTINE L. PROBERT, CHARLES J. RICH, JOHN J. RILEY.


Resolution


We, members of the School Committee who are remaining in service for the year 1929-30, wish at this time to express our regrets that two mem- bers of the present group are to discontinue their service.


Dr. Frederick A. Cleveland has been absent from the activities of the Committee during the past year having been appointed to a high govern- mental position as an expert on finance. His service to the Town of Norwood during the past nine years, in which time he has served as Chair- man of the Committee for eight years, has been invaluable. The special study which has been made in the School Committee report over this term of years shows the manner in which his service has taken form. His foresight in declaring the Fisher lot as school property and planning for the Senior High School are other instances of his fine service and vision.


223


Dr. Arthur S. Hartwell is also concluding nine years of service on the School Committee. From an extremely busy practice he has taken time for school problems and contributed strongly to the program which has been followed during his term of office. His knowledge and interest in the health program have been of particular assistance to the Committee.


Signed : JULIA R. O'BRIEN, Acting-Chairman, CHRISTINE L. PROBERT, CHARLES J. RICH, JOHN J. RILEY.


224


REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS


To the School Committee of Norwood:


I submit herewith my third annual report as Superintendent of Schools.


Teaching Force


There were few changes in the entire teaching force for the start of the school year 1929-1930. There were employed, however, six additional teachers, three of whom were assigned to the Junior High School because of increased enrollment in that school and three to special departments. The only schools in which resignations were received were the Junior High School and the Balch School. A Beacon School resignation which occurred in the early fall was filled by the transfer of a Guild School teacher. The services of this teacher became available when the pupils in a Guild School grade were transferred to other rooms in that school or to other schools, bringing about the elimination of one grade school position.


The only resignation in the special departments was that of Miss Vera H. Brooks, Health Director, who is taking a year for study to obtain her degree. The resignations, transfers and newly appointed teachers are as follows:


Resignations:


K. Waltrude Collins, Junior High, to teach elsewhere.


Florence MacNamara, Junior High, to be married.


Dorothy F. Gibb, Junior High, to teach elsewhere.


Frances McGuire, Junior High, poor health.


Mildred L. Morse, Balch, to be married.


E. Alice Keough, Balch, to teach elsewhere.


H. Roxane Eldredge, Beacon, to be married.


Charlotte L. Fish, Beacon, to be married.


Madaleen B. Dora, Drawing, employed for one year only.


Vera H. Brooks, Health Supervisor, to study.


Transfers:


Edith D. Gardner from Balch to Beacon, Grades 2 and 3.


Marjorie E. Pennington from Guild to Balch, Grade 5.


New Teachers


Frank J. Corliss, Junior High, Grade 9.


Frances McGuire, Junior High, Grade 9.


Effie M. Tuttle, Junior High, Grade 7.


Alice E. Williams, Junior High, Grade 7.


225


Mary A. Flaherty, Balch, Grade 2.


Julia E. Connolly, Balch, Special Class. Standish A. Riley, Manual Arts Department, Elementary Schools. Ellen M. Gifford, Physical Education Department, Junior High. Mary F. Houghton, Music Department, Elementary Schools.


Vacation School


The vacation school enrollment shows a decrease of thirty-nine over that of last year. The number enrolled was 112 and of this number, fifty-two were given promotion certificates to the next grade. The others were given intensive review work to insure their promotion at the end of the present school year. The cost of maintenance for the vacation school this summer was $566, an average cost of only $5.05 per pupil. Figuring $94.31 as a per capita cost for elementary education for 1928-1929, it is certain that a total of several times this amount or $4904.12 was saved the Town through promotion gained at summer school.


Courses of Study


The new Tentative Course of Study in Health which was done under the direction of Miss Vera H. Brooks has been in use throughout the year. This course of study has received much favorable comment from outside agencies and copies of it have been requested on several occasions.


The geography outline for grades four and six is entirely completed and the work mostly done for grade five. These outlincs are in the hands of all fourth, fifth and sixth grade teachers and are being used. A uniform textbook adoption for gcography has been made after careful study of the Principals' Committee appointed for this purpose. Miss Julia A. McCarthy is Chairman of this committee.


Another committee of Principals, with Miss Julia I. Drummy as Chair- man, has been appointed to make a study of the different methods of penmanship used in the elementary schools and to make recommenda- tions for a uniform adoption for Norwood. This committee should report early in the spring of 1930 and adoptions will be made in the schools, it is hoped, before the close of the school year.


In the Junior High School, research is being made for obtaining rec- ommendations for the social science courses to be used there. This branch of work is continually undergoing a change and new textbooks are appearing every year.


In the Senior High School the most outstanding rearrangement of courses and requirements has occurred in the Commercial and Home Economics Departments. In the Home Economics curriculum every High School girl is now required to take at least one course during her attendance at school. In the Commercial Department mnuch expansion has taken place in the study and practice of office work as shown in the High School Princi- pal's report under the Cominercial Department.


226


It is of great interest as usual that a large percentage of pupils have elected the Commercial course. Since most of the graduates of the High School from this branch of work find employment in Norwood offices and stores, it seems good business that the department should be equipped to meet the requirements in the way of business machine work and filing or general office work such as the graduates will be assigned to.


Enrollment


GRADE 1


258


GRADE 2


245


ELEMENTARY


GRADE 3


254


GRADE 4


285


GRADE 5


293


GRADE 6


339.


JUNIOR HIGH


GRADE 7


326


GRADE 8


359


GRADE 9


247


SENIOR HIGH


GRADE 10


238


GRADE 11


139


GRADE 12


/36


The graphical representation of enrollment shown above re-emphasizes strongly two statements which have been brought forth in previous reports and which are dealt with in other parts of this issue.


1. The largest group of three grades placed together in the entire system includes six, seven and eight. The facilities in the Junior High School will


227


accommodate comfortably 1050 pupils. With a prospective first grade enrollment in September, 1930, of less than 250, the conclusion may be reached that there is ample Junior High School accommodation for the next six years. Even should the public schools be called upon to receive beginning in 1932 a seventh grade enrollment from St. Catherine's School, the accommodations in the Junior High School would not require expansion.




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