USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1904 > Part 13
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It is a satisfaction to be able to report that our evening schools for the season of 1903-1904, covering a period from Oc- tober to April, showed a marked gain in attendance, interest, and results. Eight hundred and fifty-nine students from fourteen to sixty years of age were enrolled in the elementary schools. Three hundred and twenty-eight, or thirty-eight and one-fifth per cent. of this number, attended all the time. The attendance by months was as follows :-
October 433 November 380
December 332
January 284
February 267
March 223
The Prescott and Bell schools were open for ninety-eight sessions each, the Forster for ninety-six, and the Highland for seventy-seven. The cost of these schools was $0.235 per pupil per evening.
In the evening drawing school 191 pupils were enrolled ; seventy-four, or thirty-nine per cent., attended all the time. The attendance by months was :-
January 70 February 63 December 71
October 99 November 80
March 63
The cost of this school was $0.388 per pupil per session.
We should refuse admission to that third of the students in this school who come and remain only a month or two. Such
1/1
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
brief connection with the school is without gain. In some other cities a deposit of two or three dollars is required from all pupils, which is returned to those who attend for seventy per cent. of the sessions, and forfeited by all others. This plan may well be adopted here.
The total cost of evening schools for the season was $8,864.60.
On the tenth of October of this year, "on petition of at least fifty persons capable of attending the high school and pledging themselves so to attend," an evening high school was opened in the English building. The work of organizing and managing the school was committed to Mr. Whitcomb, head master of the English High school. The school is divided into two sets of classes, one attending Monday and Thursday evenings, and the other on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each student is required to at- tend at least four hours a week, and take at least two subjects. Classes were formed in the following subjects: English composi- tion and rhetoric; English literature; Latin; French; German ; algebra; geometry; commercial law; and the commercial branches,-bookkeeping, penmanship, commercial arithmetic, stenography, and typewriting.
The drawing school, which has held its sessions for several years in the Latin building, was transferred to the English build- ing, and holds sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as heretofore. It has been incorporated, however, as a department of the evening high school, and is under the same management as the other departments. Inclusive of students in the drawing school, 743 have been registered. The average attendance of all pupils thus far during the year has been as follows: October, 387 ; November, 356; December, 246.
The instructors in the drawing department are the same as last year. In the other departments of the school, only the best teachers available have been employed. They are either teachers already employed in the English High school, or such as would be acceptable teachers for that school. The enrollment of the school shows that it supplies a demand. It is apparent, however, that it is to encounter the same difficulties that beset the elemen- tary schools. Many students begin their work enthusiastically, but soon drop out for one reason or another. Of course, experi . ence will show us better how to treat such students, and the best way of placing the school upon a stable basis.
The expense of instruction for this school for the eleven weeks of this year has been $2,153.50. Provided our evening schools are kept as many sessions this year as last, their aggre- gate cost for the season will be about $14,000. This is a large sum to add to the expense of day-school maintenance, and the evening schools should receive the closest supervision, be pro- vided with the best teachers, and all other possible means em- ployed to secure the most profitable returns. If these things are
172
ANNUAL REPORTS.
done, the outlay is sure to meet the hearty approval of our citizens.
The following table shows the principal facts concerning evening schools for 1903-1904. Details may be found in the Appendix :-
EVENING SCHOOLS.
Elementary.
Drawing.
Total.
'02-'03.
'03-'04.
'02-'03.
'03-'04
'02-'03.
'03-'04.
Enrollment ..
741 251
859 328
178 78
191
919 329
1050 402
Average attendance.
33.9
38.2
43.8
38.7
35.8
38.3
Per cent. of attendance . Teachers
28
33
6
6
34
39
Sessions
346
369 $7,286
47
48
393
417
Cost ..
$5,857
23.33
22.21
17.07
18.63
21.85
$8,664 21.55
Cost per pupil per
0.279
0.235
0.363
0.388
. .
....
*Based on average attendance.
Vacation Schools. In order to place vacation school facili- ties nearer the homes of those most likely to attend, it was de- cided to open two schools, one in the Perry schoolhouse, and the other in the Bingham. This arrangement proved to be wise, for it largely increased the attendance upon the vacation schools, without adding to their expense. Both schools were placed under the supervision of Harry F. Hathaway, who has been con- nected with the vacation schools ever since their inception in Somerville. Half his time was given to each school. One woodworking class was opened in each building, under the charge of Mr. Jaynes, of the English High school. Eight hun- dred and thirty pupils were enrolled. The following-named day schools were represented :-
Baxter 22
Durell 56
Bingham 218
Bennett
12
Edgerly
11
Brown 20
Bell
45
Knapp 66
24
Forster 50
Cummings 3
Parochial 67
Glines 52
Davis
9
Perry 56
Highland 5
Hodgkins
2 Pope
8
Lowe
2
The attendance for each of the five weeks between June 11 and August 12 was 565, 526, 471, 438, 410, an average of 482, 171 more than in 1903. One hundred ninety-four children did not lose a session.
The work of the school was along the established lines, and was exclusively manual in its nature. The teachers were drawn from our regular day school corps, and rendered efficient service.
$1,331
$1,378
$7,188
Cost per capita*
evening ..
74
Burns 9
Carr 92 Morse
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
Like evening schools, vacation schools are entering more and more largely into the public school system as permanent ele- ments. Their work is to be extended and systematized. It is probable that three schools, established in suitable localities, would easily be maintained without very much increasing the present expenditure. There are features of the work that we never have undertaken that might be followed successfully if the additional expense would be justified. The cost and attendance are shown in the following :-
Appropriation
1901. $500.00
1902. $500.00
1903. $500.00
1904. $500.00
Paid teachers
$405.00
$427.50
$377.50
$422.50
Paid for supplies
99.26
123.43
162.64
149.73
Total
$504.26
$550.93
$540.14
$572.23
Average attendance.
317
365
311
482
Per capita cost.
$1.59
$1.51
$1.73
$1.19
Number of classes
10
12
10
14
Cost of the Schools. The total amount spent for the main- tenance of the schools of Somerville in 1904 is $315,903.74. This does not include the sums spent on schoolhouse repairs and for new buildings. It does cover first the amount paid for the care of school buildings, for janitors' services, fuel and light, and tele- phones. With this expenditure the school board has nothing to do, it being wholly in charge of the city government.
The amount paid for janitors is
$22,024.21
The cost of fuel is.
15,315.30
The cost of light is.
1,435.70
Telephones
236.60
A total of
$39,011.81
The cost per capita $3.52
The second important expenditure is wholly under the con- trol of the board, and is covered by what is known as the "School Contingent" appropriation. The following are the chief items: -
Officers' salaries
$4,900.00
Books
$8,203.69
General supplies. 4,824.63
Laboratory and manual training supplies 1,043.12
Printing
1,101.00
Graduation exercises
1,227.62
Drawing supplies
1,169.08
Bookbinding
567.83
Truant officer's horse.
240.00
Express and postage. 185.40
Board of truants.
245.84
School . census.
227.40
Amounts carried forward. .$19,035.61
$4,900.00
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Amounts brought forward.
$19,035.61
$4,900.00
Telephones 166.95
Miscellaneous 2,208.69
Total for school supplies, etc.
21,411.25
Total outlay on school contingent account. $26,311.25
Estimate of the committee.
26,500.00
Appropriation
25,000.00
Deficiency as compared with appropriation.
1,311.25
Surplus as compared with estimate of committee ....
188.75
Received for damage to school property and tuition of non-residents. 221.50
Net surplus
410.25
The third, and by far the largest, element of the cost of schools is the sum spent for the salaries of teachers. The fol- lowing shows the monthly payments :-
January
$24,782.43
February
24,764.07
March
25,079.62
April
23,905.00
May
23,940.10
June
23,802.25
August
422.50
September
24,424.35
October
26,374.63
November
26,497.87
December
26,587.86
Total
$250,580.68
Estimate of committee and appropriation.
249,500.00
Deficiency
$1,080.68
This deficiency is due largely to the unexpected size of the evening high school and its larger salary list.
The total outlay for all purposes in 1904 is as follows :-
Teachers' salaries.
$250,580.68
Administration
4,900.00
Care of schoolhouses.
39,011.81
School supplies.
21,411.25
Total for school maintenance
$315,903.74
Paid for repairs ..
18,208.97
Paid for new buildings.
23,703.11
Total for all school purposes
$357,815.82
Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has been divided in the following proportion :-
1900.
1901. $0.790
1902. $0.800
1903. $0.781
1904. $0.793
Administration
0.018
0.017
0.017
0.013
0.016
Janitors' salaries
0.074
0.071
0.073
0.070
0.070
Heat and light.
0.048
0.055
0.042
0.067
0,053
School supplies
0.061
0.067
0.068
0.069
0.068
Total
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
Teachers' salaries.
$0.799
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
Per Capita Cost. The only way to compare the cost of the schools from year to year is by considering the amount spent for each pupil in their average membership. Heretofore, in com- parisons of the cost of grammar and primary schools, we have included that of evening schools. This year we exclude the cost of those schools because the sum now spent for them is so large as to make material differences, and thus mislead. The follow- ing table shows the
PER CAPITA COST OF DAY SCHOOLS FOR 1903 AND 1904.
High Schools.
Grammar and Primary Schools.
All Day Schools.
1903.
1904.
De- crease.
1903.
1904.
De- crease.
1903.
1904.
De- crease.
Instruction .
$47 28 5 32 4 43
$47 20
$0 08 *0 72 0 14
$19 13
$19 24
$0 11* 0 22
1 90
1 78
0 12
Care
0 34
3 73
3 42
0 31
Total .
$57 03
$57 53
*$0 50
$24 29
$23 84
$0 45
$27 67
$27 36
$0 31
* Increase.
Including the sums paid for the maintenance of evening and vacation schools, the per capita cost for the two years is as follows :-
1903.
1904.
Cost of instruction.
$22.67
$23.03
Change. +$0.30
Cost of supplies
1.95
1.93
- 0.02
Cost of care.
3.84
3.52
-0.32
Total
$28.46
$28.48
+$0.02
An examination of these tables shows that eight cents less has been paid per pupil for instruction in the high schools; that the care of these buildings has decreased fourteen cents ; and that supplies have cost seventy-two cents more than last year. All this makes the average cost of educating a high school pupil this year just a half-dollar more than last year, $57.53 in 1904, as against $57.03 in 1903. This increase is attributable to expendi- tures for books, some text-books having been changed and many old, worn-out books replaced.
Instruction in grammar and primary schools has cost eleven cents per pupil more this year than last, while supplies and care of buildings have cost twenty-two cents and thirty-four cents less, respectively, making the net total of the per capita cost of these schools forty-five cents less than in 1903, $23.84 in one case, and $24.29 in the other.
Taking all the day schools together, we find that instruction costs twelve cents more, supplies twelve cents less, and care of buildings thirty-one cents less, making the net cost per pupil $27.36 this year, as compared with $27.67 in 1903,-a decrease of thirty-one cents.
$22 04
$22 16
$0 12*
Supplies .
6 04 4 29
1 51 3 65
1 29
3 31
176
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Adding the cost of evening schools to that of day schools, we increase the cost of instruction thirty-six cents, and decrease that of supplies two cents, and that of care of buildings thirty- two cents. This makes the total cost of school maintenance for 1904 $28.48 per capita, two cents more than in 1903, when it was $28.46.
There were eleven cities and thirty-six towns in the com- monwealth that paid a larger per capita sum than Somerville in 1902.
The cost of maintaining our schools in 1904 was $5.44 for every $1,000. of the city's valuation, 31.6 per cent. of the entire city tax of $17.20 per $1,000.
The number of children to be educated by Somerville con- tinues to increase more rapidly than its ability to meet the expen- ditures which this education entails. The number of children in the schools increased 3.8 per cent. in 1904, while the valuation of the city increased 1.9 per cent.,-only half as much.
Heavy as is the burden of school support, it will be met cheerfully, provided results and outlay are commensurate. Growth and expansion are inevitable. A wise economy, how- ever, expends carefully, retrenches whenever possible, examines results, and throws upon the future its share of the burden. High standards cannot be maintained without proportionate out- lays. The tendency everywhere is to transfer burdens and re- sponsibility from the individual to the public. As a leader truth- fully remarks :-
"If we are to have schoolhouses properly equipped for the training of the body, as well as the mind, for manual training, play, gymnastics, and athletics; if all children are to enjoy their God-given right to education ; if schools are to be equipped for scientific, as well as literary studies; if salaries are to be paid to teachers that will attract men and women of breeding and refine- ment to the teaching profession ; and if all the teachers are to be thoroughly trained so that they will be models to imitate and per- sons capable of arousing interest and inspiring effort ; if all these things are to be accomplished, it is evident that the sums devoted to education in America, enormous as they are, must be very greatly increased."
1
The salaries paid at the present time are as follows :-
2 men. $3,000
4 women. $775
2 men. 2,000
2 women. 750
10 men, 2 women 1,900
16 women. 725
6 men 1,700
5 women. 700
2 men.
1,600
203 women. 650
1 man. 1,500
7 women. 600
1 man, 3 women. 1,200
3 women. 500
1 woman ..
1,150
5 women. 425
1 man, 10 women 1,000
1 woman.
400
1 man, 18 women 900
1 woman.
350
1 woman.
850
woman 1
300
1 man, 1 woman.
800
1 woman. 275
On this basis, the total salary list at present is $245,000.
177
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
This does not include sums paid for evening and vacation schools and substitutes. With these added, the salary require- ments for 1905 will be about $260,000.
Stamp Savings. The system of stamp savings, introduced in September, 1902, has now been in operation for two full school years. The business transacted for those years is here shown :-
1903.
1904.
Received from sale of stamps.
$15,135.59
$9,069.80
Deposited in Somerville Savings Bank.
8,069.85 5,514.89
Value of cards cashed. .
3,152.46
2,521.86
Sixty per cent. as many stamps were sold the second year as during the first year, a falling off to be expected as soon as the novelty had worn off. Thus far during the present year the busi- ness transacted has been about the same, and seems to have reached a normal basis.
The sale of stamps for October and November of the three years has been as follows :-
In 1902, the sales of stamps for these months amounted to $4,724.84
In 1903, 60
66
66 2,690.88
In 1904, 66 6
66
" 2,517.98
About $8,000 is now on deposit at the savings bank as the result of two years' experience.
No reason appears for the discontinuance of the system in our schools. While it entails extra labor upon teachers and prin- cipals, the work has in general been so systematized that it is not a burden. Moreover, most teachers take great satisfaction in helping their pupils to establish and confirm habits of thrift.
Public Library. The public library and the schools continue to work together in the utmost harmony. Ready provision is made for all needs of teachers for books for classroom work. The children's room in the library is well patronized. More chil- dren are reading books than ever before. There are 110 libraries now located in as many different schoolrooms. The books are very largely selected by teachers, and of very many of them sev- eral copies are furnished. During the year 5,169 books have been delivered to the schools. It is interesting to know that the majority of these books, 2,750, are classed as "non-fiction." The thanks of both the teachers and the pupils are due to the libra- rian and his affable assistants for their co-operation and courtesy.
St. Louis Exposition. The schools of Somerville were rep- resented at St. Louis by three distinct exhibits. The first was from the English High school, showing its organization, its cur- riculum, its general plan of work, the methods employed in every department, and representative specimens of pupils' work. The second exhibit was from the elementary schools, and showed the course in language and grammar followed in the schools, with typical papers prepared by pupils of each grade. The third ex- hibit showed the system of penmanship taught in the schools as represented by pictures, and papers prepared by pupils.
178
ANNUAL REPORTS.
These exhibits received commendation, and were awarded a grand prize and two gold medals. In addition, a gold medal was awarded the head master of the English High school for his work as a collaborator.
These exhibits, along with those of the other Massachusetts cities and towns, have been sent to Portland, Ore., for the Lewis and Clark Exposition. They will, however, be returned to this ยท city in due season.
Repairs and Decorations. During the summer, the Bell, Davis, and Cummings school buildings were thoroughly reno- vated, the woodwork varnished, and the walls tinted. An addi- tional furnace for the heating of the corridors was installed in the Davis, and also in the Cummings, and in the latter building a toilet room for the use of teachers was provided. The walls of the lecture hall and of several rooms in the English High school were tinted,-a good work that is to be continued from year to year. The same is true, also, of the Hodgkins school. In the Bingham school the walls of the eight rooms in the old building were tinted and everything made harmonious.
The movement for providing schoolrooms with works of art of one kind or another continues. Through the efforts of the teachers in the Bennett school, $150 was raised, which has been expended in the purchase of pictures for the walls. Similar efforts of the Bingham school teachers resulted in the purchase of pictures and other works of art to the amount of $125. From the funds resulting from the oratorio given by the pupils two years ago, a number of pictures, busts, and bas-reliefs have been added to the English High school. It has become the custom for graduating classes in the high and grammar schools to leave behind them some work of art as they graduate. This pleasant custom is gradually providing the principals' rooms in these buildings with valuable collections.
The schools are indebted to friends for the presentation dur- ing the year of valuable pictures, which are here gratefully ac- knowledged in the following list :-
For the Durell school, a portrait of Rev. George W. Durell, from his son, Dr. T. M. Durell.
Prescott school, a portrait of ex-Superintendent Joshua H. Davis, from Miss Mabel James, a former pupil of the school.
Edgerly school, a portrait of John S. Edgerly, from his daughters, Mrs. Helen M. Despeaux and Mrs. Mixer.
Lowe school, a portrait of Mrs. Martha Perry Lowe, from the Somerville Woman's Suffrage League.
Hanscom, Davis, and Bennett schools, pictures from S. Newton Cutler.
Carr school, photographs for the walls, from Miss M. A. Tufts.
Bingham school, a picture from the Anne Adams Tufts Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
179
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
We wish, also, to acknowledge the following gifts of books from S. Newton Cutler, former chairman of the school board :-
To the Latin school, "The Cambridge Shakespeare," nine volumes.
To the English school, "The American Statesmen Series," thirty-one volumes.
To the Prescott and Edgerly schools, each, Woodrow Wil- son's "History of the United States," five volumes.
We are indebted, also, to the Woman's Relief Corps, G. A. R., Post 113, for their kindness in providing several of the school- rooms with United States flags.
There is abundant room still left in all the buildings for other gifts of the same generous, thoughtful nature. Schoolrooms cannot be made too attractive.
Change in Charter. The city charter which went into operation January 1, 1900, provided for a school committee con- sisting of fourteen members, two elected from each ward. The legislature of 1904 amended the charter, subject to the approval of a majority of voters at the state election in November, by add- ing to the school committee the mayor and the president of the board of aldermen, ex-officiis. The proposed amendment hav- ing been approved by a vote of 2,524 to 1,343, the two officials named, Mayor Leonard B. Chandler and President Joseph S. Pike, took their seats as members of the board at the regular meeting, November 28. Section 28 of the charter, that relates to the school committee, now reads as follows :-
Section 28. The management and control of the public schools shall be vested in a school committee, which shall exer- cise the powers conferred and discharge the duties imposed by law upon school committees. The committee shall consist of the mayor and the president of the board of aldermen, ex- officiis, neither of whom shall serve as chairman, and fourteen other members, two from each ward, elected as follows: At the first municipal election held under this charter, two members of the school committee shall be elected by and from the qualified voters of each ward, one to serve for the term of two years and one to serve for the term of one year, beginning on the first Monday of January next ensuing, and thereafter one member from each ward shall be elected in like manner at each annual municipal election, to serve for the term of two years. Vacan- cies occurring in the school committee shall be filled by a joint ballot of the board of aldermen and the school committee, the member so elected to be a resident of the ward entitled to the new member, and to hold office only for the remainder of the munici- pal year, the vacancy for the remainder of the term, if any, to be filled by the voters of said ward at the next municipal election.
Manual Training. This subject was discussed at some length in the report of last year. At the January meeting, on recommendation of the committee on industrial education, the
180
ANNUAL REPORTS.
board voted unanimously to request the board of aldermen to fit up a room in the Forster annex for woodworking. No action in this direction has yet been reported to the committee. This is the fourth time that the school board has gone on record as attempting to conform to the statute which requires manual training to be taught in the elementary schools in every city as large as ours.
We now have three manual training teachers in the High school, whose services are easily available for two hours each afternoon. If rooms could be equipped in three convenient lo- calities, eighth-grade boys could be given instruction in this branch at relatively little outlay. I trust the board will persist in its efforts.
School Hygiene. In conformity with the instructions of the board, the attention of teachers was recently called to the proper observance of all regulations that pertain in any wise to school hygiene. A copy of the following circular was sent to each teacher :-----
By vote of the school board, the constant attention of all teachers is called to what follows :-
1. Pure air, cleanliness of body, eight hours' sleep, just enough suitable food, clean clothing adapted to the season, the regular exercise of bodily functions, judicious exercise in the open air, and sufficient useful employment for body and mind are essential to health. These conditions are to be secured mainly by parents and in the home. Very often, however, teachers may courteously co-operate with parents by way of counsel, and possibly by active assistance. Some of these essen- tials may and must be furnished children when in school. The responsibility rests for this upon the teacher. Physical training is as much a duty and requirement as mental or moral training. Indeed, it is fundamental, for the best educational results come only from perfect physical conditions.
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