USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1906 > Part 12
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Called in 1895 to organize the new school, to outline its general plan of work and course of study, to select a new corps of teachers, and to establish a general standard of attainment, Mr. Whitcomb entered enthusiastically upon the task, and during its very first year established the school upon a solid foundation. Since that time, the school has doubled in numbers and constantly increased in efficiency and grown in public favor.
From the outset, absolute harmony and unity of action prevailed among the faculty, and a spirit of loyalty and enthusiasm among the stu- dents. A thorough system of administration covering all details, high standards of scholarship, the appeal to the ideal motives of conduct, the closest co-operation between parents and instructors, and a per- sonal, vital interest in the welfare of each student have resulted in making a school second in character to none of its class in New Eng- land. To Mr. Whitcomb as the moving spirit in all this the city of Somerville will always be greatly indebted, and its English high school will remain a monument to his knowledge, energy, and professional skill.
We tender to Mr. Whitcomb, as he leaves us for a larger and more inviting field, the hearty expression of the appreciative gratitude of our- selves and our fellow-citizens, and trust that in Brockton he may win even higher honors as a progressive educator, an able administrator, a wise guide and counselor, a genial friend and companion, and a loyal and useful citizen.
At the same time two highly-valued teachers, Miss Lucy Ingram and Miss H. H. Small, left us, the one, after service be- ginning with the organization of the school, to take charge of the English department in the Brookline High school, and the other to fill a similar position in the Brockton High school.
With hearty unanimity the position of head master was filled by the promotion of the master, John A. Avery, while the latter's place was taken by Sub-Master Everett W. Tuttle. At
159
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
his own request, Mr. Earle was transferred from the chemistry to the head of the department of mathematics. William W. Obear, Amherst, 1897, of the Fitchburg High school, was placed in charge of the chemistry department. The places of Misses Ingram and Small were taken by Miss Ella A. Newhall, B. U., '95, of Norwood, and Miss Grace Gatchell, Colby, '97, of Co- hasset. A vacancy that had existed for some time in the history department was filled by Miss Grace E. Burroughs, Radcliffe, 1900, of the Newton High school.
The increase in the size of the school rendered necessary the employment of Miss Theodora M. Hastings, Wellesley, '95, as general teacher, Miss Mabel Butman, Wellesley, '91, in the mathematics department, and Laurence A. Sprague, of the Na- tick High school, in the manual training department. Miss Annie C. Woodward, a graduate of the Plymouth Business Col- lege, was made an assistant in the commercial department. David S. Wheeler, B. U., '00, was engaged to take the place of C. F. Abbott, of the department of history and civics, who had been granted a year's leave of absence for study. The eleventh change in the faculty of the school was made by the appointment of Miss Mabell M. Ham as secretary, in place of Miss Cole, who resigned after an efficient service of five years.
Notwithstanding the facts that nearly one-third of the teachers were new to their positions, that the school was larger by 125 pupils, and that a new building was to be occupied, the new administration has maintained the standing of the school in all respects and conducted its affairs in a way that augurs future prosperity and an increased efficiency.
While the school has been freed from many of the condi- tions that have handicapped it for the last few years, it must be remembered that its necessities have been only partly met, and that the enlargement of the building, which was proposed as one-half of the plan of general high school relief, is still impera- tively needed. In September, 1907, at least 100 pupils will be a Ided to its present membership, but there are now no accom- modations for them. Besides, the needs of the school as pre- sented on previous pages demand that immediate steps be taken to secure additional room.
In June the school graduated 127, six of whom entered col- · lege, nine technical schools, and nine normal schools. The four compulsory subjects of the curriculum and the eighteen electives are pursued at the present time by pupils as follows :-
English
1,077
Physiology 308
History
953
Latin
166
Mathematics
840
French
408
Chemistry
66
German
143
Astronomy
20
Physical geography. 18
Physics
75
Mechanical drawing ... . .
285
Biology
64 Freehand drawing. 393
160
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Commercial :-
Manual training.
243
Law
24
Penmanship
236
Bookkeeping
127
Commercial arithmetic ..
103
Stenography
170
Typewriting
187
Elocution
1,073
Music
1,005
Despite the efforts that are made to hold pupils to the end of the course, ill-health, the demands and allurements of busi- ness, and the lack of application and steady purpose lead to the dropping out of more than half the pupils who enter the school before the end of the four years comes around. Losses since the organization of the schools are shown in the following table :-
TABLE SHOWING LOSSES OF CLASSES IN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL EACH YEAR SINCE 1898.
MEMBERSHIP.
Class of 1901.
Class of 1902.
Class of 1903.
Class of 1904.
Class of 1905.
Class of 1906.
Class of 1907.
Class of 1908.
Class of 1909.
Class of 1910.
December 15, 1st year
211
217
299
246
261
250
252
267
350
399
66
2nd “
153
162
221
178
214
190
220
224
286
. ..
66
3rd
125
135
178
147
180
158
187
194
...
...
4th
108
120
151
112
148
140
162
. .
...
...
Graduates
90
108
135
106
135
127
...
. .
...
. ..
Loss per cent.
1st year
27.5
25.3
26.0 19.5
27.2
18.0 15.9
24.0 16.8 11.4
12.7 15.0
16.1 13.4
18 3
. .
66
66
3rd
13.6
11.1
15.2
23.8 5.4 56.9
17.8 8.7 48.3
9.0 49.2
...
...
...
...
On the basis of these losses and its past growth, the school will contain 1,150 pupils next September.
Grammar and Primary Schools. A year ago these schools contained 10,562 pupils. To-day there are 102 more, or 10,661. They are distributed among the nine grades as follows :-
1906.
1905.
Change.
Grade
1
1,526
1.581
-55
..
2
1,473
1.456
+17
66
4
1,292
1.274
+18
66
5
1,240
1,189
+51
66
6
1,109
1,152
-43
7
1,003
967
+36
8
872
917
-- 45
66
9
797
690
-+107
·
.
·
18.0
16.6
17.4
66
4th
11.1
10.0
10.6
...
...
Total
54.5
50.2
54.8
1,352
1,336
+16
3
In June, 190G, there were 640 graduated from the grammar schools, an increase of thirty-four as compared with the previous year. Of these, 115 entered the Latin school and 359 the Eng- lish, a total of 474, or ?4.1 per cent. of the entire number.
The possibility of transferring primary pupils to the Forster school from the Glines enabled us to dispense with half-time classes in that building. We are obliged, however, to keep 218
..
...
..
2nd “
13.4
.
161
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
children on half-time in the Prescott, Hanscom, and Hodgkins schools.
Kindergartens. The kindergarten conditions remain un- changed. 'There are still four in operation in the Hanscom, Bennett, Baxter, and Glines schools. They are always full, and maintain their popularity with parents. There is a strong feel- ing in other parts of the city that kindergartens should be extended whenever the opportunity is presented. The entire ex- pense of the four kindergartens for the year was $3,788.55, or $19.94 for every child in the average membership. The details are as follows :-
Hanscom.
Bennett.
Baxter.
Glines.
Total.
Enrollment
107
113
102
97
419
Average membership
49
49
46
46
190
Average attendance
43
42
37
41
163
Per cent. attendance
· SS.4
85.1
81.6
89.0
85.8
Age
4-9
4-5
4-9
4-9
4-8
Evening High School. The second year of the evening high school was a repetition in many respects of the experiences of the preceding year. Six hundred and five enrolled themselves at the outset. Their attendance fell off from 229 in October to ninety -- nine in March. The school kept ninety-three sessions, and was conducted on the same general plan, two evenings of attendance being required of each student each week, although some were present three or even four evenings. Practically all the studies of the high school course were taught by an efficient corps of in- structors, under the direction of Mr. Avery, master of the Eng- lish High school. The students that attended with some de- gree of regularity received positive benefits from their connec- tion with the school. Those who attended irregularly or for a small part of the year profited but little, and only served to swell the expenses of the school. The cost of the school was $0.387 per pupil for each evening, a little less than the previous year.
The cost of instruction, $4,466.
Cost of supplies, janitors' services, and light, $1,082.22. Total, $5,548.22.
The school re-opened in October under the direction of George W. Earle, of the English school, under practically the same corps of teachers and a registration of about 600 pupils.
Elementary Evening Schools. The. term of these schools was shortened by one month for financial reasons. The enrollment
162
ANNUAL REPORTS.
in the four schools was 698, with an average attendance of forty- six per cent., or 324. The total expenditure was $6,303, or $0.233 per pupil per evening.
No means have yet been found for awakening an interest in evening schools and their advantages that will lead young men and women to attend regularly and persistently to the end of the course. The fault, doubtless, lies mainly with the students. Fatigue, infirmity of purpose, the attractions of pleasure, and a failure to appreciate the worth of the education lying within their reach will account for their irregularities. Some remarks are made elsewhere concerning the extension of evening school courses to include tool work, and sewing, millinery, cooking, etc. The success of schools that offer a wider range of subjects of a more practical nature closely connected with business pur- suits and the means of livelihood shows that there is a demand for the newer methods. Aside from the positive benefits accru- ing to the student, the negative advantages of such schools are worthy of consideration. They give boys useful employment for idle moments, and furnish a substitute for occupations that are injurious to them and a menace to the community.
Vacation Schools. Stringent financial conditions and a de- sire to co-operate with the city government in the reduction of expenditures led the vacation school committee not to open schools of this character in 1906.
Cost of the Schools. The total amount spent for the main- tenance of the schools of Somerville in 1906 is $329,345.72. This does not include the sums spent on schoolhouse repairs and for new buildings. It does cover the amount paid for the care of school buildings, for janitors' services, fuel, 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. $23,143.32
The cost of fuel is. 14,161.92
The cost of light is. 2,874.75
Telephones 380.24
A total of.
$40,560.23
The cost per capita
3.45
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. $5,400.00
Books
$8,897.28
Stationery 4,962.73
Amounts carried forward $13,860.01
$5,400.00
1
163
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
Amounts brought forward
$13,860.01
$5,400.00
Laboratory and manual training supplies,
1,779.66
Printing
1,033.23
Graduation exercises.
1,155.40
Drawing supplies
1,045.75
Bookbinding
886.18
Truant officer's horse
240.00
Express and postage.
228.86
Board of truants
417.28
School census.
242.60
Telephone
191.64
Kindergartens
113.42
Miscellaneous
1,395.05
Total for school supplies, etc.
22,589.08
Total outlay on school contingent account
$27,989.08
Appropriation
25,000.00
Deficiency
$2,989.08
Received for damage to school property, tuition
448.16
state wards and non-residents, etc.
Net deficiency
$2,540.92
The estimate of the committee for school contingent ex- penses was $27,880. This sum was exceeded by $109.08.
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
$26,347.25
February
26,095.57
March
26,570.93
April
24,888.51
May
24,893.17
June
24,778.44
September
25,319.94
October
27,302.39
November
27,505.76
December
27,094.50
Total
$260,796.46
Amount of appropriation
260,000.00
Deficiency
$796.46
The estimate of the school board for the payment of teach- ers' salaries was $263,500. The expenditure was $260,796.46, or $2,703.54 less. This difference results from the fact that $1,200 asked for manual training instruction and $500 for vacation schools was not required, as these schools were not opened. Be- sides, $500 was saved by shortening the evening school term, and $500 more by the employment of teachers below the maximum salary,-a total non-expenditure of $2,700.
The total outlay for all purposes in 1906 is as follows :-
164
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Teachers' salaries.
$260,796.46
Administration
5,400.00
Care of schoolhouses.
40,560.23
School supplies
22,589.08
Total for school maintenance
$329,345.77
Paid for repairs.
11,950.85
Paid for new buildings.
38,457.32
Total for all school purposes
$379,753.94
Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has been divided in the following proportion :--
1902.
1903. $0.781
1904.
1905. $0.792
1906. $0.792
Administration
0.017
0,013
0.016
0.013
0.016
Janitors' salaries.
0.073
0,070
0.070
0.070
0.070
Heat and light
0.042
0.067
0.053
0.061
0.052
School supplies
0.068
0.069
0.068
0.064
0.070
Total
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
Per Capita Cost. The proper way to compare the cost of schools one year with another is by considering the amount spent for each pupil in the average membership. In this com- putation we exclude the cost of evening schools because the sum is now so large as to be misleading. It is difficult to include the membership of the evening schools with that of the day schools. The following shows the
PER CAPITA COST OF DAY SCHOOLS FOR 1905 AND 1906.
High Schools.
Grammar and Primary Schools.
All Day Schools.
1905
1906.
De- crease.
1905.
1906.
In- crease.
1905.
1906.
In- crease.
Instruction .
$45 79
$43 82
$1 97
$18 86
$18 94
$0 08
$21 76
$21 82
$0 06
Supplies .
5 15
4 73
0 42
1 29
1 50
0 21
1 70
1 88
0 18
Care
4 15
3 75
0 40
3 26
3 22
-0 04
3 36
3 28
-0 08
Total
$55 09
$52 30
$2 79
$23 41
$23 66
$0 25
$26 82
$26 98
$0 16
If we include the sums paid for the maintenance of evening schools, the per capita cost for the last three years is as fol- lows :-
1904.
1905.
1906.
Cost of instruction.
$23.03
$22.50
$22.63
Cost of supplies.
1.93
1.74
1.92
Cost of care
3.52
3.63
3.45
Total
$28.48
$27.87
$28.00
Teachers' salaries.
$0.800
$0.793
L
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
165
An examination of these tables shows that the cost per pupil in the high schools is $2.79 less than last year. This is made up of $1.97 less for instruction, $0.42 for supplies, and $0.40 for care of buildings. Fewer teachers have been employed in proportion to the number of pupils in attendance.
The grammar and primary schools have cost $0.25 per pupil more than last year. There has been an increase of $0.08 in the cost of instruction and $0.21 in the cost of supplies, and a de- crease of $0.04 in the cost of the care of buildings.
Taking all the day schools together, the net increase in cost has been $0.16 per pupil. This is made up of $0.06 for instruc- tion and $0.18 for supplies, while there has been a decrease of $0.08 in the cost of the care of school buildings.
Adding the cost of evening schools to that of day schools, we increase the cost of instruction $0.13, the cost of supplies $0.18, and lessen the cost of care $0.18. This makes a total cost for 1906 of $28 per capita as against $27.87 for 1905 and $28.48 for 1904.
There were fifty-eight cities and towns in the Common- wealth that paid a larger per capita sum than Somerville in 1905. The cost of maintaining our schools in 1905 was $5.44 for every thousand dollars of the city's valuation, but there were 130 cities and towns in the state that paid a higher rate. This year the rate is $0.01 higher in Somerville than it was last year.
It is gratifying to notice that while the number of school children has increased 1.9 per cent. during the year, the ability of the city to pay for their schooling, as shown by the valuation, has increased 2.1 per cent.
Schoolhouse Conditions. During the last two years there has been considerable public criticism of the condition of Somer- ville school buildings. As far as criticism is just it should be welcomed, and the remedies applied. If unwarranted and cal- culated to produce wrong impressions or needless alarm, it should be corrected. It has been the custom in these reports to . call attention to our needs in the line of increased or improved school accommodations. As the school committee has no power over construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, and care of schoolhouses, all such matters having been delegated to another branch of the city government, it may be thought strange that any allusion to the subject should be made in a school report. The "management and control," the "general charge and superintendence of public schools" are vested by law and charter in the school committee. It would be an anoma- lous state of affairs if the authority of that body were limited to what pertains to the intellectual or moral welfare of the children to the utter exclusion of what relates to the health, comfort, or care of their bodies or of the schoolhouse conditions upon which these things depend, In the eyes of the public, the school board
166
ANNUAL REPORTS.
cannot escape responsibility for the physical well-being of school children. These facts justify the presentation to the board and to the public and to the responsible authorities what the execu- tive officer of the board considers to be needful to secure the health and comfort of children, and the facilities that the schools need for the proper accomplishment of their work.
Ideal schoolhouses cannot be expected. Every school- house, for example, should be located in the centre of an open lot, with ample. room for playgrounds; it should be provided with an assembly hall in which the entire school may be gath- ered, and which could be opened for other public educational uses ; the heating plant should be located outside of the main building, and sufficiently remote to secure absolute safety; it should contain gymnasiums and rooms for manual training and cooking, to say nothing of other requirements. In providing school facilities regard must be had to the financial limitations of the city. While the demands of the schools are the most im- portant, they are by no means the only interests to be considered and provided for. We must accept all school buildings that have been furnished, and can only ask that they shall be made as healthful, comfortable, and attractive as it is possible to make them under existing conditions. Everything that menaces the health of their occupants should be speedily remedied.
I do not think that there are conditions in any of our school- houses at the present time to occasion anxiety or alarm.
There are, however, certain needed changes and improve- ments to which I wish to call attention.
1. We have four or five school buildings that were erected between thirty and forty years ago. When new they were a source of congratulation to our citizens. Barring the fact that they are all three-story buildings and poorly lighted, they will compare favorably with more modern structures. They have all been modernized as to heating, ventilation, and sanitation. Since their erection there has been a marked improvement in schoolhouse architecture in certain respects, as might well be expected. One notable difference between the old and the new is in the amount of light provided. The rule now is to make the lighting surface about one-fifth of the floor surface in every room. It is rarely allowed to fall below one-sixth. Attention was called in detail to this matter in the school report for 1899, and the ratio of floor surface to window surface was given for all school buildings standing at that time. To show what the pres- ent construction is, the following facts are given :-
167
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
RATIO OF FLOOR SURFACE TO LIGHTING SURFACE.
Forster annex. 20.3%
Baxter
23.9%
Brown 21 %
Bingham addition 24 %
Bennett
20
%
Lowe
23
% Forster
9.5%
Proctor
23
%
on one side only ..... 16 %
High school annex .. 21.9%
Average of five rooms in old Latin build- ing
10.2%
Prescott 10.6%
Bell 10.3%
Morse, four rooms ....
8.3%
Proctor,-rooms lighted
One room in High
school annex.
9.7%
There are other buildings in the city that fall considerably below modern requirements. For example, the Highland shows only thirteen per cent., and the Edgerly 11.6 per cent. A com- parison of these figures will show that many of the old rooms l:ave just about one-half of the lighting surface provided in modern structures. There are many occasions during the short days of the year when all eye-work must be suspended in these poorly-lighted rooms. Indeed, the light is insufficient in some parts of the room on every cloudy day. The fact that these con- ditions have prevailed for thirty odd years is no reason why they should be continued. Sight is the most precious of the senses. If the deterioration of the eyes of school children is in any wise traceable to poorly-lighted rooms, a remedy should be applied. To secure proper conditions, either natural or artificial light should be provided by increasing the present supply from fifty to seventy-five per cent.
I am aware that this involves a large expenditure, and I hardly expect that it will be secured in a single year. A begin- ning was made several years ago in the Forster school, but lack of funds has prevented the continuance of this improvement. An expenditure of $4,000 would probably remove all grounds of complaint.
2. The principal, if not the only, improvement in the seat- ing arrangements of modern schoolhouses is in the provision of adjustable chairs and desks. No matter what the grade, large children and small are found in every class. It is not only de- sirable, but hygienically important, that the seats should be of proper height, and the relation of the desk to the chair be just right. These things can only be secured by adjustable furniture. This matter is probably of less importance in high schools, where students generally occupy seats of the largest size without dis- comfort. There are, of course, some exceptions, for the ages in these schools vary from twelve years to twenty. Eleven of our school buildings, the newer ones, of course, contain nothing but adjustable furniture. Nine-tenths of the seats in four others are already adjustable. Take the city over, I find that there are 3,400 non-adjustable seats. These are chiefly in the older build- ings. With the old furniture, whenever a higher grade replaces a lower, or vice versa, a change of furniture is necessary. Other-
168
ANNUAL REPORTS.
wise, a readjustment is all that is needed. It would cost $7,500 to substitute adjustable irons for the non-adjustable, without re- placing the woodwork.
3. The need of thorough ventilation of schoolhouses is recognized, but to secure the inflow of thirty cubic feet of pure, properly-heated air every minute for every pupil is no easy mat- ter. Not only must the apparatus be adequate, but the human element upon which we are always dependent must also be ade- quate. Six of our buildings are ventilated by the fan system; all others by the gravity system. Five of these are heated by fur-
nace. In four of our steam-heated buildings automatic appli- ances regulate the temperature fairly well when in order. It re- quires, however, the utmost vigilance on the part of janitors in all buildings to see that they are warm enough by half past eight in the morning, and that an unvarying temperature of from sixty-eight degrees to seventy degrees Fahrenheit is maintained throughout the day in every one of the dozen or more rooms. The teacher cannot be held responsible for the temperature of her room. Absorbed in her work, she may be unconscious of a rise or a fall. She cannot stop to notify the principal, nor can that official suspend his teaching to notify the janitor. It is the business of the latter to be alert and to investigate and regulate the heat at regular intervals. He alone is responsible. The furnaces in the Pope, Morse, and Highland schools may be re- placed by steam to the comfort and advantage of their occu- pants. There are some minor improvements in other buildings that may well be made, for example,-an electric motor to re- place steam for the running of the fan in the Bell school. This will allow the use of the fan, regardless of temperature.
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