USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1908 > Part 11
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Truancy. The truancy for the year amounted to 704 half- days. Last year there were 856 half-days. The balance in this
153
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
case, also, is on the right side, being 152 half-days of truancy fewer this year than last. While the membership of the schools has increased, truancy has decreased. This is the smallest record of truancy for several years.
While too great significance must not be attached to this apparent tendency, it may fairly be said that teachers and prin- cipals have given close attention to the habits of their pupils, and have promptly ascertained and investigated instances of unexcused absence from school. Their efforts have been ably supplemented by the untiring and efficient service rendered by the truant officer.
In May last death took from the service of the schools Lemuel H. Snow, twenty-two years truant officer. By his long service his figure was familiar to all in any way acquainted with the life of the schools. His influence was felt in works of beneficence in many directions beyond the limits of his official duties. A capable official and an upright man, he is remem- bered with affection and respect.
The duties of the office of truant officer were assumed in September by Justin W. Lovett. Mr. Lovett has won the con- fidence of all his associates, and is devoting himself with energy and discernment to the work of preventing truancy and reform- ing truants.
The following shows the record for the year :-
1907.
1908.
Increase.
Number of visits to schools.
474
401
-73
Number of cases investigated.
499
655
156
Number found to be truants.
94
155
61
Number sent to the truant school.
9
6
-3
Paid for board of truants
$597
$705
$108
Corporal Punishment. The record for corporal punishment is not essentially different from that of last year, 318 cases being reported, an increase of four. Cases of corporal punishment occurred in every grade from the first to the ninth, inclusive. No cases were reported from the high schools or from the kin- dergartens. Comparing the record by grades, the smallest number reported is in the ninth grade. The first and eighth have an equal number, and the largest number is from the fifth grade. The third and fourth grades furnished an equal num- ber, while more children in the seventh grade received corporal punishment than was the case in the second grade. One build- ing only reported no cases. Another building had only one case. The highest number of cases reported from any one building is thirty-five, being an average of less than four cases a month for a school of twelve teachers.
Schoolhouses. No material addition or alteration has been made to any of the schoolhouses, nor has a new one been built during the past year. The four-room addition to the
151
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Brown School and the four-room addition to the Hanscom School were completed in January, and were occupied on the twentieth of that month. In other respects conditions have re- mained very much the same as set forth in recent reports. In many ways the school buildings are in excellent condition, and there are many evidences of care for the comfort and safety of the children. Undoubtedly, however, an adequate provision of money for outlay upon the buildings would result in desirable improvements. Rooms now lighted by artificial means could, in some instances, be provided with windows sufficient to afford an abundance of natural light. Sanitary drinking fountains could be installed and better sanitaries provided. While the immediate making of these and other desirable improvements may be too much to ask or to expect, yet is it not possible by a progressive policy to supply better conditions as money can be made available for them?
While the care of schoolhouses is mainly committed to another department of the city government, nevertheless a large responsibility rests upon the school management to prop- erly provide for the welfare of pupils. More intimate knowl- edge of their needs comes to the teacher and principal than to any one else. Conditions of light, heat, and ventilation, as well as indications of the physical state of pupils, come immediately to the notice of teachers. It is their duty to be interested and intelligent in making the school environment as safe and whole- some as possible. Recognizing this fact, the Rules of the School Board place upon teachers the regulation of ventilation, temperature, and light of their rooms, and upon principals the scrutiny of the sanitary conditions of schoolhouses. In case of defect in any of these particulars, it is the duty of the school administration to report the same to the proper department of the city government.
It is gratifying to be able to state that the utmost harmony and willingness to co-operate for the interest of the children exists between the department having control of the school buildings and the school department.
School Hygiene. In the seventy-first annual report of the Massachusetts Board of Education there appears from the pen of the secretary of the board, Hon. George H. Martin, an im- portant discussion under the heading "School Hygiene." Re- ferring to the medical inspection law, it is shown that school physicians have been appointed and appropriations made for . their work either by the board of health or by the school com- mittee in thirty-one cities of the commonweath. A large majority of the towns have also made provision for this service. In some places the work is under the entire control of the school committee, who pay the bills and direct the work, while in others this function is exercised by the board of health. The
155
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
law calling for the annual examination of the vision and hearing of school children is discussed. The practice recommended by the State Board of Education for taking the tests, the one fol- lowed in our schools, is that tests be made by the teachers themselves, and defects, either in vision or hearing, be reported both to the school authorities and to the parents of the children. The report discusses the closure of school in consequence of some infectious diseases, the relation of physical defects to school work, regulations for the guidance of school physicians, the London Congress of School Hygiene, and school hygiene in Germany: The discussion is closed with a summary of essential elements of a proper consideration for school hygiene making the following ultimate demands : School physicians, nurses, ex- amination of all school children as to their physical condition in relation to school work, school clinics, special classes, sanitation of buildings, physical culture, playgrounds and camps, and train- ing of teachers.
Without commenting at this time upon any of these conclu- sions, it is desirable, at least, to note that the prominence given to this topic in such a report is sufficient evidence of the impor- tance of the subject itself. It is becoming more and more rec- ognized that it is the duty of the school not alone to concern itself to safeguard pupils from exposure to preventable diseases, but also to take whatever measures it can to develop and im- prove the physical condition of all the pupils. Medical inspec- tion concerns itself at the present time largely in discovering symptoms of approaching disease in time to exclude from the presence of the other pupils one about to become a source of danger. It, also, to a greater or less degree, takes cognizance of the sanitary condition of the school premises, but beyond these efforts there is much to be done. Courses of study, school routine, length of exercises, length of school session, sufficiency of light, heat, and air, suitable furniture adjusted to the individual pupil, all these have an influence upon the health of the child. Every condition of the child's environment, every demand made upon him by the course of study should meet the challenge : What effect has this upon the health of the pupil? If the answer to the challenge is unfavorable, that condition or that requirement should be modified as soon as possible. It will be seen from this brief statement that those charged with responsibility for the schools have reason to give much thought and attention to this subject of recently increased emphasis, school hygiene. My purpose in speaking at such length on this topic at this time is to give the matter notice now, so that as time goes on, additional efficiency may be given in a number of ways to our care for the children. As a closing word on this subject, I am glad to say that in the main the general conditions of our schools are healthful and attractive.
The following gives the results of the eye and ear test :-
156
ANNUAL REPORTS.
EYES.
1907.
1908.
Change.
Tested
11,255
11,429
+174
Defective
2,434
2.307
-127
Per cent. defective.
21.6
20.2
-1.4
Notices sent to parents
1,171
1,406
Professionally treated.
163
350
EARS.
1907.
1908.
Change.
Tested
11,786
11,854
+68
Defective
622
496
-126
Per cent. defective.
5.3
4.2
-1.1
Notices sent to parents.
350
331
Professionally treated.
44
31
Additional School Accommodations. In the report of the meeting of the School Board on January 27, 1908, appears the following :-
Through its chairman, Dr. Mahoney, the Committee on Additional School Accommodations submitted the following recommendations, prepared during a brief recess taken for the purpose, which were unanimously adopted and referred to the Board of Aldermen :---
1. We recommend that a building of at least twelve rooms for primary and grammar schools be erected in the westerly part of Ward Seven.
2. We recommend that full consideration be given to the needs of additional accommodations for the English High School having reference both to present conditions and to future requirements.
3. We recommend that some provision be made for sup- plying additional rooms for the relief of the schools in Ward Two.
As no additional accommodations have yet been provided to meet the needs above expressed, the lapse of time has changed the situation only by supplying more pupils to be put into the then crowded buildings. It is not necessary here to cite figures or conditions to demonstrate either the need for these recommendations or their wisdom. They stand to-day as the record of the Board's view of what is required to promote the best interests of the schools in the localities mentioned.
Again, in the meeting on November 30, the Board recog- nized the urgency for immediate relief for the English High School by taking the action quoted below.
The Committee on Additional School Accommodations re- ported the following resolutions, which were adopted :-
To accept the report of the High School Committee upon the need of additional accommodations in the English High School as the joint report of that committee and of the Com- mittee on Additional School Accommodations.
157
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
That the School Committee urgently request the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to furnish additional accommodations for the English High School, the need of which is imperative.
Voted to refer the request for addition to the English High School to the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen.
The reasons for asking for additional accommodations for the English High School building were fully and carefully stated in the last Annual Report. Since that time both the Latin and the English Schools have increased in membership. There were enrolled in October, 1908, 1,738, an increase over the number of pupils in the two schools in October, 1907, of 124, eighty-eight in the English and thirty-six in the Latin. The average growth of the English High School for a number of years has been fifty-seven. That number added to the Octo- ber membership will make a membership exceeding the seating capacity of the school. Resulting from such an over- crowded condition are many detrimental effects. Among them are the following :---
Over-large classes.
Unsatisfactory provisions for study.
Insufficient facilities for manual training.
Laboratories planned for school of 500 forced to serve for more than 1,200 pupils.
Insufficient air supply.
Insufficient toilet facilities.
Enforced use of damp and ill-lighted basements in both buildings.
Over-crowding of corridors.
Lack of a commodious hall.
No room for teaching domestic science.
No suitable place for serving school luncheons.
Entire absence of gymnasium or other provision for physi- cal training.
Cramped library facilities.
These are the conditions under which the work of the two high schools is now being conducted. They will continue growing more serious all the time until additions to the plant are made. The Latin School needs all of its original structure and all of the recent addition thereto. The English High School needs more room to properly seat in recitation and study 1,600 pupils, which is by no means an extravagant estimate of the number who will be in attendance upon that school ten years hence, or, were this year's rate of increase maintained, would be in attendance in five years. It needs to have labora- tories adequate to do its work in accordance with modern methods. . It should have a hall to accommodate at one time all of its pupils. It should have a gymnasium and a properly- located luncheon room. Provision for all the needs of these schools can be made by additions to and re-arrangements of
15S
ANNUAL REPORTS.
parts of the present structure. When this is done, the Latin School will be amply accommodated in its own enlarged build- ing. The recent action of the School Committee in recom- mending an addition to the English High School building gives deserved precedence to this project. Unless such improvement is made, the work of both high schools will be conducted under conditions constantly rendered worse by increasing attendance. An early beginning of the needed enlargement would not bring relief to these high schools during the next school year. There- fore, the problem of carrying on these schools will have become very serious before additions can be provided unless they are begun without long delay.
Changes of Teachers. The most important change of the year in the educational force was the retirement of Mr. South- worth from the office of Superintendent. In accordance with his announcement, Mr. Southworth withdrew from the service of the schools at the end of the school year, after a service of fifteen years as Superintendent, following a period of twenty years as master of the Prescott School. By his strong person- ality he has made a lasting impression upon the schools of this city. His reputation extends far beyond the limits of the local field. Throughout the Commonwealth he is well known. Ap- propriate expression of the Board's appreciation of his services was made in the records of the June meeting. Teachers and citizens alike have given public utterance of their high personal regard. It is not necessary or appropriate, therefore, in this place to add to what has already been said in honor of Mr. Southworth, but this simple statement here placed will crown the public manifestation of regard and appreciation for one who has long occupied a conspicuous position in the life of the city, and who has exercised a most potent and useful influence.
During the year the usual number of changes in the corps of teachers has occurred. One teacher of long service and es- teemed worth has voluntarily left teaching. Miss Anna M. Bates, having taught in the local schools for more than thirty years, has offered her resignation. While Accepting Miss Bates's decision to retire, the Board passed resolutions of regret and made expression of its high regard for her character and service. Of the twenty others who have resigned, seven have entered the service of other cities, where a higher scale of sala- ries has proven a strong attraction. In this way, year by year, our city loses some of its best teachers. By the same magnet it has to attract those whom it obtains to fill vacancies. The ut- most care has been taken to secure the best teaching talent avail . able for the reward offered. experience and professional training having been especially desired. Those who have been so se- lected are doing their work well, and promise to become ele. ments of strength in our teaching corps. There are now 3 (~ teachers, of whom thirty-four are men.
159
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
A new grammar school was made in Ward Six upon the completion of the addition to the Brown School. The position of master was given to George I. Bowden, a graduate of the Eastern State Normal School and of Maine State College, who was taken from the Horace Mann School in Everett. His se- lection added one more to the number of strong men who are doing work which contributes much of the efficiency of the schools.
Kindergartens. The kindergartens are located in the Hans- com, Bennett, Baxter, and Glines Schools. The entire cost of these kindergartens for the year was $4,322, or $23.24 for every child that attended.
The details are as follows :-
Hanscom.
Bennett.
Baxter.
Glines.
Total.
Enrollment
104
101
103
90
398
Average membership
47
50
47
42
186
Average attendance
40
41
40
39
160
Per cent. attendance
84.5
85.9
84.4
91.7
86.0
Age
4-6
4-7
4-5
4-8
4-6
Evening Schools. On the first Monday in October the fol- lowing evening schools were opened :-
High School. In the English High School building, G. W. Earle, master.
Elementary Schools. In the Bell School, John S. Emerson, master ; Highland School, Charles E. Brainard, master; Pres- cott School, Charles T. Murray, master.
The enrollment in the elementary schools was slightly less than it was in October, 1907, but interest has been well sus- tained during the first term, and the average attendance has been higher than for the same time last year.
The high school had ninety more pupils in October, 1908, than it had during the first month of the preceding year. The school was organized in accordance with the plan heretofore fol- lowed. A corps of strong teachers has made the work attrac- tive and valuable. Good attendance has been the result, and pupils have progressed satisfactorily.
Cost of the Schools. The total amount spent for the main- tenance of the schools of Somerville in 1908 is $365,151.98. 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 school
160
ANNUAL REPORTS.
telephones. This expenditure is wholly in charge of the city government.
The amount paid for janitors is. $25,245.19
The cost of fuel is .. 14,911.94
The cost of light is 3,830.73
The cost of the school telephones is. 386.02
A total of. .
$44,373.88
The cost per capita. 3.65
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 is the item- ized account :-
Officers' salaries
$5,210.50
Books
$8,617.00
Stationery
6,614.74
Laboratory and manual plies
training sup-
2,365.21
Bookkeeping blanks
406.56
Writing books.
603.62
Maps, charts, etc.
412.31
Drawing
1,338.11
Typewriters and supplies.
97.30
Printing
928.59
Telephone
156.37
Kindergarten supplies
386.25
Truant officer's horse.
85.00
Express and postage.
275.09
Travel
249.18
Graduation exercises
1,180.24
Bookbinding
804.55
Board of truants.
705.41
Census
237.08
Exhibit
91.76
Book covers.
196.46
Piano and tuning.
275.50
Miscellaneous
350.82
Total for school supplies, etc.
26,377.15
Total outlay on school contingent account
$31,587.65
Appropriation
28,000.00
Deficiency
$3,587.65
Received for damage to school property, tuition
488.87
Net deficiency
$3,098.78
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
$28,987.26
February
29,429.63
March
28,642.75
April
27,983.25
May
28,181.12
June
.. 27,865.19
.
.
. .
.
. .
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.
.
. ....
. . . . .
.
.
. .... .
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.
. .
. . . .
.
.
.
.
. .
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of state wards and non-residents, etc.
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161
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
September
28,527.00
October
30,239.38
November
30,110.43.
December
29,224.44
Total
$289,190.45
Amount of appropriation 280,000.00
Deficiency
$9,190.45
Credit
8.00
Net deficiency $9,182.45
The estimate of the School Board for teachers' salaries amounted to $289,760. The expenditure was $569.55 less.
The total outlay for all school purposes in 1908 was as fol- lows :-
Teachers' salaries.
$289,190.45
Administration
5,210.50
Care of schoolhouses.
44,373.88
School supplies.
26,377.15
Total for school maintenance.
$365,151.98
Paid for repairs. .
17,792.21
Paid for new buildings.
18,271.25
Total for all school purposes. $401,215.44
Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has been divided in the following proportion :-
1903.
1904.
1905. $0.792
1906. $0.792
1907. $0.785
$0.792
Administration ... 0.013
0.016
0.013
0.016
0.016
0.015
Janitors' salaries ... 0.070
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.070
Heat and light ..
. 0.067
0.053
0.061
0.052
0.057
0.051
School supplies
0.069
0.068
0.064
0.070
0.072
0.072
Total
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
$1.000
Per Capita Cost. The proper method of comparison of the cost of schools year by year is to consider the sum spent for each pupil in the average membership. In this computation we exclude the cost of evening schools, the sum being so large as possibly to mislead. The following shows
THE PER CAPITA COST OF DAY SCHOOLS FOR 1907 AND 1908.
High Schools.
Grammar and Primary Schools.
All Day Schools.
1907.
1908.
De- crease.
1907.
1908.
In- crease.
1907.
1908.
In- crease.
Instruction .
$44 07 5 44 4 21
$43 52 4 90 4 85
$0 55 0 54 +0 64
$19 24 1 52 3 35
$20 64 1 71 3 30
$1 40 "0 19 -0 05
$22 30 2 01
2 12
0 11
Care
3 46
3 50
0 04
Total
$53 72
$53 27
$0 45
$24 11
$25 65
$1 54
$27 77
$29 20
$1 43
$23 58
$1 28
Supplies .
1908.
Teachers' salaries. .. $0.781
$0.793
162
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Including the cost of maintenance of evening schools, the per capita cost will be as follows :-
ยท 1905.
1906.
1907.
1908.
Cost of instruction
$22.50
$22.63
$22.93
$24.21
Cost of supplies.
1.74
1.92
2.04
2.17
Cost of care.
3.63
3.45
3.65
3.65
Total
$27.87
$28.00
$28.62
$30.03
An examination of these tables shows that we have paid fifty-five cents less for the instruction of each pupil in the high school than in 1907, and fifty-four cents less per pupil for sup- plies.
The grammar and primary schools have cost $1.40 per pupil more for instruction, and nineteen cents for supplies. The in- creased cost of instruction is the result of the raise in teachers' salaries in January, 1908. The increased cost of supplies is due in part to the purchase of supplies for manual training in the ninth grade and to the providing of books and supplies for the new grammar classes at the Brown School.
Considering all day schools together, the increase of cost has been $1.43, $1.28 of which is for instruction, eleven cents for supplies, and four cents for the increased cost of the care of school buildings. Adding the cost of evening schools to that of day schools, we increase the cost of instruction by sixty-three cents, the cost of supplies five cents, and the cost of the care of school buildings fifteen cents. This makes the total cost for 1908 $30.03 per capita, as against $28.62 for 1907. In 1906 there were seventy-six cities and towns in the Common- wealth in which the per capita cost was larger than it was in Somerville. The cost of maintaining our schools in 1907 was $5.54 for every thousand dollars of the city's valuation, but there were 145 cities and towns in the state that paid a higher rate. This year the maintenance of the schools in Somerville has taken $5.78 of the $12 allowed for the maintenance of all de- partments in the city.
Manual Training. During the last school year instruction in manual training was given in the first and second year courses in the English High School and in the eighth grade course. A detailed account of the work given in the last Annual Report suffices to show the general scope and plan of the instruction being given this year in the grades named. In September an important extension was made by providing manual training in- struction for the boys in the ninth grade. By this addition ' there is now given to the boys a course of four consecutive years in manual training or shop work. In addition to this, in all grades of the elementary schools and in the high schools work essentially manual training is being done under the direc- tion of the drawing instructors. Taken all together, this is a good provision for this important subject. What is being done
163
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
is sound, and will form a solid basis for such extensions as our means and opportunities will permit. It is to be regretted, however, that lack of room prevents opening a course in do- mestic science for girls in the high school.
Some divergence in the plans and in the results of the sev- eral instructors in manual training, due to lack of common direc- tion, was noticed last year. To overcome this defect as far as possible, a conference of the instructors took place in Septem- ber, and an effort was made to bring into orderly relation the courses to be used. This is a step in the right direction, and should be only a beginning of the systematizing of the manual training work.
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