USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1909 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
1 .- Summary of Statistics.
Population, United States census, 1890.
40,117
Population, state census, 1895
52,200
Population, United States census, 1900
61,643
Population, state census, 1905
69,272
Children between five and fifteen years of age, October,
1908, by school census.
12,217
Children between five and fifteen years of age, October, 1909, by school census
12,419
Increase
202
2 .- SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
1908.
1909.
Decrease.
Number of school buildings
26
20
0
Number of classrooms in use in December 287
286
1
Valuation of school property.
$1,443,280
3 .- TEACHERS.
1908.
1909.
Increase.
In high schools.
58
59
1 -
In grammar schools
164
166
2
In primary schools.
104
105
1
In kindergartens ..
8
8
0
Total in elementary schools.
276
279
3
Cadet teachers
1
3
2
Special
10
10
0
Total
345
351
6
4 .- ATTENDANCE FOR YEAR.
1908.
1909.
Increase.
Entire enrollment for the year.
15,105
15,363
253
Average number belonging
12,159
12,423
264
Average number attending
11,458
11,666
208
Per cent. of daily attendance.
94.2
93.9
-0.3
High school graduates ..
235
265
30
Grammar school graduates
742
741
-1
153
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
5 .- ATTENDANCE IN DECEMBER.
1908.
1909.
Increase.
Whole number attending.
14,640
14,813
173
In private schools.
1,838
1,906
68
In public schools
12,802
12,907
10
In high schools.
1,663
1,769
106
In elementary schools.
10,943
10,931
-12
In kindergarten
196
207
11
In first grade.
1,572
1,595
23
In second grade.
1,430
1,404
-26
In third grade.
1,349
1,346
-3
In fourth grade
1,307
1,307
0
In fifth grade.
1,300
1,249
-51
In sixth grade.
1,211
1,199
-12
In seventh grade
1,138
1,122
-16
In eighth grade
865
950
85
In ninth grade
771
759
-12
6 .- COST OF SCHOOL MAINTENANCE.
1908.
1909.
Increase.
Salaries of teachers
$289,190.45
$293,209.85
$4,019.40
Salaries of officers
5,210.50
5,629.17
418.67
Cost of books and supplies. .
26,377.15
21,818.93
-4,558.22
Cost of light ..
3,830.73
4,070.71
239.98
Cost of janitors' services ..
25,245.19
26,071.97
826.78
Cost of fuel
14,911.94
14,798.06
-113.88
Telephones
336.02
550.52
164.50
Total cost of day and evening schools
365,151.93
366,149.21
997.23
Per capita cost ..
30.03
29.47
-0.56
Cost of high school instruc- tion
68,029.27
69,084.54
1,055.27
Per capita cost.
43.52
41.82
-1.70
7 .- MISCELLANEOUS.
1908.
1909.
Increase.
Paid for new school
buildings
$18,271.25
$828.00 -$17,443.25
Repairs and permanent improvements
17,792.21
21,195.13
3,402.92
Total school expendi-
tures
401,215.44
388,172.34
-13,043.10
Valuation of city. .
63,158,400.00
63,659,201.00
500,801.00
Number
of dollars
spent to maintain
schools out of every
$1,000 of valuation ..
5.78
5.75
-0.03
Number of dollars
spent for all school
purposes out of
every
$1,000 of
valuation
6.35
6.10
-0.25
The laws of the state lay upon the School Committee the duty of making an annual count of all the children between the ages of five and fifteen, and of illiterate minors over fourteen. The purpose of this law is to provide a method of ascertaining facts which are needed to enable the authorities to know how many children there are of compulsory school ages, and how
154
ANNUAL REPORTS.
many more there are of school ages not included in the com- pulsory attendance period. Last September six persons were employed to make the enumeration, and they undertook the work with an intention to make the returns trustworthy and accurate. It is probable, therefore, that, so far as care in ob- taining the information recorded can safeguard against error, the figures are approximately true. But there are circum- stances entering as elements in the problem which work against the securing of entirely reliable returns. The length of the period over which the enumerating extends, the uncertainty as to the reliability of information given to the enumerators in some instances, and the coming to the city after the enumera- tor has passed a given locality of new families are such cir- cumstances.
School Registration. The chief service rendered to school authorities, by the school census is found in the comparison which it makes possible between the number of children in the city with the enrollment lists of the public schools and the facts of attendance in private schools. Turning to the latter record for information, it is shown that there were in attendance in the public schools on October first 10,768 children between the ages of five and fifteen years, 1,775 in the private schools, making a total of 12,543. The census report shows 12,419 as the number of children between the ages of five and fifteen years. The number obtained from the school registers is 124 in excess of that given by the school census. Correspondence between the two records is so close in this instance as to give the appearance of reliability to each. Passing to the records of children between the ages of seven and fourteen, the com- pulsory attendance period, the results are not correspondingly satisfactory. According to the school census, there are 9,378 children of compulsory school age, whereas the number shown to be in school is 8,977. If the school census figures are cor- rect in this particular, there were on October first 401 children of compulsory school age who were not actually in school. Of this number, there were reported as being out on account of sickness 62, which leaves 339 unexplained. It is not believed that such a large number of children were evading the requirement to attend school. It is probable that the number reported by the school census is made over-large by transferring to the group of seven to fourteen years children whose ages really are in groups bordering that period. The efficiency of our enforcement of the attendance law is too great to permit so large a number of children of compulsory school age to be overlooked.
School Attendance. The whole number. of pupils enrolled in 1909 was 15,363, an increase over last year of 258 pupils. The average membership is 12,423, an increase over last year of 264 pupils, The per cent, of attendance is 93,9; that of last
155
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
year, 94.2. Four thousand four hundred twenty-two cases of tardiness were reported, an increase of 540.
Schoolhouses. The number of schoolhouses has not been increased during the year. There are now 26 schoolhouses ; of these, the Forster is the oldest, having been in use for 43 years. The Prescott has been in use 42 years, the Morse 40, and the Edgerly 38 years. There are 5 buildings which have been in use less than 10 years. Within the last five years addi- tions have been made to the Latin High, the Bingham, the Brown, and the Hanscom, providing in the high school 8 rooms and in the elementary schools 16. In 1899 the average mem- bership of 9,502 was accommodated in 219 schoolrooms, with 43+ to a room; in 1909 an average membership of 12,423 is distributed among 286 rooms, with 43+ to a room. The in- crease in average membership during the last year was 264, a number sufficient to form six classes of normal size. This in- crease has produced in certain sections of the city over-crowd- ing of school buildings.
It has been necessary to crowd children into rooms which ought to accommodate a much smaller number, and to use hallways for recitation purposes. Certain rooms in basements now in use as classrooms are unfit for that purpose, and should be abandoned as soon as other provision can be made. This over-crowding of accommodations in several schools has led to an unsatisfactory classification of pupils and to an increase in the cost of their instruction. Relief from these conditions should be sought without delay.
The most important need of the schools to-day is addi-
1 tional room.
Another condition which should be noted is the rapid in- crease of population in West Somerville. There are many new houses in process of construction, and it is predicted that within the next year many more will be built. In this way there will arise a condition which the existing school facilities will be inadequate to meet. Some provision for this growth should be made before the opportunity to secure the needed land is lost. In discussing school accommodations, it is proper to take note of the fact that in several school districts it would be a wise policy to secure additional land, both for present play- ground needs and for future building purposes. The ratio of playground space to the number of children in attendance upon our schools is small in most instances. In some cases it is ab- solutely insufficient. It would be economy, both for present and for future well-being, to acquire in the neighborhood of the school buildings wherever land adjoining the schools is vacant enough additional space to provide adequate playgrounds for the children now, and for such future needs as the growth of the neighborhood shall dictate.
156
ANNUAL REPORTS.
In order to find present relief from the conditions of over- crowding noted above, I recommend that portable school- houses be purchased. These houses make provision for one class each and, as their name implies, they can be moved from locality to locality, as need for them makes desirable. Such houses could be set up adjacent to several of our school build- ings, and thereby provide rooms for pupils now poorly housed.
During the last year the heating plant of the Highland School has been improved by the substitution of a new system, making probable a sufficient heating of that building. No other marked alteration of the building conditions has been made. It is to be hoped that in the near future money will be available for altering several of the old buildings, so as to pro- vide window space sufficient to remove the necessity of using artificial light. This change is entirely practicable, and one which consideration of sound financial policy would approve. There is now the need for artificial light in a number of school buildings which could be entirely overcome if more window space were provided. The cost for such a change would in a series of years be more than met by the outlay caused by the artificial illumination. There can be no question as to the de- sirability of this change from the standpoint of consideration for the children. The necessity for artificial illumination of a schoolroom is always to be deplored. Such lighting is not sat- isfactory, endangers the health of the children, and makes a large item of expense. It would seem to be good policy to in- augurate a plan for the altering of the older buildings, so as to provide a sufficiency of window space.
During the last year provision has been made for sanitary drinking fountains in a number of buildings. The danger from the common drinking cup is beginning to be recognized. That the public is not more concerned about the prevalence of the use of a common drinking cup by school children is probably due to the fact that the dangers of such use have not been set forth in such way as to command general attention. The Mas- sachusetts State Board of Health has recently sent out a cir- cular calling attention to the use of a common drinking cup in public places as a menace to the health of the community. This is in accordance with the best medical view, which regards the drinking cup as a source of danger which should be re- moved. This is fortunately not a difficult thing now to do. There are several devices which can be secured at a small ex- pense which provide opportunity for a pupil to get a drink of water without the interposition of any cup. Such devices are known as the bubble fountain. During the last year bubble fountains have been installed in a number of buildings. The following table shows where they are placed and how many drinking places equipped with cups still remain. These drink- ing cups should give way rapidly to the bubble fountain equip-
157
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
ment. Marked advance has been made, however, by the reduc- tion of the number of such places, and the hope is held out that they will soon disappear :-
Bubble Jan. 1, 1909.
Bubble During Year.
Cups.
Bubble Jan. 1, 1909.
Bubble During Year.
Cups.
Latin. .
9
Glines
2
2
English .
15
Forster
3
4
Prescott.
2
1
Bingham.
2
2
Hanscom.
2
Carr
2
5
Davis
2
2
Morse
2
8
Bennett
3
1
Proctor
2
2
1
Knapp
2
8
Burns .
5
Perry
2
Brown.
Highland
3
3
Bell
2
1
Hodgkins
2
4
Cummings
2
Lincoln
4
Edgerly
2
4
Lowe.
2
Totals ..
6
41
79
Baxter
2
Durell.
2
Pope
2
Changes of Teachers. Our schools have lost the services of twenty-two teachers during the last year. Of these, Miss Helen Tincker surrendered the office of principal of the Baxter School on October 1, after a service in the schools of more than thirty-six years. For a long time she continued in the work of teaching against the importunities of friends, who sought to draw her into a life of leisure and travel. A spirit singularly devoted to the interests of the children of the com- munity in which she worked forbade her to yield to such en- treaties. Her work for the children of the Baxter School was in a class by itself. Possessed of generous culture, a mind en- larged by travel, a temperament singularly responsive to the appeals of childhood, she devoted her time, and strength, and affection to the children whose interests were so dear to her. Such as she ennoble the teachers' calling. That she may enjoy and profit by the leisure which is now hers is the hearty wish of those who know the merit of her work.
Another loss to the schools was occasioned by the call of the Unseen Messenger. Miss Charlotte F. Mott, after a lin- gering illness, departed from this life February 11, 1909. No better memorial of her service can be given than the resolu- tions adopted in her memory by the Somerville Teachers' As- sociation. These resolutions appear in another place in this volume.
The others left either for the sake of professional advance- ment or to assume charge of homes of their own. They were men and women who gave freely of their energies and their talents to the interests of our schools, and their leaving is a loss keenly felt in many personal and official relations.
158
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The places so made vacant have not been readily filled. The problem of seeking. competent teachers is a difficult one, requiring the exercise of care and sometimes the spending of much time. It is believed that those who have been elected during the last year will all prove to be worthy of the places to which they have been called.
The Latin School. The membership of this school has risen from 504 to 570 within the year, an increase of sixty-six, without any change in the teaching force. This number is divided among the classes as follows :-
1909.
1908.
Change.
Post-graduate
7
Senior
100
104
1
Junior
133
100
+33
Sophomore
127
143
-16
Freshman
203
156
+47
With the head master, there are fifteen teachers in the school, six of whom are men. Including the principal, who teaches two-thirds of the time, the average class unit is thirty- three.
There have been two changes of instructors during the year. Miss Gertrude M. Hall, the head of the English depart- ment, left the school for professional advancement. Her place was taken by Miss Natalie A. Smith, a teacher in the Reading high school and a graduate of Wellesley. £ Miss Mabel E. Bowker, who resigned to enter the schools of Boston, was suc- ceeded by Miss Kate M. Monro, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, who at the time of her election was a teacher in the high school at Biddeford, Me.
Ninety-one pupils were graduated from the school in June, fifty of whom entered college or technical schools.
The standing of the school among institutions that fit for college is unsurpassed. Its graduates take high rank wherever they go, and reflect honor not only upon the school and its teachers, but upon the city as well. The number pursuing each study is shown in the following table :-
English
572
French 142
History
336
German
204
Mathematics
572
Greek 135
Physics
65
Drawing
30
Latin
552
Chemistry 19
The following table shows the extent to which pupils drop out of the school during their four-years' course :-
159
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
TABLE SHOWING LOSSES OF CLASSES IN LATIN HIGH SCHOOL EACH YEAR.
MEMBERSHIP.
Class of 1904.
Class of 1905.
Class of 1906.
Class of 1907.
Class of 1908.
Class o f 1909.
Class of 1910.
Class of 1911.
Class of 1912.
Class of 1913.
December 15, 1st year .
103 93
111 9 95 81 76
125 106 93 93 81
121 112 92 83 75
136 120 101 102 94
139 124 107 104 91
124 109 100 100
162 143
156
203
2nd
3rd
88
133
. .
. .
. .
Graduates
.
.
The English School. One thousand two hundred and forty-five pupils have been members of the school since the opening of the term in September. Forty-six of these have dropped out, leaving at the present time a membership of 1,199, thirty-nine more than there were a year ago at this time. They are classified as follows :-
1909.
1908.
Change.
Post-graduate
8
10
-2
Senior
185
182
+3
Junior
227
218
+9
Sophomore
345
309
+36
Freshman
434
441
-7
66
3rd
4.5
14.7
66
4th
13.1
6.1
15.2 14.0 0.0 12.9 35.2
7.4 17.9 9.8 9.6 38.0
11.8 15.8 0.0 7.8 30.9
12.5 34.5
...
...
...
Total
.
.
.. .
...
...
. .
There are forty-one teachers, exclusive of head master and secretary, thirteen of whom are men, three of them being em- ployed in the manual training department. The average num- ber of pupils to a teacher is twenty-six.
Five new teachers were added to the corps in September :-
Cara F. Dillingham, Mt. Holyoke, French and German.
Roy W. Hatch, Dartmouth, '02, history.
Frank A. Scott, Harvard, '03, physics.
Stephen E. Wright, Brown, '06, algebra, geometry, and German. Augustus B. Tripp, laboratory assistant.
The school lost four teachers.
The following table shows the losses that the school has sustained during the last ten years :-
..
. .
66
4th
.
84
73
..
Loss per cent. 1st year
66
[2nd
5.4
12.6 2.1
10.8 13.7
12.1 8.2 0.0
11.7 7.0
18.6
..
...
...
29.1
31.5
.
127
...
·
9.7
66
2.8
160
ANNUAL REPORTS.
TABLE SHOWING LOSSES OF CLASSES IN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL EACH YEAR.
MEMBERSHIP.
Class of 1904.
Class of 1905.
Class of 1906.
Class of 1907.
Class of 1908.
Class of 1909.
Class of 1910.
Class of 1911.
Class of 1912.
Class of 1913.
December 15, 1st year
246
261 214
250
252
2nd **
178
190
2:20
3rd “
.
147
180 148
158 140
187 162
267 224 194 164 141
350 $286 205 182 174
185
...
...
...
Graduates
·
. .
...
In June the school graduated 174. Twelve of these entered college, eight, technical schools, and eleven, normal schools.
The twenty-four subjects of the curriculum are pursued by pupils at the present time as follows :-
English
1,197
Commercial :-
History
909
Law
12
Mathematics
853
Bookkeeping
112
Chemistry
111
Stenography
168
Physics
109
Arithmetic
230
Biology
73
Geography
46
Physiology Latin
249
Penmanship Typewriting
186
French
446
Elocution
722
German
113
Manual training
250
Physical geography
31
Music
1,137
Mechanical drawing
343
General science.
378
Freehand drawing
362
Elementary Schools. There are now in these schools 10,931 pupils, twelve less than a year ago. They are classified as fol- lows :-
1909.
1908.
Change.
Grade 1
1,595
1,572
+23
66
3
1,346
1,349
-3
66
4
1,307
1,307
0
66
5
1,249
1,300
-51
6
1,199
1,211
-12
66
7
1,122
1,138
-16
66
8
950
865
+85
66
9
759
771
-12
.
112
106
135
127
148
16.1 13.4 15.5 14.0 47.2
18.3 28.3 11.2 4.4 21.7
24.6 27.6 15.1
26.8 26.5
21.8
Loss per cent,
1st year
2nd
3rd “
4th "
Total
27.2 17.4 23.8 5.4 56.9
18 0 15.9 17.8 8.7 48.3
24.0 16.8 11.4 9.0 49.2
12.7 15.0 13.4 8.6 41.7
...
4th “
.
. .
...
441
434
345
...
218
2:27
...
. .
...
In June last 741 were graduated from the grammar schools, sixteen more than last year. Of these, 546, or seventy-four per cent., entered the high school, 364 going to the English and 182 to the Latin.
During the year we have issued 357 working certificates to minors under sixteen, 243 of which have been given to grammar
2
1,404
1,430
-26
208
325
3.99 301
422 309
161
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
school boys and girls from the five upper grades. None are is- sued to those under fourteen.
Kindergartens. The kindergartens are located in the Hans- com, Bennett, Baxter, and Glines Schools. The entire cost of these kindergartens for the year was $4,063.44, or $21.50 for every child that attended.
The details are as follows :-
Hanscom.
Bennett.
Baxter.
Glines.
Total.
Enrollment
108
110
107
97
422
Average membership
47
51
48
43
189
Average attendance
39
44
42
39
164
Per cent. attendance
83.3
86.2
86.3
92.2
86.8
Age .
4-7
4-6
4-8
4-8
4-7
Evening Schools. The night schools were opened on the first Monday in October, as follows :-
Evening High School, William D. Sprague, master.
Prescott Evening, Charles T. Murray, master.
Bell Evening, John S. Emerson, master.
Highland Evening, Charles E. Brainard, master.
The largest of the elementary schools is the one in the Bell School. Here the work has peculiar interest because of the attendance of many non-English speaking foreigners. Sec- tion 17, Chapter 514, Acts of 1909, defines the word "Minor" as a person under eighteen years of age. The effect of this defi- nition has been to release from the application of compulsory attendance at night schools illiterate persons of the ages of eighteen to twenty-one years, who heretofore have been com- pelled to go to night school. As a consequence, the attendance at the Bell evening school has been reduced a fifth. The other elementary schools have held their normal attendance. All are doing valuable work.
The evening high school had 751 pupils in November of this year as against 691 in November of last year. The follow- ing courses are provided: Shorthand and typewriting, book- keeping, mechanical drawing, freehand industrial drawing, al- gebra, commercial arithmetic, English composition, physics, and chemistry.
The work is all practical, and is adapted to the needs of persons who seek to better their preparation for earning a living.
Mr. William D. Sprague, who was elected master of this school upon the resignation of George W. Earle, has shown
162
ANNUAL REPORTS.
power and interest in the management of the school. In his hands, with the corp's of competent instructors who assist him, the school will continue to render most practical and valu- able service.
· Cost of the Schools. The total amount spent for the main- tenance of the schools of Somerville in 1909 is $366,149.21. 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 telephones. This expenditure is wholly in charge of the city government.
The amount paid for janitors is. $26,071.97
The cost of fuel is.
14,798.06
The cost of light is.
4,070.71
The cost of the school telephones is. 550.52
A total of.
$45,491.26
The cost per capita.
3.66
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 itemized account :-
Officers' salaries
$5,629.17
Books
$6,887.09
Stationery
5,294.54
Laboratory and manual training sup-
plies
2,417.55
Bookkeeping blanks
256.24
Writing books
1.28
Maps, charts, etc.
76.50
Drawing
872.38
Typewriters and supplies
523.28
Printing
1,137.07
Telephone
204.20
Kindergarten supplies
275.94
Express and postage.
300.31
Travel
191.10
Graduation exercises.
845.71
Bookbinding
986.13
Board of truants.
791.56
Census
261.02
Book covers.
36.35
Repairing and tuning pianos.
37.50
Miscellaneous
423.18
Total for school supplies, etc.
21,818.93
Total outlay on school contingent account .. Appropriation
27,000.00
Deficiency
$448.10
Received for damage to school property, tuition of state wards and non-residents, etc.
650.56
Balance
$202.46
$27,448.10
163
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
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
$29,825.07
February
29,997.00
March
29,442.50
April
28,418.63
May
28,475.13
June
28,428.94
September
28,560.63
October
30,454.32
November
30,181.63
December
29,426.00
Total
$293,209.85
Amount of appropriation.
295,000.00
Balance
$1,790.15
Credit
3.50
$1,793.65
The estimate of the School Board for teachers' salaries amounted to $296,445. The expenditure was $3,235.15 less.
The total outlay for all school purposes in 1909 was as fol- lows :-
Teachers' salaries.
$293,209.85
Administration
5,629.17
Care of schoolhouses
45,491.26
School supplies.
21,818.93
Total for school maintenance.
$366,149.21
Paid for repairs ..
21,195.13
Paid for new buildings
828.00
Total for all school purposes $388,172.34
Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has been divided in the following proportion :-
1904.
1905.
1907.
1908.
1909.
Teachers' salaries. . $0.793
$0.792
1906. $0.792
$0.785
$0.792
$0.801
Administration
.. 0.016
0.013
0.016
0.016
0.015
0.015
Janitors' salaries ... 0.070
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.070
0.071
Heat and light.
0.053
0.061
0.052
0.057
0.051
0.052
School supplies
0.068
0.064
0.070
0.072
0.072
0.061
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.