Report of the city of Somerville 1935, Part 15

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1935
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 408


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1935 > Part 15


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The Continuation School will have adequate provision for shop work for boys, and will in my opinion play an in- creasingly important part in the education of those children who are not sufficiently advanced to attend the vocational school. Provision will be made for the girls to have instruc- tion in those matters which fit them for household duties or to enter many minor positions.


Repairs and Alterations


Under the direction of the Building Commissioner many extensive repairs have been made to the grounds and school buildings. Many of these have been carried out as projects under the E.R.A. program.


From the mass of repairing that has been done two items because of their necessity and pertinency should receive special mention. One is the extent to which the Building Commis- sioner has been able to erect fences around all school yards where the slightest danger existed. The second matter which should be of considerable satisfaction to parents is the com- pletion of the fire alarm system which now provides each school with an outside box and an auxiliary box inside the building. In connection with this, it is also well to mention the fact that regular fire drills, which have always been a practice of the school system, are being held more intensively and that through the cooperation of the fire department a monthly inspection of all fire alarm equipment within the schools and an inspection of the building and premises for fire danger are made.


Owing to the fact that the forecasted enrolment of the High School was so large, it was necessary this fall to make two new classrooms, and a teachers' room was appropriated for one and the room formerly used for foundry practice for the other.


273


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


The Baxter School has been completely renovated, includ- ing the heating plant, and a new yard, fence, and retaining wall constructed. The Bingham School has been partially re- modelled and the building painted. The yard has been im- proved and a new fence erected, and the fire escapes and the fire system remodelled.


In the Cutler School a very much needed and expensive improvement has been undertaken in the regrading of the yard and erection of a retaining wall. The boys' toilets also have been modernized and the outside of the building has been painted and the roof repaired. The Glines School has a new yard and the heating plant and the roof have been renovated. The Highland has a new yard, new conductors, the building has been repainted, and a new entrance has been made to the girls' toilet. At the Knapp School a new yard has been con- structed, the roof has been repaired, and snow-guards placed upon it, and the inside of the building renovated by painting and a considerable amount of electrical work. At the Morse, the yard has been regraded, a new retaining wall erected, and the front steps reset. At the Prescott School a new yard, re- taining wall, and fence have been constructed.


Renovations which have taken a long time have been com- pleted at the Carr School. They include new toilets for both boys and girls, a complete renovation of the heating plant, regrading and resurfacing of the yard, and erection of retain- ing walls. At the Grimmons School the yard has been regraded, a new retaining wall erected on Puritan Road, and a fence placed to protect pedestrians. In the Lowe School the heat- ing plant has been changed to provide more heat in the toilets, new steps have been erected, new retaining walls with gratings around the building have been constructed, and a drive which will permit coal trucks to empty with greater facility has also been constructed. In the Perry School the yard has been resurfaced, a retaining wall erected, and a fence placed around the yard.


At the Pope School a project which has been begun lately will consist of remodelling the building, erecting a retaining wall in the back, and resurfacing the yard.


Other improvements which deserve mention are the re- placement of all brick and concrete sidewalks by granolithic walks around all schools, the erection of a board fence at Dilboy Field, and the addition of a hockey rink.


274


ANNUAL REPORTS


Plant Equipment


The matter of improving the educational plant has been mentioned previously. The situations at several of the school plants are sufficiently serious to receive careful and wise con- sideration. First in importance is the crowded condition at the Northeastern Junior High School. This unit of the system is much smaller than the present enrolment demands and an addition of twelve rooms and a slight remodelling of the pres- ent building would accommodate the present membership and permit a small expansion. The demand for high school educa- tion continues and the high school has found it necessary to use many rooms as classrooms which are poorly planned for that purpose. It is inevitable that the present quarters of the administration department must be used soon for their original purpose and a suitable building erected for the activities of the School Committee and its staff.


In the belief that the Highland School must succumb to the advance of trade in the Davis Square section, I recommend for consideration the abandonment of this building in the near future and the erection of a large modern building on the present site of the Burns School, which will continue to serve a residential section for many years to come. This unit should be large enough to accommodate the two hundred sixty pupils of the Burns School (built in 1886-with an addition in 1899), the three hundred sixty pupils of the Highland School (built in 1880-with an addition in 1891), and many of the four hundred pupils now in the Morse School which is also reach- ing the limit of its usefulness (built in 1869-with an addition in 1890).


Another situation is that of the Lincoln School, the only wooden building now in use. The nearness of this building to the Cutler and Hodgkins schools and the fact that the site will undoubtedly be surrounded by the growth of trade in Teele Square make undesirable a new building on this present lot. The question of the replacement of this building and the location of the site for it is also involved with the question of provision for the pupils who live in the section bounded by the Parkway and North Street and who at present are traveling a much longer distance than desirable in attending the Cutler School. The School Committee has made a study of this problem and has requested that the City Government give consideration to the erection of a primary school build- ing between North Street and the Medford line.


275


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


MEMBERSHIP


The public school membership at the present time is 16,948. A comparison of the size and change in membership over a period of years is indicated in the following table :


December


Membership


Increase


1935


16,948


+ 63


1934


16,885


- 30


1933


16,915


+344


1932


16,571


+400


1931


16,171


+149


1930


16,022


+396


1929


15,626


Although the increase this year shows only a net gain of 63 over the membership of a year ago, there is a continuing increase in the High School membership where 130 more pupils are being accommodated this year than last. This increase follows increases of 5, 237, 160, 281, and 272. These facts concerning the most expensive unit of our school system are significant with relation to the amount of money spent for schools, because it is self-evident that were the per capita cost to remain stationary or even decrease, the increase in the number of pupils would naturally increase the total amount spent.


Another comparison of figures is very significant. The total enrolment today in the High School is 3,576 while for a corresponding date in 1918 the figure was 1,520. The year 1918 was chosen because it was the first in which the High School was operated for only three classes as is the case now. A comparison of these figures shows an increase in enrolment of 135.26% or expressed in another way the enrolment today is 235+% of that in 1918. In 1918 there were seventy teachers employed to care for 1520 pupils or one teacher for twenty- two pupils. Today there are employed 119 teachers for 3576 pupils or one teacher for thirty pupils. The figures are very significant in that they show an increase in the teaching load, -- more pupils per teacher,-and indicate a more economical administration. One other fact should be mentioned and that is that in 1918, 12% of the school population was in High School while today more than 20% of the pupils are in High School.


No doubt it will be seen that the accommodations of the High School are being taxed beyond the limits of elasticity. For a building, which was designed to accommodate at most 3,000 pupils and then only by using practically all laboratories


276


ANNUAL REPORTS


and other special rooms for home rooms, to be called on to house over 3,500 pupils, is evidence that concern must be felt for the adequacy of the housing. This difficulty might be re- lieved somewhat were it possible to find an available location for the administration office and store rooms which use the space which could be made into nine classrooms. Consider- able thought has been given to this matter and it seems ad- visable at this time to recommend that serious consideration be given to the possibility of erecting an administration build- ing for the School Department. Such a construction would be less expensive than the cost of another addition to the High School. As a matter of fact the limitations of the physical site would probably make impossible any further additions. I trust the School Committee of 1936 will urge the close inter- est to this matter by the City Government that it merits.


CHANGES IN PERSONNEL


During the fiscal year twenty-one teachers have left the service. Of this number twelve left to be married; one to assume added home duties; two died; and six retired, four voluntarily, and two forced to retire in accordance with the Teacher Retirement Act. Contrary to the general impres- sion that has been created, of the fourteen persons selected by the School Committee to fill these vacancies, one held a bachelor's degree from a college, two had bachelor's degrees from State Teachers Colleges, five had graduated from three- year courses at State Teachers Colleges, and four had gradu- ated from two and three-year courses at private normal schools. The other two were technically trained in special subjects which they teach. All of these persons were legal residents of Somerville.


Notable for length of service, efficiency, and achievement were the terms of Lizzie E. Hill, forty-four years; Abigail P. Hazelton, thirty-three years; Grace H. Bliss and Nettie L. Fay, thirty-two years; Alice Hosmer and Mary L. Richard- son, twenty-nine years; Lynda V. Merrill, twenty-four years; and Alice A. Todd, twenty-two years. They have left the service of our youth but their influence will long be effective in our community.


This report would not be complete unless attention were called to the exceptionally meritorious records of service of


277


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


two very able members of the School Committee who retire voluntarily at the close of this year.


Dr. Herbert Cholerton has given continuous service since January 1, 1913, to the educational activities of the youth of our city for a period of twenty-three years, the longest term of service in the history of the Somerville School Committee. In addition to his absorbing interest in providing the best possible instructional forces he has been actively interested in the welfare of the children from the standpoint of health, having served in the capacity of a Medical Inspector for the schools since the medical inspection plan was inaugurated by the Board of Health. By his retirement from the School Com- mittee, the schools of this city will lose the influence of his keen appreciation of the educational problems of our schools, his willingness to give freely of his time and energy, his cordial personality, and his real manliness.


Dr. Francis J. Fitzpatrick has given freely of his ex- ceptional knowledge of school problems and of his time during his long term of sixteen years as a member of the Somerville School Committee. His keen perception and power of analysis of the problems of the education of our youth, in addition to his comprehensive education, made him an able leader in pre- paring for the implications of education resulting from social tendencies. His School Committee colleagues particularly will miss the influence of his dynamic personality, his extraordi- nary power of expression, and his jovial nature.


The loss of the active services of these two men will be deeply felt by the community.


RECOMMENDATIONS


In order to focus attention upon the most outstanding needs of the immediate future, and in consequence of the fore- going discussion of the various factors of trends in education, costs, membership, and accommodations, it seems advisable to enumerate the implications from these discussions in a list of recommendations for consideration by the incoming School Committee and City Government.


(1) That necessary steps be taken immediately to draft bills for presentation to the Legislature of 1936 which would, by changing the City Charter, (a) make the School Committee of the City of Somerville a fiscally independent unit as are


278


ANNUAL REPORTS


the School Committees in this Commonwealth of Cambridge, Boston, Lynn, and Springfield, and (b) place the entire juris- diction of control and maintenance of school buildings and grounds under the School Committee, as is the practice in practically all cities and towns in Massachusetts.


(2) That steps be taken which will make possible a very necessary addition to the Northeastern Junior High School.


(3) That the overcrowding in the High School building be relieved by the erection of an administration building.


(4) That a survey be made of conditions in the elementary schools with relation to accommodations so that a wise build- ing program may be evolved with special reference to the eventual disposition of the Lincoln, Burns, Highland, and Morse buildings.


(5) That consideration be given to the scholastic level of the curriculum to be effective September 1, 1936, at the newly built and newly equipped Vocational School.


(6) That attention be given to the failure of the City Government to provide the funds for the operation of the Professional Improvement Plan for Teachers, which has been inoperative for the past three years.


CONCLUSION


The survey of the conditions in our schools for the year affords reasons for gratification. Our educational accomplish- ment has been good and our physical equipment is in better condition than it has been for some time in spite of the fact that there is still much to receive attention. The percentage of the total expenditures of the City spent by the School Com- mittee for schools is less by 1.2% than for the previous year. The materials of instruction are being constantly revised and kept abreast of the times. The morale and efficiency of the teaching force is good. A well worth while and generous pro- vision of opportunities for all the children of all the people is being maintained.


Such substantial statements are indications of a good school system. Commendation should be given to the teachers and principals for the effective, sympathetic discharge of their


279


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


duties and responsibilities, and to the parents for their coopera- tion in keeping in close touch with the schools and securing a good education for the children. During American Educa- tion Week over four thousand parents visited our schools.


I want to acknowledge with pleasure and gratitude the loyalty and devotion of the masters and teachers to their work throughout the year, and the harmonious relationship among all elements of the public school organization.


EVERETT W. IRELAND,


Superintendent of Schools. December 23, 1935.


280


ANNUAL REPORTS


SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL


Students Entering Higher Institutions in September, 1935


State Teachers Colleges


Bridgewater


1


Framingham


1


Lowell


2


Massachusetts School of Art


3


Salem


5


Colleges


University of Alabama


1


U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis


1


Bates


1


Boston College


16


Boston University


22


College of Business Administration


11


Day Division Evening Division


7 4


College of Liberal Arts


6


School of Education


1


School of Music


2


School of Religious and Social Work


1


Sargent School of Physical Education ..


1


Bowdoin


1


Cambridge School of Liberal Arts


2


Colby


1


Emmanuel


2


Harvard


7


Jackson


4


University of Maine


1


Massachusetts School of Pharmacy


1


Massachusetts State


1


Nebraska Wesleyan


1


University of New Hampshire


2


Northeastern


12


Engineering


6


Business Administration School


1


Evening Law


5


Norwich


1


Notre Dame


2


University of Pennsylvania


1


Radcliffe


2


Simmons


7


Tennessee State


1


Tufts


12


Other Institutions


Bentley School of Accounting


3


Bradford Junior College


1


Burdett College


20


Chandler Secretarial School


4


Massachusetts Institute of Technology


2


281


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


Lesley School


8


Perry Kindergarten Normal


2


Wentworth Institute


9


Wheelock School


1


Summary


Boys


Girls


Total


State Teachers Colleges


1


11


12


Colleges


75


29


104


Other Institutions


16


32


48


92


72


164


Number of Pupils By Subjects December, 1935


English


3414


Elocution


1571


Physical Education


1212


U. S. History


948


English History


97


Modern European History


426


Early European History


454


Ancient History


257


Civic Problems


229


Elementary Economics


135


Latin


595


French


991


German


82


Spanish


547


Italian


214


Chemistry


497


Physics


221


Biology


895


Physiology


360


Trigonometry


35


Geometry


821


Algebra


779


Stenography


558


Typewriting


1258


Transcription


40


Bookkeeping


351


Office Machines


16


Clerical Practice


739


Secretarial Training


39


Business Organization


309


Arithmetic


176


Salesmanship


126


Commercial Law


567


Commerce and Industry


963


Household Arts


324


Manual Training


132


Mechanical Drawing


297


Freehand Drawing


345


Arts and Crafts


92


Business Science


204


Musical Theory


229


Music Appreciation


287


Choral Practice


404


282


ANNUAL REPORTS


Student Activities


December, 1935


Orchestra (2)


117


Band


84


Girls' Bugle and Drum Corps


70


Girls' Glee Clubs (3)


290


Boys' Glee Clubs (2)


85


Student Council


20


School Paper


52


National Honor Society


41


Traffic Squad


190


Webster Debating Society


50


Girls' Debating Society


30


Writers' Club


25


Players' Club


60


Stamp Club


20


Photographic Society


30


Girls' Athletics


375


S. H. S. Athletic Association All pupils


283


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


SOMERVILLE TEACHERS' CLUB Officers, 1935-1936


President, ALICE M. PATTERSON


Vice-Presidents, ELIZABETH F. LEACH EDITH L. FRENCH


Recording Secretary, E. BELLA WEISMAN


Corresponding Secretary, HELEN C. JACKSON


Treasurer, ELEANOR D. CAMPBELL Auditor, PERTIE I. GRAY


OBJECT


The object shall be to secure a close union among the women teachers in Somerville ; to promote the spirit of mutual helpfulness; to advance professional interests; to create a deeper sense of the dignity of the profession; to unite the interest of the home and school.


PROGRAM


October 9-Lecturer, Edward F. Payne "Sketches from Dickens" December 10-Christmas Party "The Pampered Darling" a play given by the Players' Club of the Somerville High School.


February 12-President's Night Entertainment by the "Fuller Marionettes" April 8-Open Night


May 13-Annual Meeting. Election of Officers. Reports of Committees.


284


ANNUAL REPORTS


SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC COMMITTEE


Report of the Treasurer, January 1, 1935 to January 1, 1936


Receipts


Balance on hand January 1, 1935


$515.13


Basketball


500.10


Baseball


240.77


Track


20.00


Football


4,417.81


Miscellaneous


97.48


$5,791.29


Expenditures


Athletic supplies


$2,284.30


Medical


123.50


Paid visiting teams


797.53


Officials


354.00


Policing


539.00


Assistance at games


185.00


Postage


2.00


Printing


38.00


Telephone


4.05


Transportation


296.47


Dues to A. A.


3.00


Entry fees


21.25


Physician's salary


200.00


Coaching


200.00


Miscellaneous


244.94


$5,293.04


Balance on hand January 1, 1936


$498.25


Estimated outstanding bills


1,377.14


285


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


In Memoriam


LYNDA V. MERRILL Lowe School Died May 31, 1935


NATALIE B. PLANT Cutler School Died October 5, 1935


286


ANNUAL REPORTS


CONTENTS OF APPENDIX


SUMMARY OF STATISTICS


Population and school census.


School buildings.


Teachers.


Attendance for year.


Cost of school maintenance.


Teachers' salaries.


MISCELLANEOUS TABLES


CONCERNING FINANCE


No. of Table


1. Schedule of school property.


2. Cost of maintaining schools, school year 1934-1935.


3. Cost per capita of maintaining schools, school year 1934-1935.


4. Cost of maintaining schools for a series of years.


5. Cost per capita for maintaining schools for a series of years.


6. Amount spent annually for new school buildings and for re- pairs for a series of years.


CONCERNING PUPILS


7. Population and school registration.


8. Attendance, etc., of the schools for school year 1934-1935.


9. Statistics of the high school for school year 1934-1935.


10. Pupils by grades, June, 1935.


11. Separate statistics for high, junior high, elementary and voca- tional schools, for school year 1934-1935.


12.


Admission to first grade in September, 1935.


13. Number of junior high school graduates, 1935.


14. Truant statistics for a series of years.


15. Evening school statistics, 1934-1935.


16. Elementary school promotees for a series of years.


17. Attendance statistics of all schools for a series of years.


18. Statistics of the high school for a series of years.


19. Promotions, junior high schools, 1935.


19a Promotions, elementary schools, 1935.


CONCERNING TEACHERS


20. Resignations of teachers, 1935.


21. Teachers elected in 1935.


22. Leave of absence of teachers.


23. Transfers of teachers.


24. Number of teachers employed for a series of years.


287


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


STATISTICAL AND GENERAL TABLES


25. Changes in text books, 1935.


26. High and Junior High School graduation exercises, 1935.


26a Evening High School graduation exercises, 1935.


27. Vocational School graduation exercises, 1935.


28. Organization of school board for 1936.


29. Teachers in service, December, 1935.


30. Officers in service, December, 1935.


31. School custodians.


SUMMARY OF STATISTICS


1 - POPULATION AND SCHOOL CENSUS


Population, State census, 1895


52,200


Population, United States census, 1900


61,643


Population, State census, 1905 69,272


Population, United States census, 1910


77,236


Population, State census, 1915


86,854


Population, United States census, 1920


93,033


Population, State census, 1925


99,032


Population, United States census, 1930


103,604


Population, State census, 1935


100,773


Children between five and fifteen years of age in-


clusive, October, 1935, by school census


18,881


2 - SCHOOL BUILDINGS


Number of school buildings in June


31


Number of classrooms in use in June


519


Valuation of school property


$4,635,700


3 - TEACHERS


*1934


*1935


Change


In high school


113


117


+4


In junior high schools


164


166


+2


In elementary schools


255


254


-1


In kindergartens


26


28


+2


Total in elementary schools


281


282


+1


Vocational School for Boys


12


12


0


Independent Household Arts


1


1


0


Atypical classes


8


8


0


Sight saving


1


1


0


Cadet teachers


11


12


+1


Special


21


20


-1


Continuation


3


3


0


Americanization


1


1


0


Total


616


623


+7


4 - ATTENDANCE FOR YEAR


*1934


*1935


Change


Entire enrollment for the year ..


17,903


17,811


-92


Average number belonging


16,616


16,613


-3


Average number attending


15,591


15,506


-85


Per cent. of daily attendance


93.8


93.3


-0.5


High School graduates


847


826


-21


Junior High School graduates


1,338


1,342


+4


288


ANNUAL REPORTS


5 - COST OF SCHOOL MAINTENANCE


*1934


*1935


Change


Salaries of teachers


$1,197,244.00 $1,204,223.86


+$6,979.86


Salaries of officers


34,085.92


34,189.65


103.73


Cost of books and supplies


45,837.21


44,461.96


1,375.25


Cost of light and power


20,943.92


22,577.40


+ 1,633.48


Cost of janitors' services, etc.


107,467.86


105,058.35


2,409.51


Cost of fuel and insurance


29,370.89


38,186.28


+ 8,815.39


Total cost of day and evening schools


1,434,949.80


1,448,697.50


+13,747.70


Per capita cost


86.36


86.33


0.03


Cost of high school instruction ....


259,492.58


261,668.72


2,176.14


Per capita cost


83.38


83.04


0.34


6 - MISCELLANEOUS


*1934


*1935


Change


Paid for new school build- ings


$29.03


$72,417.70


+$72,388.67


Repairs and permanent im- provements


50,356.50


40,506.73


- 9,849.77


Total school expenditures.


1,485,335.33


1,561,621.93


+ 76,286.60


Valuation of city


118,100,500.00


117,182,500.00


-918,000.00


Number of dollars spent to


maintain schools out of


every $1,000 of valuation ..


12.15


12.36


+ 0.21


Number of dollars spent for


all school purposes out of


every $1,000 of valuation


12.58


13.33


+


0.75


* School year.


COST OF THE SCHOOLS


The total amount spent for the maintenance of the schools of Somerville for the school year ending June 30, 1935, is $1,448,697.50.


This includes the sums spent for care of school buildings, including janitors' services, fuel, light, and school telephones ; the amount paid for salaries of officers, and the amount spent for school supplies ; and the sum paid for salaries of teachers.




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