Report of the city of Somerville 1950, Part 10

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1950
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 420


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1950 > Part 10


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Physical Education


The work of the Physical Education department of the schools is carefully planned to develop the children by scien-


159


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


tifically organized games and exercises, logically and sequen- tially arranged, depending on the physical characteristics of the various age groups. The program emphasizes play, relaxa- tion, and physical activity in progressive forms.


In the elmentary schools, marching, running, and skipping are supplemented by folk dancing and singing games, rhythms, relays, stunts, and mimetics.


At the junior high level pupil leadership in encouraged and stressed in carrying on games, calisthenics, marching, and individual skills. Swimming lessons are provided here also for boys who previously were unable to swim. Eight hundred boys of elementary and junior high ages learn to swim annually.


A thorough physical examination for all sophomores in the High School is given annually under direction of the Board of Health and the Physical Education Department. This year 799 had examinations of their heart, lungs, eyes, ears, and feet.


All sophomores and juniors in the High School are re- quired to participate in Physical Education activities twice a week. The girls' program consists of marching, floor and some apparatus work, tap dancing games, horseback riding, tennis, hiking, basketball, swimming, softball, and a course in correc- tive work. The boys carry on a little more strenuous form of physical activitiy, including volley, basket, and dodge ball games, floor and apparatus work, tumbling, wrestling and in- dividual skills.


BUILDINGS AND REPAIRS


The Commissioner of Public Buildings has been very help- ful and cooperative in all his dealings with the School Com- mittee. With a limited budget he has endeavored to main- tain our school plant in clean, efficient, and safe condition conducive to the learning process. This is no easy task when one considers that the school buildings are uniformly old and that several have been in use for over seventy years.


The heating system at the Central Heating Plant has been improved at considerable expense. Three new oil burners and three new tanks were installed and are operating very effi- ciently. New oil burners were also installed at the Cholerton School, the Southworth, and the Western Junior High School. One boiler at the Northeastern Junior High School was re- tubed, and also one at the Southern Junior High School.


160


ANNUAL REPORTS


A new outdoor wooden running track has been built at the rear of the Senior High School by the cooperative effort of the Building Department and the Engineering Department at a cost of about four thousand dollars.


Two new classes were organized in the Cutler School, one on the third floor and the other in the basement, and another class was set up in a basement room of the Hodgkins School to take care of the increased number of children in that area. A new special class was established at the Morse School, and a special class was moved from the Proctor to the Bingham School to allow for the establishment of the newly organized class in Remedial Reading at the Proctor School. These changes required redecorating of classroorns, reconditioning, moving, and setting up of furniture, and also the purchase of special types of furniture for the new class at the Proctor.


An appropriation of eight thousand dollars was made avail- able for the purchase of window shades for classrooms throughout the City which were badly needed. The boys' san- itary at the Morse School was completely reconditioned, and all new fixtures and partitions were provided, and a new floor was installed. At the Bingham School the boys' and girls' san- itaries were reconditioned, and the sanitaries in Somerville High School were painted. Blackboards removed from the con- demned Pope School were installed at the Knapp, Morse, Carr, Cholerton, Cutler, Hodgkins, and Northeastern Junior High School. Univents taken from the Pope School were installed at the Forster School, and a new return pump was installed. New fire walls were constructed on each floor at the Bennett School. Emergency lights were installed at the Brown, Cutler, Grimmons, Hodgkins, the Senior High School, and in the three junior high schools, and a new master clock was installed at the Southern Junior High School. New gas hot water heaters were installed at the Bennett and Brown Schools, and consid- erable carpentry, electrical, plastering, and painting work was necessary at the Prescott School due to a slight fire.


A large amount of work was necessary in the maintenance and repair of heating systems in almost every school building, and plumbing, electrical work, and replacement of glass was done in about twenty-seven buildings. Window cords were re- placed in seventeen buildings, and glass was reset in eight others. Roofs were repaired in seven buildings, and plaster- ing, masonry, and carpentry work and painting was done in ten buildings. Fences were repaired at six schools.


The need for new classroom furniture is becoming more critical as each day passes. The School Department has called


161


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


attention to this situation for several years and is hopeful that something may be done about it during the coming year.


PERSONNEL


During the year 1950, nineteen members of the school in- structional organization officially terminated their services to the pupils of our schools for various reasons. Of these nine- teen, two severed their connections with the schools by com- pulsory retirement in consequence of the provisions of the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement Law, two retired because of illness, nine resigned their positions due to marriage, three resigned to take educational positions in other schools or com- munities, while three resigned to assume duties in other fields of activity.


It is with feelings of regret and concern that the Superin- tendent reports each year the loss of the services of persons who have loyally and diligently performed their tasks of teach- ing and guiding the pupils who will in very few years be the future business, professional, and industrial citizens of the community, the state, and the nation.


Notable records of length of devoted and faithful service and excellent accomplishment were rendered by Annie C. Woodward, as teacher and later as Head of the Department of Economic Geography in the High School for a period of forty-four years; by Florence M. Shaw, teacher and Principal's Assistant at the Hanscom School for forty-one years; by Marion A. Viets, teacher at the Hanscom School, thirty-eight years; and by Alfreda Veazie, teacher at the High School for thirty-four years; Inez Atwater, teacher for twenty-three years at the High School; Helen Capuano, elementary school teacher for sixteen years; and Anna Rachorf, elementary school teach- er for thirteen years.


Appreciation of their services by the School Committee, the Superintendent of Schools, and the school organization was expressed to all through appropriate letters.


COSTS


Each year a statement is made in the Superintendent's Report, showing how the cost of operating the schools of Som- erville compares with that of the other thirty-eight cities of the


162


ANNUAL REPORTS


Commonwealth. From the tabulations recently released by the State Department of Education covering the school year Sep- tember 1949 to June 1950 there is revealed that:


(1) The assessed valuation (1949) per pupil in the net av- erage membership year ending June 30, 1950 for Somerville was $10,400 compared with the average of $13,730 for the thirty-nine cities of the State, and $12,162 for all the com- munities of the State. Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, the only cities which have a larger school population than Somer- ville, have $17,611, $15,477, and $12,454 respectively, while our neighboring city of Cambridge has $19,523 of assessed valuation supporting each child in the school population, and


(2) The per capita cost of education in Somerville, al- though higher than the previous year, is still $11.06 lower than that of the average of the thirty-nine cities and $31.04 less than Boston, $37.23 less than Cambridge, and $26.61 less than Springfield, and


(3) Somerville is using 31.8% of its local tax revenue for the schools. This is 1.2% less than the portion used for schools during the previous year.


In view of these considerations, it is gratifying to the ad- ministrators to summarize the very pertinent and important information with pride in the following statement. Somerville, the seventh largest city of the Commonwealth with respect to population, has the fourth largest school population being ed- ucated under the 6-3-3 plan, which admittedly is more expen- sive to operate than is the 8-4 plan. This is being accom- plished through an expenditure of only 31.8% of the tax rev- enue and at a per capita cost of $11.06 less than the average per capita cost of the thirty-nine cities, in spite of the fact that there is less assessed valuation supporting each child in the school membership than in twenty-six of the thirty-nine cities.


RECOMMENDATIONS


The statutes of the Commonwealth in Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter 72 of the General Laws require the Superintendent of Schools annually to prepare for the School Committee a de- tailed report of the condition of the public schools, containing such statements and suggestions or recommendations relative thereto as he considers necessary and proper.


163


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


It is, of course, impossible to carry through to successful completion each year all phases of a long-term plan of action; consequently there are recommendations made each year that need to be repeated in order that the processes of action will follow a proper and logical continuity. At times certain emer- gencies interfere with such logical continuity and delays are necessary in order that the problems of the emergency may be solved. It is with considerable satisfaction that it can now be reported that progress has been made with respect to a fair portion of the recommendations made last year, but none of the suggestions has been fully carried out.


It is therefore recommended that the School Committee:


(1) Continue during the year 1951 to devote serious con- sideration to (a) any attempts to enroach upon its powers by legislative action, (b) speedy accomplishment of the building of the now authorized Athletic Stadium at Dilboy Field, (3) the question of the reestablishment of a summer school, and (d) the extension of the Professional Improvement Plan for teach- ers.


(2) Give further consideration to the necessity for enlarg- ing the quarters for the auto body work and the painting and decorating activities at the Vocational School, and make pro- vision for the purchase of more modern equipment for the au- tomobile repair work to meet the demands of motor tune up techniques.


(3) Continue the cooperative efforts with the Board of Health to improve the present medical inspection plan for school children and the broadening of the school nursing pro- gram.


(4) Cooperate wholeheartedly to make operative whatever plans are suggested as necessary for the schools with respect to the Civil Defense Program.


(5) Exert every effort possible not only to the necessary planning for added accommodations for first grades and kin- dergartens resulting from the increasing birth rate of the city and the probable increase of children who are now living in the housing units or will be before next September, but to the recommendations which will be made by the building consult- ants making the survey of elementary school buildings for new, replacement, renovated, or consolidated elementary schools.


164


ANNUAL REPORTS


CONCLUSION


The mid-century year, 1950, has passed into history. A year, which started with encouraging prospects for the de- velopment of a world peace, has during its latter half encount- ered a terrific setback. The serious tensions engendered by the conflicts among the various groups within nations, and the recurring threats of war among nations, are evidence that the long-hoped-for peace will be a reality only when the peoples of the world are convinced of the necessity for demoractic and cooperative living.


The past decade has shown that continued development of the American way of life requires an ever improving system of public education. An adequate and appropriate education must be provided for all. The instructional program must be extended, enriched, and geared to the individual and social needs of the students. Functionally designed and adequately equipped buildings must be provided, and the teachers must be better prepared for the consummation of the tasks at hand and those of the future.


Obviously, such a program of improved schools will cost money. The tax conscious public will question the necessity for such a program, but they want assurance that their child- ren and their grandchildren will enjoy freedom in a world in which integrity and dignity of human life are respected. They want equality of opportunity for all people. They want, above all, to live and have their children live in a world at peace.


The Superintendent of Schools in submitting this, his twenty-third annual report in the series of seventy-nine such reports, has discussed pertinent matters, circumstances, and conditions concerning the local schools and their activities during the year 1950, in an attempt to assist the public to rec- ognize that the values cited are in jeopardy, that they may more fully appreciate the relationship of the schools to these values, and cause the public to retain its faith in the power of education. An understanding of this relationship will bring forth a demand for improving good schools, with adequate. support, to the end that the cost will be seen as an investment in the values needed for a peaceful world.


Attention has been directed to the manner in which the School Committee approached its responsibilities in (1) giv- ing attention to those matters of legislation pending before the Legislature involving education, (2) devoting itself to a study


165


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


of the emergency situation created by the closing and subse- quent demolition of the Charles G. Pope School, (3) following the study of the Pope School by a broader study involving the elementary school building situation of the entire city, by rec- ommending and executing a proposal to have a building sur- vey made by expert building consultants which will eventually provide the basis for a twenty to thirty year building program, and (4) giving further attention to the policies concerning the improvement and extension of the educational services for the youth of the community.


Statements have been made concerning the educational program, and discussion has followed to show that the instruc- tional organization attacked its problems with exceptional zeal, industry, and determination, assuring the community a constantly improving citizenry.


In view of the discussion and statements contained in the pages of this report, which indicate to the citizens of Somer- ville that those associated with the policy making, the admin- istrative, and the instructional work of the schools are contin- uing and furthering an adequate educational program, the Superintendent of Schools requests all of the people of the City of Somerville to join him in expressing appreciation to all those involved for the part they have performed in a task well done.


EVERETT W. IRELAND,


December 18, 1950


Superintendent of Schools


166


ANNUAL REPORTS


PART II


SUMMARY OF STATISTICS


Population and school census


School buildings


Teachers


Attendance for year


Cost of school maintenance


Miscellaneous


Cost of Schools


MISCELLANEOUS TABLES CONCERNING FINANCE


No. of Table


1. Schedule of School property.


2. Cost of maintaining schools, school year 1949-1950.


3. Cost per capita of maintaining schools, school year 1949-1950.


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


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


.6. Amount spent annually for new school buildings and for repairs for a series of years.


CONCERNING PUPILS


7. Population and school registration.


8. Attendance, etc., of the schools for school year 1949-1950.


9. Statistics of the high school for school year 1949-1950.


10. Pupils by grades, June 1950.


11. Separate statistics for high, junior high, elementary and vocational schools, for school year 1949-1950.


12. Admission to first grade in September 1950.


13. Number of junior high graduates, 1950.


14. Truant Statistics for a series of years.


15. Evening school statistics, 1949-1950.


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, 1950.


19a. Promotions, elementary schools, 1950.


CONCERNING TEACHERS


20 Registration of teachers, 1950.


21. Teachers elected in 1950.


22. Leave of absence of teachers.


23. Transfers of teachers.


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


25 Changes in text books, 1950.


26. High and Junior High School graduation exercises, 1950.


26a. Evening High School graduation exercises, 1950.


27. Vocational School graduation exercises, 1950.


28. Organization of school board for 1951.


29. Teachers in service, December, 1950.


30. Officers in service, December, 1950.


31. School Custodians.


167


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


SUMMARY OF STATISTICS


1-POPULATION AND SCHOOL CENSUS


Population, United States 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


Population, United States census, 1940


102,304


Population, State census, 1945


105,883


Population, United States census, 1950


102,254


Children, between five and fifteen years of age inclusive,


October, 1950 by school census


16,552


2-SCHOOL BUILDINGS


Number of school buildings in June


31


Number of classrooms in use in June


527


Valuation of school property


$4,980,200


3-TEACHERS


*1949


1950


Change


In high school


123


127


In junior high schools


122


125


+3


In elementary school


194


197


+3


In Kindergartens


30


30


0


Total: elementary and


kindergartens


224


227


+3


Vocational School for Boys


20


21


+1


Independent Household Arts


1


1


0


Atypical Classes


11


12


+1


Sight saving


1


1


0


Cadet teachers


7


9


+2


Special


14


13


Cont. and Jr. Vocational


4


4


0


Americanization


1


1


0


Total Teachers


528


541


+13


Supervisors, Principals, etc.


21


21


0


Total


549


562


13


4-ATTENDANCE FOR THE YEAR


1949


1950


Change


Entire enrollment for the year


14,139


13,888


-251


Average number belonging


13,282


12,957


-325


Average number attending


12,189


11,966


-223


Per cent of daily attendance


91.8


92.35


+0.55


High school graduates


789


646


-143


Junior High School graduates


943


844


-99


168


ANNUAL REPORTS


5-COST OF SCHOOL MAINTENANCE


1949


1950


Change +$157,994.87 1


Salaries of officers


$1,872,701.99 55,891.19


$2,030,696.86 60,999.16


5,107.97


Cost of books & sup- plies


71,355.93


77,766.60


+ 4,410.67


Cost of care


of buildings


410,710.89


470,953.47


+ 60,242.58


Total cost of day and evening schools


2,410,660.00


2,640,416.09


+ 229,756.09


Per capita cost


181.50


203.78


22.28


Cost of High School


instruction


461,593.19


505,434.74


+ 43,841.55


Per capita cost


192.97


227.57


1


34.60


6-MISCELLANEOUS


Paid for new school


*1949


*1950


Change


buildings


Repairs & permanent improvements


$122,295.22


$147,363.30


+ $25,068.08


Total school expendi- tures


Valuation of city


131,136,700.00


128,191,550.00 - 2,945.150.00


Number of dollars


spent to maintain schools out of


every $1,000 of valuation


.93


1.14


+.21


Number of dollars


spent for all school


purposes, etc.


18.38


20.60


+2.22


* School year.


7-COST OF THE SCHOOLS


The total amount spent for the maintenance of the schools of Somerville for the school year ending June 30, 1950, is $2,640,416.09.


This includes the sum spent for care of school buildings, including salaries of officers, the amount spent for school and administrative supplies and services, and the sum paid for salaries of teachers.


The expenditures for care for school buildings is wholly in charge of the City Government.


The amount paid for janitors is $182,504.18


The cost of fuel is 60,648.06


The cost of light is 30,331.04


Miscellaneous expense of operation 50,106.89


A total cost of 323,590.17


A total cost per capita of 24.97


Cost of repairs 147,363.30


+


2,410,660.00


2,640,416.09


+ 229,756.09


Salaries of teachers


The second important expenditure is wholly under the control of the School Committee and is covered by what is known as the "School Contingent" appropriation. The following is the itemized account:


Expenditures


Totai


High


Junior


Day School Elementary


Vocational


High


Evening Schools Elementary


Vocational


Office Salaries


$60,999.16 6,936.88


Office Expenses


22,570.06


6,908.92


3,862.09


10,843.49


$552.75


$226.19


$3.25


$173.37


Stationery, Supplies & Other Expenses of Instruction .....


41,125.19


13,290.79


11,313.63


8,613.50


6,861.31


207.30


10.91


132.70


695.05


Miscellaneous, Transportation etc.


7,136.47


1,902.24


796.34


4,080.76


278.72


78.41


Total


$138,767.76


$22,101.95


$15,972.06


$23,537.75


$7,692.78


$433.49


$10.91


$135.95


$946.83


The third, and by far the largest element of the cost of schools is the sum spent for the salaries of teachers. under the School Committee.


This expenditure is


Expenditures


Total $38,802.00


High $8,451.00 6,330.00 489,294.47


Junior $4,705.00 16,065.00 460,703.71


Day School Elementary $21,726.00 35,265.00 869,248.53


$5,295.00 82,518.37


$567.15 5,234.00


$29.85 286.00


$410.00 2,775.00


17,872.78


Total


$2,030,696.86


$504,075.47


$481,473.71


$926,239.53


$87,813.37


$5,801.15


$315.85


$3,185.00


$21,792.78


Vocational


High


Evening Schools Elementary


Vocational


Jr. Vocational Continuation School and American- tion Work


Supervisors


$3,920.00


Principals


63,962.00


Teachers


1,927,932.86


..


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


169


Jr. Vocational Continuation School and American- tion Work


Text Books


170


ANNUAL REPORTS


The total outlay for all school purposes includes all the preceding and the sums spent for schoolhouse repairs and new buildings:


The total outlay for the school year ending June 30, 1950, is as follows:


Care


$323,590.17


Contingent


77,766.60


Salaries


2,091,696.02


Total for school maintenance


2,493,052.79


Paid for repairs


147,363.30


Paid for new buildings


Total for all school purposes


2,640,416.09


Each dollar of the sum spent for the support of schools has been divided in the following proportion:


Janitors salaries


1945 $0.082


1946 $0.083


1947 $0.088


1948 $0.063


1949 $0.071


1950 $0.074


Other Maintenance


expenses


0.058


0.047


0.068


0.056


0.054


0.056


Administration


0.021


0.023


0.024


0.026


0.028


0.027


School supplies


0.032


0.031


0.027


.0.034


0.029


0.028


Teachers salaries


0.807


0.816


0.793


0.801


0.818


0.815


$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, and the vocational schools. The following shows:


The Per Capita Cost of Schools for 1949-50


High School.


Junior Iligh Schools.


Elementary Schools.


All Day Schools.


1949.


1950.


Change


1949.


1950.


Change


1949.


1950.


Change


1949.


1950.


Change


Instruction Supplies. Care ..


$193.00 10.60 29.94


$227.57 10.17 34.13


+$34.57 -. 48 +4.19


$165.96 4.22 34.38


$183.68 6 33 41.67


+$17.72 +2.11 +7.29


$113.42| 3.26 27.20


$125.20 3.71 32.06


+$11.78 +.45 +4.86


$139.28 4.82 29.23


$155.74 5.41 34.48


+$16.46 +.59 +5.25


Total


$233.54


$271.87


+$38.83


$204.56


$231.68


+$27.12


$143.88


$160.97


+$17.09


$173.33


$195.63


+$22.30


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


171


172


ANNUAL REPORTS


A comparison of the per capita cost for previous years is as follows:


Cost of Instruc-


tion


$92.29


$94.39 $108.11 $124.74 $139.28 $155.74


Cost of Supplies


3.36


3.42


3.42


5.31


4.82


5.41


Cost of Care


15.49


21.74


31.67


31.57


29.23


34.48


Total


$111.14 $119.55 $143.20 $161.62 $173.33 $195.63


An examination of these tables shows that we have paid $34.57 more for the instruction of each pupil in the High School than in 1949, and $0.43 more per pupil for supplies.


The elementary schools have cost $11.78 more per pupil for instruction, and $0.45 more for supplies.


The amount yielded for each child in the average mem- bership of the schools for 1950, not including the vocational schools, was $195.63.


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT


TABLE 1-SCHOOLHOUSES, DECEMBER, 1950


Name


No. of Classrooms


No. of Sittings


Size of Lot, includ-


ing Space occupied


Class of


Construction


How Heated


How Ventilated


Valuation including


Furniture


When Built


High School


*102


3,407


A-C


Steam


Fan


1$1,263,500


1895


1906, 1918, 1928


Prescott


13


5439


C


Steam


Fan


1867


Southworth




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