USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1924 > Part 7
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For the sake of argument, let us grant that govern- ment expenditures can not be lowered materially; that living costs are reasonable; that the expense of luxuries is high, but that, being a luxury-loving people, presum- ably it will not be reduced.
Crime and waste, however, have no defense and can be reduced. Further expenditures for schools will automatically reduce both. Let us consider a few of the crime and waste savings that are possible. Hog cholera costs $15,000,000 annually in a single state. This can be wiped out by keeping the hogs in clean pens- our agricultural colleges have discovered, and proven this fact, and are now teaching our farmers how to do
it. Rats destroy annually $1,000,000,000 worth of property. Preventable insect and animal pests cause losses of $1,500,000,000. The losses to labor and capital caused by preventable disease are $1,800,000,000. Pre-
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ventable fire loss is $552,000,000 annually. Crimes against property cause an annual loss of $3,000,000,000.
A consideration of these figures shows conclusively that, if people want better schools, they can have them; that the funds are available; that more money can and must be spent for the schools - money that is to be obtained, not out of the air, but from the budget for waste and crime. Double the amount spent for schools, and it is only necessary to take one per cent. (1%) from waste and one-half (1/2) of one per cent. (1%) from the cost of crime or luxuries.
"A nation which fritters away for luxuries twice as much as it spends on investments and which uses more funds in crime or dealing with crime than it pays for churches, schools and goverment combined, has some housecleaning to do before it complains about expenses.
"People who look to tax reduction as the panacea for all economic ills will find in these statistics a problem that must be reckoned with. More than twenty per cent. (20%) of the money earned by Americans, it is claimed, is accounted for by crime and waste. Surely no one expects tax reduction drastic enough to offset such a drain."
PART II. REGULAR FEATURES.
Attendance.
The attendance statistics for the school year of 1923-1924 show some remarkably good percentages of attendance. The percentage for the entire system was ninety-six and twenty-five hundredths per cent. (96.25%). Ninety-five per cent. (95%) is regarded as good. This makes allowance for the necessary absences due to illness and other causes.
Three hundred seventy-five (375) Perfect Attend- ance Certificates were given out at the end of the year
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to pupils who had been neither absent nor tardy during that entire time. This means that nearly twenty per cent. (20%) of the average membership for the year- that is, one (1) out of every five (5) pupils-was perfect in attendance. This is a showing which few systems can excel. It is worthy of marked recognition.
Our entire attendance record for the year, with the exception of three hundred two (302) tardinesses, was very satisfactory. We have not placed as much stress lately upon tardiness and there is a consequent increase. This has been occurring for several years since we "let up."
Extension Work.
The extension work done under the direction of the School Department during the past year has been larger than that during the two (2) or three (3) preceding years. This was due to the fact that several of our appropriations, which had been discontinued, were restored. Every feature of this work which we attempt, as a rule, is fairly well done. There is a wise expenditure of the money and excellent results accrue therefrom. This is a plain statement of fact as it appears to us rather than self-praise.
Our Americanization work has been Americanization. effectively conducted. During the school year which closed in April, one hundred ten (110) adults were enrolled, composed of some eight (8) different nationalities. Seventy-five (75) certificates issued by the State were granted these pupils. An excellent closing program was put on, the major part of which was contributed by the pupils them- selves. Those who attended these exercises must have been convinced of the wisdom of doing this sort of work. Those who are opposed to it, had they been present, would have lost all spirit of opposition.
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University Extension.
An effort was made to put on several University Extension courses. These courses are financed largely by the State.
The Town's contribution is space, light,
and heat. The only course which we could get into operation was one by Dr. J. J. Reilly, Superintendent of Schools in Ware, on "Short Story Writers." Some forty (40) attended his lectures. The course was very excellent.
Two (2) cooking classes were operated in
Cooking. Three Rivers under the direction of Mrs. Ethel O. Cole, both completing a course of fifteen (15) lessons. Twenty-five (25) were enrolled.
The state club requirements were taken as a basis of the program of work, which included the planning of meals, with emphasis on the making of yeast breads, quick breads, scalloped dishes, soups, and salads. The meet- ings were held once a week with a demonstration given or actual laboratory work by the girls.
The statistics are as follows: - Number of meals prepared, 35; number of loaves of bread made, 170; number of loaves of quick bread, 960; total number of other food products, 100; total cost of bread and other products, $60.
Our most successful season in this Boys' and Girls work was enjoyed during the past Club Work. summer. The best conception of it can be secured by the following report sent us by Mr. Hall, Agent of the Hampden County Im- provement League, who was in supervision of it :-
"The club work as carried on by the Hampden County Improvement League and the Palmer schools has closed one of its most successful seasons. The clubs
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included garden, canning, sewing, food, and poultry. The local leaders in charge of the work co-operating with the schools have been Mrs. M. J. Sullivan and Mrs. D. J. Dunn, for the village of Palmer; Mr. A. P. Knowlton and Miss Edith Norcross for Bondsville; Mrs. Ethel O. Cole for Three Rivers and Thorndike; and Mr. John Casbarro for the garden work in Three Rivers.
"Two county honors came to Palmer. Isabelle West, as a member of the Palmer Village canning club, under the efficient leadership of Mrs. M. J. Sullivan, has been awarded the county championship honors by the Hampden County Improvement League.
"The biggest honor, however, open to any club group in the county, has been awarded to the garden club in Bondsville, under the leadership of Mr. A. P. Knowlton. This honor is the annual county banner given by the Hampden County Improvement League for the best club group in the county, all phases of work considered. This is an honor which not only brings credit to Mr. Knowlton, as leader, but it also brings credit to the town of Palmer. It is an honor which is sought for by more groups than any other honor awarded in boys' and girls' agricultural club work. In the Bondsville honor group there were 34 boys and girls and each had a garden plot 500 feet square. This land was supplied by the Boston Duck Company, through the courtesy and help of Mr. E. G. Childs. Mr. Childs also had the land plowed and put in condition for the children. while the general supervision was under the leadership of Mr. Knowlton, who gave unsparingly of his time throughout the summer. Accord- ing to the rankings made by Mr. Otis E. Hall of the Hampden County Improvement League, these garden plots ranked higher during the summer than did any other group in the county.
"The second best garden group for the town was in charge of John Casbarro of Three Rivers. Considering the lateness of the season and the disadvantages which Mr. Casbarro had to meet in behalf of his boys and girls, his work as leader deserves special mention.
"The garden and canning exhibit in the new high school as put on by Mrs. Sullivan and her boys and girls September 10, was one of the best exhibits ever held in
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the town. It demonstrated to the parents and friends of the schools and club groups who saw it, what boys and girls could do in their summer activities when in charge of a competent leader.
"The canning work in charge of Miss Norcross of Bondsville and Mrs. Cole of Three Rivers also shared honors, with other displays from all over the county at the Eastern States Exposition."
Briefly stated, the statistics of this work are as follows :- Number of organized clubs, 12; number of banner clubs, 2; number enrolled, 197; number complet- ing, 151; amount won in prizes at Eastern States Exposi- tion, $44.50; value of products, $1,199.19; total cost, $266.64; value above costs, $932.45.
Other
Other work was done in town by the Hampden County Improvement League,
Activities. much of which was conducted in co-opera- tion with the schools. The schools supply, in most instances, space, light, and heat. Forty (40) women were enrolled in study clubs and one hun- dred fifty (150) others were interested in various women's activities. Twenty (20) Polish-speaking women regularly attended classes in sewing. Each of the four (4) villages had community work by the league in some form or other.
HEALTH WORK.
No one, excepting those directly connected with the office of the Superintendent of Schools, can realize the quality and quantity of health work that is being conducted within the schools. Our school nurse is one of our busiest workers. She possesses the interest, energy, tact, and conscientiousness necessary for excel- lent work in her field.
Examinations were conducted this
Examinations. fall in accordance with the require- ments of the State. These examina- tions are carefully and fully made. An interesting com-
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. parsion of the defects found in last year's and this year's examinations is here given :-
1923
1924 Decrease % Decrease
Number of Pupils
Examined,
2,014
1,902
Number of Defects Found:
Appearance,
154
72
82
53%
Nutrition,
211
80
131
62%
Posture,
438
160
278
63%
Scalp,
329
200
129
39%
Skin,
119
52
67
56%
Teeth,
745
457
288
39%
Throat,
867
561
306
35%
Nose,
55
15
40
73%
Glands,
137
64
73
53%
Heart,
80
24
56
70%
Lungs,
13
3
10
77%
Feet,
10
11
1*
10%
Spine,
17
16
1
6%
Total,
3,175
1,715
1,460
46%
Increase.
A study of these figures will show you that, in every instance, there has been a marked percentage of decrease in the defects found in 1924 as compared to those found in 1923. In some cases, the percentage ran as high as 77%.
A careful check of defects called to parents' attention as the result of the examination in 1923 shows the follow- ing :- Tonsils removed, 80; teeth attended to, 125; glands treated, 9; heart cases treated, 11. Many, in addition, were examined for tubercular and spinal defects. Five (5) children were given treatment in the Westfield Sana- torium. Many have been taken to clinics for other defects in Springfield.
In one (1) tubercular clinic held for school children in the Thorndike Street School, one hundred thirty-three (133) pupils were examined. Thirty (30) of these were X-Ray'd later at the Westfield Sanatorium. All was
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done free of cost to the pupils. The results of these examinations were as follows :- Negative, 4 .; Suspicious, 11; Positive, with Sanatorium Treatment Recom- mended, 5.
It is worthy of mention that the first efforts along the line of determining pre-tubercularly inclined children by means of weighing and measuring were conducted in the Palmer schools, under the auspices of the Hampden County Tuberculosis and Public Health Association, and in conjuction with Dr. Chadwick of the Westfield Sana- torium. As a result of this first clinic, the State of Massachusetts has recently committed itself to a ten (10) years' program with an expenditure of $500,000 for this sort of work. In other words, the State is to do through- out its boundaries what in Palmer has been done for the past four (4) or five (5) years. All tuberculosis experts now agree that the proper field of their endeavor is with children pre-inclined or pre-disposed to tubercular trouble because of weakened physique. If tuberculosis is ever stamped out, to any extent, it must be done by early work with the child.
Pasteurized milk is sold daily in all of
Milk. our schools. Milk is a great-body-builder, the greatest foe to under-nourishment in existence.
School lunches are furnished at cost to School Lunches. the pupils in Palmer and Three Rivers. The attempt is made to keep prices down to the lowest possible point, so that those who need the lunch but whose financial condition is not the best can afford to partake. Easily three hundred (300) children lunch daily in the high school lunch room. Pupils come from both the high school and the Thorn- dike Street and Park Street Schools.
The scale of prices is very low, as follows :- Hot Dish, $.05; Ham Sandwich, $.05; Soup, $.03; Peanut
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Butter Sandwich, $.03; Bread and Butter Sandwich, $.02; Milk, $.04; Cocoa, $.03; Ice Cream, $.05. £ Even with these small charges, it has been possible to pay help, with the exception of the director, Mrs. Burke, since the very beginning. The past ten (10) or eleven (11) weeks it has been possible to pay her salary from the receipts.
The lunch room is run as a separate organization and not as a direct part of the school department. The receipts and expenditures since the opening of the lunch room last March are as follows :
March,·
Receipts $443.13
Expenditures $415.93
April,
411.28
220.14
May,
402.14
274.14
June,
299.93
562.06
Total,
$1,556.48
$1,472.27
Gain-$84.21
September,
$456.47
$274.96
October,
454.68
411.14
November,
441.58
422.85
December,
482.09
669.71
Total,
$1,834.82 Gain-$56.16
$1,778.66
A careful check has been kept upon the various articles of food sold for approximately three (3) months, as follows :- Hot Dish, 5,168; Potato, 3,795; Ice Cream, 6,391; Cocoa, 3,497; Ham Sandwich, 3,417; Peanut Butter Sandwich, 2,870; Bread and Butter Sandwich, 6,950; Milk, 1,822; Soup, 1,727; Apple Pie, 52.
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The Penny Savings' Report from Novem- Penny Savings. ber 1, 1921, when the system was insti- tuted, to November 1, 1924, shows the
following :----
School
Number of Deposits
Amounts
Palmer
8,226
$3,118.14
Thorndike
7,087
3,257.67
Bondsville
6,826
2,513.35
Three Rivers
4,772
2,389.38
Wenimisset
400
217.98
Wire Mill
1,235
956.83
Palmer Center
113
33.12
Forest Lake
15
3.13
Total,
28,674
$12,489.60
OPPORTUNITY CLASS
Our Opportunity Class is functioning well. Those who viewed the exhibition last May in the high school hall and observed the work done by the pupils in this class were highly impressed with the quality and quan- tity of work done. These are children who are, possibly, more manually than mentally minded, if such phrases may be used. For the first time in their lives, they are in an environment which gives them satisfaction. The State and the Town should be praised for their efforts with children of this type rather than condemned. Those who should be the loudest in their praise are the parents of the children themselves.
Within the past year, the following examinations of children for this class have been held :---
Examined 63
Recommendations :
Special Class 20
Manual and Industrial 5
Institution
3
Remain in Grades 35
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CONTINUATION SCHOOL
The Continuation School had a total enrollment dur- ing the last school year of two hundred twenty-one (221) pupils, ninety-eight (98) of whom were boys and one hundred twenty-three (123) were girls. The average membership for the entire year was one hundred forty- six and twenty-nine hundredths (146.29) ; the average attendance was one hundred forty-one (141); the per- centage of attendance was ninety-six and fifty-eight hundreds (96.58); the number of graduates, eighty- seven (87).
The total expenditures for the year were $6,669.51, divided as follows :- MAINTENANCE-Administration, $225; Instruction, $5,143.81; Auxiliary Agencies $321.25; Operation of Plant, $520.75; Repairs and Replacements, $13; Total, $6,623.81. ESTABLISHMENT AND EXTENSION OF PLANT-Construction, $301; Equip- ment, $144.70; Total, $445.70, Grand Total, $6,669.51.
The receipts were as follows: - Tuition, $499.84; Smith-Hughes Act, $273.66; Cash Received from Work and Products, $105.58; Total, $879.08. The State re- imbursed the Town fifty per cent. (50%) upon $5,344.73, the re-imbursement netting Palmer $2,672.37. The difference between the total cost of operation, $6,669.51, and the amount upon which re-imbursement was made may be found by deducting the $445.70, expenditures for establishment and extension of plant - a non-re-im- burseable expenditure by the State, yet a necessary expenditure-plus $879.08, which was revenue received and turned directly into the Town Treasurer. The difference was $5,344.73.
The Continuation School is required by law. The Town has no option in the matter of maintaining such a school. £ As long as two hundred (200) or more minors under sixteen (16) years of age are employed by
.
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authority of employment certificates or home permits, the Town must maintain a continuation school. Even if for a period of two (2) consecutive years the number of employed minors should fall below two hundred (200), the Town could be exempted from the provision of the act requiring its maintenance only upon application to the State Department of Education, which may speci- fically exempt the Town until such time as two hundred (200) or more minors in any year are employed therein.
The Continuation School in Palmer started in September, 1921. The number of employed minors be- tween fourteen (14) and sixteen (16) at that time was two hundred forty-eight (248). In 1922, a poor busi- ness year, two hundred three (203) minors were em- ployed; in 1923, two hundred fifty-four (254). It is doubtful if the time will ever come in Palmer when less than two hundred (200) minors between these ages will be employed, except, possibly, during a year of extreme business depression. A two-year period will probably never come. Under normal conditions, Palmer stands but small chance of ever being able to discontinue its Continuation School.
There is considerable misunderstanding relative to the bookkeeping involved in maintaining this school. Under the budget classifications for the first two (2) years, the Superintendent, as director, appeared for the amount of five hundred dollars ($500). Many assumed that the Continuation School added this amount to the Superin- tendent's salary. Proportionate amounts were involved for clerical services, etc. The Continuation School has not increased the salaries of Superintendent or office assistants. Inasmuch as the amounts appearing under Continuation School for such services were re-imburse- able to the extent of fifty per cent. (50%), the School Department has charged as much of the salaries of these officials as possbile against the Continuation School
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because, whereas no additional outlay fell upon the Town, the fifty per cent. (50%) re-imbursement was net gain to the Town. The five hundred dollar ($500) charge for directorship paid to the Superintendent according to the budget meant not one additional cent to him nor an additional cent of outlay to the Town. It did mean a two hundred fifty dollar ($250) reimbursement from the State. This was merely a matter of bookkeeping and, from the Town's standpoint, good bookkeeping. The same old story is true. Most criticism and jump- ing at conclusions are based upon lack of knowledge.
RENTAL OF NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
The rental of the new high school is regulated abso- lutely by rules adopted by the School Committee cover- ing the community use of this building. These rules have been printed and can be secured at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools. As nearly absolute uni- formity as possible is maintained under all conditions.
A careful check has been made upon the cost of the operation of the auditorium per hour. It has been found that the lowest charge, two dollars ($2) per hour, plus janitor and police service, just about covers the cost of operation. A careful check was made upon the light, power, and coal consumption in figuring this cost. The only ones who have the use of the hall at this low charge are those who are putting on something of a par- ticularly charitable nature, such as the Wing Memorial Hospital or the District Nurse Association. The other charges, the lowest of which is four dollars ($4) per hour, give a fair return.
There is no desire or thought upon the part of the School Committee to make money. They realize the value of this hall and also the gymnasium, and want the
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public to have the largest possible use of both at a cost to them which will cover expenses.
The availability of the new high school-its audi- torium, gymnasium, and lunch room - for nearly all kinds of occasions has proven to be the greatest com- munity-spirit-producer that Palmer has ever had. Many things now happen which never could have happened without it. The spirit of the entire Town, almost, is entirely changed on many community matters. The Town would get back, even though it made no charge, in the way of good spirit, every cent it cost to operate the new high school evenings for public functions.
A statement of the rental of the auditorium and gymnasium is here given :-
November 1923, to January, 1925
Auditorium
Treasurer
$278.50
Gymnasium $399.15
Total $677.65
Janitor
101.50
197.50
299.00
Police
73.00
73.00
Total
$453.00
$596.65
$1,049.65
COST COMPARISON.
The figures below are taken from a bulletin of the State Department of Education, entitled "Statistics of the Public Schools for the School Year 1923-24." In this bulletin, the 355 towns and cities are divided into four (4) groups, as follows :- Group 1, Cities (There are $9); Group II, Towns of 5,000 Population or Over (There are 74.) ; Group III, Towns of Less than 5,000 Population and Maintaining High Schools (There are 117.) ; Group IV, Towns of Less than 5,000 Population and Not Maintaining High Schools (There are 125.).
1). Average Population, U. S. Census, 1920 :- Group I, 70,820 ; Group II, 9,505; Group III, 2,198; Group IV, 1,038; State, 10,852; Palmer, 9,896.
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2). Average Valuation, April 1, 1923 :- Group I, $114,786,770; Group HI, $13,173,127; Group III, $3,033,684; Group IV, $1,349,727; State, $16,839,866; Palmer, $11,296,219.
3). Average Number of Pupils Enrolled, 1924 :- Group I, 12,281; Group II, 1,898; Group III, 465; Group IV, 194; State, 1,941; Palmer, 2,074.
4). Average Valuation of 1923 per Pupil in Net Average Membership, 1924 :- Group 1, $10,168; Group II, $7,473; Group III, $7,156; Group IV, $6,063; State, $9,250; Palmer, $5,917.
5). Average Expenditure for School Support from Local Taxation per $1,000 Valuation, 1923 :- Group I, $7.64; Group II, $9.18; Group III, $9.23; Group IV, $8.98; State, $8.02; Palmer, $11.11.
6). Average Expenditure per Pupil in · Average Membership for Support of Public Schools from Local Taxation, 1923 :- Group I, $77.69; Group II, $68.59; Group III, $66.02; Group IV, $59.34; State, $74.22; Palmer, $65.73.
7). Average State Re-imbursement, 1923 :- Group · I, $6.57; Group II, $7.21; Group III, $13.86; Group IV, $24.82; State, $7.42; Palmer, $7.04.
8). Average Expenditure per Pupil in Average Membership for Support of Public Schools from All Sources, 1923 :- Group I, $85.13; Group II, $78.40 ; Group III, $82.79; Group IV, $86.58; State, $83.65; Palmer, $77.55.
In these figures a comparison is made in certain factors between the average of each group and that of Palmer. Palmer belongs in Group II. A careful perusal of these averages will show you that Palmer has a population slightly less than that of the average of the State; a valuation about two-thirds (2-3) of the State's average; a school enrollment slightly higher than that of the average of the State; a valuation per pupil
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about two-thirds (2-3) of that of the State; an average expenditure for school support from local taxation per one thousand dollars of valuation about three-eights (3/8) more than that of the State's average; an expenditure per pupil in average member- ship from local taxation of about nine dollars ($9) less than that of the State ; an average expenditure per pupil in average membership from all sources about six dollars ($6) less than the State's average; a re-imbursement about the same as the average of the State. Practi- cally the only factor in which Palmer exceeds the State average is in expenditure per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of valuation. This is due to the fact that her valuation of $11,296,219 is smaller than the average throughout the State. The smaller valuation, the larger is the expenditure per one thousand dollars ($1,009), irrespective of whether the cost per pupil is high or low.
The main factor which reveals the extravagance or economy of a school system is the expenditure per pupil in average membership from all sources. Palmer does not stand high. She is lower than the cities of Group I; the towns of Group II, of which she is a member; the towns of Group III and Group IV; the State. In other words, she is lower in every instance in compari- son with these groups and with the State.
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