Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1924, Part 8

Author:
Publication date: 1924
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 166


USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1924 > Part 8


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The other factor of similar importance is the expenditure per pupil in average membership from local taxation. Again she is lower than the cities of Group I; the towns of Group II, of which she is a mem- ber; the towns of Group III; and the State. Group IV only is less. This is easily understood when you glance at the average State re-imbursement and find that Group IV receives a very high average of re-imbursement. In other words, her re-imbursement is more than three times that of Palmer.


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As school costs go, in view of the diversity and quality of work done, and in view, further, of the addi- tional expense involved because of Palmer's geographical make-up-four (4) distinct villages several miles apart -no one knows school work and the factors which are controllable and uncontrollable, can possibly say that the Palmer schools are not economically administered. To anyone who does not know conditions and who does not attempt to learn them, no doubt the amount asked for is a large one. In reality, nevertheless, it is not large when the problems confronting the School Department are given due cognizance.


RECOMMENDATION.


I make this recommendation :---


1). That the Town acquire the remaining acreage in the flat upon which the new high school is located as soon as a fair and reasonable price can be secured on the same.


CONCLUSION.


This report, in Part I, differs somewhat from the reports of the last few years. . The difference is a studied one. There are certain facts in this portion which will bear reading and re-reading. If they are read and re-read, certainly direct and beneficial results in the local situation will be obtained. In fact, in my honest opinion, such information is far more valuable than the "gossip" of what has taken place during the previous year. I trust that the purpose will be fully understood.


In Part II, I have briefly given information regard- ing some of the out-standing features of our school system.


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Those in charge of your schools are endeavoring to give honest, conscientious, and good service. They are actuated only, insofar as humanly possible, by a spirit of frankness, fairness, and friendliness.


Due acknowledgement is here given to the School Committee for its strong support and wide latitude; to the teachers for their loyal, active, and co-operative support; to the public for its general fairness and patience.


Respectfully submitted,


CLIFTON H. HOBSON, Superintendent of Schools.


Palmer, Mass., January 8, 1925.


Appendix


GENERAL STATISTICS I. Population


Census of 1920,


9,896


School Population, April 1, 1923, 5 to 16 years of age,


2,753


School Population, April 1, 1924, 5 to 16 years of age,


2,823


II. Pupils


Number of Children in Town, April 1, between:


1922-1923


1923-1924


Ages 5 and 7,


590


450


Ages 7 and 14,


1,727


1,904


Ages 14 and 16,


436


469


2,753


2,823


Aggregate Enrolment, September to June,


2,134


2,173


Average Daily Attendance,


1,848.68


1,885.78


Average Number Belonging,


1,933.71


1,959.17


Per Cent of Attendance,


95.60


96.25


Average Number of Pupils per Teacher: In High School,


25.54


20.43


In Other Schools,


33.92


33.70


ATTENDANCE STATISTICS


Attendance by Schools 1923-1924


Average


Membership


Average


Attendance


Per Cent of


Attendance


Tardiness


Enrolment


High,


250.1


244.2


97.64


20


286


Thorndike Street,


264.45


255.57


97.04


49


304


Park Street,


384.75


362.85


94.31


78


427


Three Rivers Grammar,


168.82


161.63


95.9


23


190


Wenimisset,


100.75


97.03


96.41


20


112


Thorndike Grammar,


249.07


240.71


96.71


19


260


Bondsville Grammar,


381.6


370.49


97.09


27


401


Wire Mill,


104.09


101.2


96.86


23


111


Palmer Center,


28.61


27.94


97.66


39


31


Forest Lake,


26.93


24.16


91.00


4


51


1,959.17


1,885.78


96.25


302


2,173


46


INSURANCE


I. Total Estimated Value of Buildings and Contents


School


Total


Palmer High,


Building $188,750.00


Contents $44,100.00


$232,850.00


Thorndike Street Grammar,


54,540.00


6,550.00


61,090.00


Park Street Grammar,


60,460.00


6,178.00


66,638.00


Thorndike Grammar,


49,388.00


5,423.00


54,811.00


Three Rivers Grammar,


48,384.00


4,662.00


53,046.00


Bondsville Grammar,


55,955.00


6,919.00


62,874.00


Wenimisset,


50,000.00


4,169.00


54,169.00


Wire Mill,


5,500.00


1,131.00


6,631.00


Palmer Center,


1,675.00


487.00


2,162.00


Forest Lake,


1,550.00


381.00


1,931.00


Total,


$516,202.00


$80,000.00


$596,202.00


II. Insurance Upon School Buildings


Palmer High,


$151,000.00


Thorndike Street Grammar,


43,550.00


Park Street Grammar,


48,400.00


Thorndike Grammar,


39,500.00


Three Rivers Grammar,


38,750.00


Bondsville Grammar,


44,800.00


Wenimisset,


40,000.00


Wire Mill,


4,400.00


Palmer Center,


1,350.00


Forest Lake,


1,250.00


Total on Buildings,


$413,000.00


Insurance on Contents,


$72,000.00


Total Insurance,


$485,000.00


Amount of Insurance,


$485,000.00


Rate-Five Years,


1.72%


Premium,


$8,342.00


Average Yearly Premium,


$1,668.40


47


FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR YEAR 1924.


Account


Appropriation


Expended


Balance


General Expenses,


$ 9,960.00


$ 9,022.67 89,001.04


2,590.46


Textbooks and Supplies,


7,000.00


7,006.93


-6.93


Transportation,


7,200.00


8,204.32


-1,004.32


Janitors' Services,


8,075.00


7,843.57


231.43


Fuel and Light,


13,220.00


14,597.24


-1,377.24


Maintenance of Buildings . and Grounds,


9,715.00


9,007.41


707.59


Repairs,


3,000.00


3,784.35


-784.35


Music, Manual Training and Drawing,


3,900.00


4,013.83


-113.83


Commercial,


7,800.00


9,659.97


-1,859.97


Furniture and Furnishings,


2,000.00


1,065.69


934.31


Other Expenses,


7,422.08


7,891.72


-469.64


Continuation,


6,355.00


6,394.91


-39.91


Americanization,


2,000.00


1,870.44


129.56


Playgrounds,


2,500.00


2,368.26


131.74


$181,738.58


$181,732.35


$ 6.23


Smith-Hughes Fund,


*273.66


*273.66


0.00


$182,012.24


$182,006.01


$ 6.23


$ 937.33


Teachers' Salaries,


91,591.50


This $273.66 is a Federal grant from the Smith- Hughes Fund, which cannot be turnd into the Town Treasury, but must be added to the regular school appropriation and expended for Continuation School salaries.


TABLE OF COSTS-EIGHT YEARS COMPARED


General Expenses,


1917 $3,395.49


1918 $3,796.43


1919 $4,264.67 42,830.68


1920 $5,810.64 57,474.37 5,356.89


1921 $7,223.33 72,072.06


1922 $8,670.89 77,859.29


1923 $9,152.81 79,233.46


1924 $9,022.67


Teachers' Salaries,


29,193.71


32,668.48


Textbooks and Supplies,


2,441.52


3,485.86


4,075.97


Transportation,


3,156.00


3,478.46


4,341.01


4,925.60


5,708.00


5,997.30


6,862.85


7,006.93 8,204.52


Janitors' Services,


2,615.50


3,196.00


3,708.08


4,424.34


5,566.86


5,618.82


6,667.32


7,843.57


Fuel and Light,


4,784.96


6,567.72


5,131.47


7,274.27


9,516.71


7,579.23


13,347.73


14,597.24


Maintenance Bldgs. and Grounds,


1,646.04


2,122.82


2,381.11


2,103.05


2,475.11


2,340.37


2,253.79


9,007.41


Repairs,


982.53


1,551.09


1,574.07


1,352.58


2,582 29


2,174.94


2 823.70


3,784.35


Music, Man'l Training, Drawing,


2,230.05


1,500.75


2,163.97


3,532.61


3,564.13


3,838.61


3,885.22


4,013.83


Other Expenses,


1,198.37


1,836.26


2,452.72


2,547.73


3,612.41


4,637.93


11,340.92


7,891.72


Furniture and Furnishings,


654.14


474.10


777.19


1,929.80


1,374.97


1,970.72


2,365.85


1,065.69


Rent,


810.00


75.00


308.00


245.00


Commercial,


3,418.02


3,720.97


4,312.31


5,537.94


7,271.74


9,062.99


9,098.95


9,659.97


Special Heating,


791.28


2,100.77


5,551.52


Bills Payable,


3,506.94


2,846.65


Special Alterations at Palmer Grammar School,


1,895.00


Improvement of Wenimisset Grounds,


20.00


Total,


$55,716.33 $65,208.94


$78,088.25 $103,369.10 $132,709.52 $140,464.68


$159,598.37 $171,098.74


89,001.04


5,889.20


5,951.94


7,014.25


Americanization, Vacation School, Playgrounds, Continuation School,


788.93


61.75


237.38


3,329.33


658.05


1,511.19


1,870.44


3,501.88


2,368.26


2,359.27


6,612.68


6,119.92


*6,668.57


$56,505.26


$65,270.69


$78,088.25


$103,606.48


$141,900.00


$147,735.41


$167,229.48


$182,006.01


Average Membership,


1,791.77


1,868.41


1,972.98


2,144.93


2,169.90


1,984.11


1,945.65


1,959.17


Average Attendance,


1,717.09


1,702.31


1,886.51


2,044.19


2,104.23


1,899.62


1,867.78


1,885.78


Cost per Pupil Based on Average Membership,


$31.10


$34.90


$39.58


$48.19


$61.16


$70.79


$82.03


$87.33


Cost per Pupil Based on


Average Attendance,


$32.45


$38.31


$41.39


$50.57


$63.07


$73.94


$85.45


$90.73


*This includes Smith-Hughes Fund, $273.66


COST PER SCHOOL


T'dike St. Park Street Three Rivers


General Expenses,


$


High 242.62 18,098.50


$ 37.80


$ 31.76


$ 33.78


Teachers' Salaries,


9,784.94


12,182.48


8,096.92


Textbooks and Supplies,


3,005.13


673.63


517.34


399.85


Transportation,


3,067.02


1,213.75


1,185.00


269.51


Janitors' Services,


2,637.64


1,164.91


1,100.00


357.75


Fuel and Light,


3,213.09


1,414.97


2,215.23


1,678.29


Maintenance of Buildings


and Grounds,


1,549.75


1,926.27


1,795.78


164.07


Repairs,


74.24


1,527.97


97.28


111.39


Music, Manual Training


and Drawing,


433.25


575.80


504.66


459.73


Commercial,


9,659.97


Furniture and Furnishings,


710.16


149.10


39.00


Other Expenses,


2,427.82


2,175.79


421.80


690.75


Day Schools,


$45,119.19


$20,644.93


$20,090.33


$12,262.04


Americanization,


Continuation,


Playgrounds,


Total,


Average Membership,


250.1


264.45


384.75


168.82


Cost per pupil, based on


average membership,


$180.40


$72.61


$52.22


$72.63


In addition, $273.66, a Federal Grant, was expended on Continuation School.


Wenimisset


Districts


Office $ 8,522.27


Total $ 9,022.67


7,141.74


7,207.76


89,001.04


818.41


521.58


837.66


233.33


7,006.93


664.50


229.01


378.03


1,197.50


8,204.32


358.35


799.92


1,125.00


300.00


7,843.57


1,532.99


2,084.02


1,677.48


781.17


14,597.24


297.89


320.80


2,224.34


728.51


9,007.41


27.35


26.34


1,839.84


79.94


3,784.35


266.43


661.22


712.50


400.24


4,013.83


9,659.97


84.96


17.55


8.75


56.17


1,065.69


549.10


690.95


703.69


231.82


7.891.72


$11,779.65


$15,578.39


$25,849.37


$11,252.57


$171,098.74


1,870.44


6,394.91


2,368.26


. $8,522.27


$181,732.35


100.75


249.07


381.6


159.63


1,959.17


1,959.17


9,659.97


$116.92


$62.55


$63.92


$70.49


$4.35


$87.33


$


37.93


Thorndike $


37.09 10,189.91


Bondsville $ 43.29 16,298.79


$ 36.13


INDEX


PART I.


Report of Page 35


Assessors


Auditors


107


Board of Health


50


Care of Soldiers Graves


29


ยท Cemetery Commissioners 21


Chief of Police


31


Committee on Memorials


30


License Commissioners


61


Overseers of the Poor


55


Road Commissioners


37


Sealer of Weights and Measures


33


Sealer of Weights and Measures, (cont'd)


106


Selectmen


62


Tax Collector


59


Town Bookkeeper


80


Town Clerk


5


Town Officers-Expiration Date


3


Town Treasurer


44


Town Warrant


66


Tree Warden


45


Trial Balance


102


Young Men's Library Assn.


46


PART II. SCHOOL REPORT


Report of Page


School Committee


5


School Officials


3


Superintendent of Schools


. 9


Appendix


44


Calendar 4




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