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.
43
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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