USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969 > Part 35
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Assistance was provided to thirty one (31) persons on a permanent basis and to ninety eight (98) individuals on a temporary basis in 1966. Expenditures for hospitalization for elderly reci- pients, in the current year, were negligible due to the implementation of the Medicare Program. However, expenses for those not eligible for Me- dicare (temporary recipients) increased expenses over those of the previous year. Nursing home expenses show a substantial increase as three (3) of the Town's elderly are now permanent nursing home patients. This not unexpected considering the fact that permanent recipients average more than seventy three years of age. Assistance $ Up
Due to the liberalization of public assistance programs, both on a State and Federal level, and the rising costs of hospitalization, medication and all other related services, it appears that the ex- penses of public assistance will constantly in- crease, despite efforts to alleviate this condition by vigorous pursuit of benefits from all other
sources. It is important to realize that 50% of the Town's expenditures for assistance will be reim- bursed by the State Government. In 1966, reim- bursements from the Commonwealth to the Town of Andover were in the amount of $27,682.53, and covered the period July 1964 through May 1966. The sum of $490.50 was returned to the Town on assignment recoveries. Vietnam/ Andover
Forty-two Andover veterans passed away ill 1966, as listed below :
World War One 21 World War Two 16 Spanish War 1 Korean Campaign 2 Vietnam 2
The most demanding function of this Depart- ment is to process claims with the Veterans Ad- ministration for any benefit, monetary or other- wise, that may be available to a veteran, his family or survivors. More than three hundred forms (300) were submitted to the Veterans Ad- ministration during the year for hospitalization, home loans, pensions and compensations, grave markers, education etcetera As a result of this department's efforts pensions and compensations awards obtained for Andover residents monthly cash payments, for the Federal Government, to- taling $42,000.00 yearly.
Interviews of some twenty one hundred and eighty six (2186) persons were conducted in this office during the year. This represents an in- crease of more than four hundred (400) over the previous year. Twenty one (21) Andover veterans were admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospitals during 1966 with the assistance of this Department. At present there are fourteen (14) veterans hospitalized at these facilities, several of these patients are on a permanent basis.
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Schools
ANDOVER KINDERGARTEN - FUN!
ANNUAL SPRING CONCERT, JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Expenditures Monthly Cost Per Person
$2,491,649 $9.90
Elected for three year terms of office, the five-member School Committee is responsible for administering the educational system of the Town of Andover. It appoints a Superintendent and such other Assistants as may be required from time to time. At the present time, there is an Assistant Superintendent for elementary educa- tion and a Supervisor of General Services and Business Manager for the school system in ad- dition to the Superintendent. There are six elemen- tary, one junior high and one senior high school in Andover. A new Senior High School is under construction with the present Senior High School to be converted to a Junior High School upon completion of the facility. The School Department is autonomous as far as financial matters are con- cerned and as they relate to operation of the school system. The Town Meeting, though asked to ap- prove the annual school budget, has the legal authority to approve or reject new buildings and the funds necessary for their construction only. The School Committee members serve without compensation.
Andover School Department activities of 1966 can be categorized into three areas:
1. Providing a comprehensive program de- signed to best satisfy the educational needs of the 4850 children in the system through maximum utilization of a highly qualified staff and proper educational program.
2. Critically evaluating the program at all levels in terms of the philosophy and goals set by the School Committee. Special concentrated appraisal was made of cer- tain phases of the program in light of the latest educational research and advanced instructional techniques.
3. Initiation of action and planning to en- sure that the system will continue to meet the future needs of the town.
In addition to the four curricula (academic, general, vocational and commercial) offered at the Andover High School, an opportunity has been provided by the town whereby students can take specialized vocational training at the Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational High School. The foreign language program was augmented by en- couraging selected qualified students to take Chinese I and II under the Asian Studies program at Phillips Academy.
The enrichment program and the Junior Great Books program were enlarged through an organized plan of utilizing both teachers and se- lected parents.
The in-service training for teachers has been strengthened by utilizing an afternoon each month on a system-wide basis whereby all teach- ers are free at the same time for coordinated ac- tivities. In addition, arrangements have been made for a special program in economics for teachers in Andover after the school day during the second semester of the current year.
These courses will be introduced in collabor- ation with the Boston University Center for Eco- nomic Education and the New England Econo- mic Council.
The summer school was enlarged, especially at the elementary level. The academic program of grades five and six in mathematics and lan- guage arts was departmentalized and classes were instituted in Art and Conversation and Nature Study with worthwhile results.
The intramural athletic program
was strengthened and ice hockey was added at the se- condary level. State championships were won in track and girls' gymnastics ; conference champion- ships were won in football and track by the An- dover High School Teams.
A number of special studies was conducted by members of the teaching staff assisted by ci-
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tizens in the community. Acknowledgement is given to the Andover Education Association and to the League of Women Voters who contributed many of the members of the committees formed to carry on the work.
The principal areas of investigation were:
a. team teaching and ungraded rooms
b. adequacy of the Andover High School driver education program
c. evaluation of school libraries relative to American Library Association Standards
d. place of economic studies in the curriculum
e. evaluation of the Andover School System on the bassis of the Willis Commission recom- mendations
f. updating of the Crimp report on projected student enrollment and classroom space needs in terms of new Andover class size ob- jectives
g. study of the organizational structure of the
Andover System for future growth patterns
The evaluation of the Andover System in terms of the Willis-Harrington Commission re- commendations on education indicated that the school system met or exceeded many of the mini- mum recommendations, the most notable excep- tion was class size and teacher-pupil ratios. The School Committee adopted the recommendations of the Willis Commission as objectives for the Andover School System with a target date for implementation of most of these by 1970 with an earlier completion date when possible. It also es- tablished the following: pupil-teacher ratios elementary - forty teachers and ten classroom non-professionals per 1000 pupils, junior and se- nior high - sixty teachers and fifteen classroom non-professionals per 1000 pupils; twenty-three pupils class size at elementary level and sixteen pupil class size at the junior and senior high school.
Another noteworthy development was the adoption by the Committee of the requirement that teachers entering the schools shall hold a master's degree or shall acquire said degree with- in five years of the date of employment. Begin- ning with the 1972-3 school year, all candidates to be hired shall possess a master's degree.
The School Committee updated the "Crimp" report on classroom space needs for the 1966- 1971 period in terms of the latest October, 1966, data and the new class size requirements. This report supplies a detailed buildingprogram,based on the completion of the new High School in Sep- tember 1967, which will provide adequate phy-
sical facilities for all students by 1970. The edu- cational specifications are completed for the twenty-four room elementary school to be ready in September, 1968, and for the twenty-four room elementary school in the western part of Town to be ready in September 1969. In addition, educa- tion specifications were approved for the renova- tion of the current Junior High School building.
Enrollment in our schools continue to in- crease in excess of two hundred pupils annually. It is interesting to note, that in recent years, the percentage of school age children attending pub- lic rather than private schools is increasing.
The School Committee completed the basic organization of a Space Planning Advisory Com- mittee for Education to furnish recommendations advice, guidance and support relative to obtaining the necessary class room space at the required time. This committee, headed by Dr. Milton Greenberg and Dr. James Conroy, will concen- trate on establishing an orderly, realistic class room space program up to the 1980's which is in agreement with the projected growth of the town.
In line with the growth of the system, the position of Assistant Superintendent in charge of Elementary Education was created and Mr. Vaughn Clapp hired in August.
A most important project undertaken this year was a study of the administrative organiza- tion of the public school system. A team of con- sultants from the Northeastern University Gra- duate School of Education were charged with this responsibility. The report will be of great value in the determination of our administrative stuc- ture now and as we continue to expand.
The Andover Education Association was re- cognized as the bargaining agent for two groups of professional employees in the school system under Public Law 763, Acts of 1965. The first group "A" consists of teachers and the second group "B" consists of administrators. The An- dover School Committee was host at a tutorial session on professional negotiations for teacher association representatives and school committees of Andover and adjacent towns. Professional ne- gotiations were carried out by a sub-committee headed by School Committeeman Fred Fitzge- rald.
This year has been one of much activity and fine achievement. We look forward to 1967 for even greater accomplishments as we face the chal- lenges ahead.
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Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical High School
Expenditures Monthly Cost Per Person
$50,457 20¢
Organized under the laws of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts, the Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical High School is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors elected from the City of Lawrence and the Towns of Methuen, North Andover, and Andover. An- dover has one representative on the committee who serves a three year term of office without compensation. The Town of Andover contributes to the support of the Vocational School in pro- portion to the number of students attending from Andover.
Interest in the day school and evening school offerings lias been most gratifying. The school shall reach its saturation point in October of 1967, based on present enrollment statistics. Al- though it shall be over-enrolled in October of 1967, the school and its administration are aware that this will occur one year in advance of the an- ticipated date of October 1, 1968.
The school has been approved to enter into agreements with industry for cooperative employ- ment for seniors in good standing. One program has started in this regard and will serve as a pilot program for further agreements for each of ele- ven departments. Placements of evening school preparatory students are notable as are the elec- tricians in our code classes, several of whom have successfully passed the licensing board examina- tions.
Added Facilities Planned
Due to evident need in the region for trained personnel in the medical arts and allied fields coupled with daily pressures for the inauguration of girls' programs, the committee has authorized the superintendent-director to draw up education specifications for additional school facilities. The emphasis will be placed on laboratory technicians, x-ray technicians, medical, dental and surgical assistants, licensed practical nursing, pre-nurs- ing, home care and those areas serving the im- plementation of Medicare.
"Apprentice" and "Trade Extension" pro- grams conducted by the Lawrence Vocational School have been taken over by our regional school in keeping with the law as well as the in-
tended economy acquired through the non-dupli- cation of effort and facilities.
Guidance Services-1966-1967 1. Admissions
a. All 8th grade students in the region, 1000 in number, were contacted and informed of the offerings and advantages at the school and given the opportunity to visit the Regional School.
b. 500 students were administered the Dif- ferential Aptitude Test Battery. Results of this test were forwarded to each stu- dent's school for further guidance use.
2. Testing
Administed Otis Quick-Scoring Mental Abi- lity Test and the Kuder Preference Record to 360 9th and 10th grade students.
3. Teacher Conferences
Conducted conferences with individual Teachers and in groups concerning S.A.T. and Otis test results of their students and the progress of these students.
4. Educational Counseling
Called in for consultation all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students who have failed two or more subjects, and all 12th grade students who have failed any subject for the first term.
5. Other Guidance Services
a. Conducted initial interview with all 9th and 10th grade students (approximately 360) for purpose of general counseling and securing information for cumulative fold- er.
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b. During first half of school year an average of 5 boys a day visited this office for counseling in following areas :
1. School adjustment problems
2. Social adjustment problems with fellow students
3. Subject difficulty
4. Transfer of tracks
5. Transfer to other schools
6. Drop-out plans
7. Educational information
8. Occupational information
39 Andover Pupils
Enrollment records as of October 1, 1966 in-
dicate-
Municipality
Day School Evening School
Andover
39
99
Lawrence
336
427
Methuen
125
234
North Andover
35
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The above figures represent totals of 77,400 day school student hous and 97,650 evening school student hours. The total school usage in student hous results in percentages of 88.75 and 11.25 for day school and evening school respectively.
The net total budget of $909,633.00 is recon- ciled in two sub-totals, $807,300.00 for day school and $102,333.00 for evening school.
It should be noted that these figures include the costs of debt retirement and service for con- struction and equipment as well as the operation and maintenance of the school.
Three Manpower Training Programs have been in operation. Two of these were in Clerk- General Office and have been completed. The third, Clerk-Stenographer is presently operating and will be completed March 31, 1967.
A late afternoon course in drafting is being conducted two days each week for Raytheon em- ployees. Expenses for this are defeayed by the company.
Plans are being directed toward late after- noon classes for high school students for the pur- pose of developing single or limited skills for in- dustrial entry.
Library
Personnel
Full-time 14 Part-time 9
(Plus Pages, Monitors)
Expenditures Monthly Cost Per Person
$132,998
53¢
MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY, 1907
MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY, 1966
The Memorial Hall Library was built in 1872 and added to in 1926, 1960 and 1966. Its seven- member Board of Trustees is appointed by the Town Manager, with the approval of the Select- men, for staggered terms of seven years. The Library supplies reading for information and rec- reation for all ages. It answers questions. It owns 72,100 books, 4,725 pamphlets, 260 may- azines and newspapers, 82 framed prints, 1365 recordings, 206 slides and film strips. Through a film cooperative, it loans 16 mm sound films to community groups. Materials borrowed in 1966 totalled 220,043.
Addition Completed
With the dedication of the new adult wing on Sunday afternoon, November 20, the Memorial Hall Library's building expansion begun in 1959 came to a successful conclusion. The Reading Room has been named in honor of Miss Miriam Putnam, Librarian.
No longer hidden behind hedge and iron fence, the enlarged building, with its new plaza and landscaping, opens out invitingly to the com- munity and at night lights up Elm Square attrac- tively.
The library building provides space for 95,000 books, seats for 150 people and a variety
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of services for adults, young adults, and children in its several reading rooms, reference center, periodical alcove, microfilm center and stack space.
The opening of the new wing has brought in- creased use. December figures are quite striking showing a gain in adult circulation of 34% over December 1965 and of 21% over December 1964, a normal year.
Library users who stoically suffered the in- conveniences of construction have flocked to the lovely new reading areas. Particularly popular is the periodical alcove with its gaily upholstered armchairs and its easy access to current magazines and newspapers. The individual study tables and the lounge units in the main reading room are much in demand. An attractive small reading room with comfortable chairs is beginning to lure the adult readers for whom it was designed.
Former library borrowers who temporarily deserted the library because of the building changes are happily returning to use the new facilities.
The adult library manages to be gay as well as functional and with its fine book collections will gain many new users in 1967.
The thought and effort of many people went into the planning, financing and execution of the completed building and in the relocation of books and services.
46,00 Books Moved
The library staff and high school assistants gave yoeman service, and used imagination and abilty without stint in the moving of 46,000 adult books. The achievement of an almost consecutive book arrangement helps readers find materials more quickly and easily.
The restoration of normal services could not have been completed without the invaluable help from members of the Public Works Department. $'s Received
A grant of $12,500 from federal funds, made available through the Bureau of Library Exten- sion, was of tremendous assistance in upgrading and strengthening book collections in prepara- tion for expanded service. This grant was made to the library in anticipation of its role as a sub- regional center in the new Eastern Regional Pub- lic Library System.
Since May 1, inter-library loan and reference service have been given on a demonstration basis to the area. With the implementation of regional service, July 1, 1967, members of this community will have access to an ever-improving stock of
books and to enlarged inter-library and in-depth reference service.
About one-half of the grant was spent on the reference collection. With a new reference center to house it, the collection is first rate for its size with strength not only in the humanities but also in science and technology. Specialized subject in- dexes and the New York Times on microfilm, since 1962, extend the library's reference usefulness. The remainder of the money was spent on circul- ating books in science, arts and crafts, non-west- ern culture and American history. In all, 1,428 books were bought with these funds.
In addition, WHALER OUT OF NEW BED- FORD, THE LIVELY ART OF PICTURE BOOKS and AND SOMETHING MORE, a film about school libraries, became the library's first purchased 16 mm sound films.
The process of strengthening the library's collections must continue. In 1967 the library plans to enrich further the science and technolo- gy collection, improve its holdings in the field of modern European history, develop a section of contemporary books in foreign languages, and further expand its reference collection.
During the past year, a small well-selected collection of adult books for teen age readers was developed. It will be the policy to add to this col- lection each year.
For a little more than a year adult services were carried on at the top of the building, twenty- six long stairs away from the entrance and with interminable climbing up and down steps neces- sary to secure desired books and other materials. It is extraordinary that adult circulation fell as little as it did - a telling tribute to Andoverians' devotion to their library.
On November 7, the expanded library was open for use. The upstairs rooms are now restored to their meeting room purpose. Interior decora- tion has hidden the scars of unfamiliar use. Library activities can once more be scheduled in the up-stairs meeting rooms. Little by little things are returning to normal.
New members are welcome at any time to the library Great Books Group. It is now embarked on the fourth year set of readings and meets every other Tuesday.
All 9th grade English classes visited the library to gain skill in locating materials for school assignments. From now on, the young peo- ple will have an even richer experience and great- er scope for gaining this essential skill.
The Children's Room escaped much of the
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travail of the adult building project. However, the closing down of the room in the evening to adults and the closing of the adult department during one week in November for moving, undoubtedly had its effect on use. Despite this, however, room circulation continues to climb. The Children's Room is now available to library users through- out the year from 10 to 6 daily.
Well-produced book lists can make the library's collections more inviting, better known and more readily accessible. The gay, spiral bound lists of new reference books and of the library's periodical holding have found a ready audience. A young adult list WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? has proved to be equally popular with adults. The use of the town multilith and Mrs. Grant's time has been appreciated.
Last year, Leo F. Daley, able Treasurer of the Memorial Hall Library Board of Trustees for twenty years, resigned to accept another com- munity assignment. Warren Lewis was appointed to the Board in his place.
Upon the completion of the new library wing, Clarence Johnson was appointed head custodian.
Members of the professional staff have con- tinued to participate in professional affairs. This has involved attendance at library meetings and membership on committees concerned with book reviewing and magazine evaluation for young people.
Gifts Received
Many gifts have come to the library this past year, some of which have been used to equip the new wing; others to purchase books in special fields. These have already been acknowledged in the press so that they will not be enumerated here.
A further grant of $90 to purchase musical re- cordings was received from the Futterman Trust. Foreign language periodicals and magazines of appeal to mature young people have been pur- chased with a gift from a national foundation. More books were bought on the Moynihan be- quest.
Once again the library acknowledges the generosity of the local press in its coverage of library events and services. No Andover family should be unaware of the library and what it has to offer.
The library with its building needs taken care of for some years to come, can now turn its full attention to the important task of serving people. It can begin to evaluate present service and to take a good look at unfilled and future needs.
Questions Asked
What should the library be doing better? Are there gaps in its present service? Toward what goals should it be shaping its course?
Of course, money will be needed to accom-
LIBRARY STATISTICS, 1966
BOOKS
Adult
Children's
Total
Volumes at beginning of year
50,443
18,105
68,548
Volumes purchased
4,115
1,316
5,431
Volumes added by gift
231
19
250
Lost of withdrawn
1,274
856
2,130
53,515
18,584
72,099
PERIODICALS
Newspaper and magazine subscriptions Magazines received by gift
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LOANS
Books and other materials*
Main Library and Branch
92,635
64,977 62,431 Total Loans Made
220,043
BORROWERS
Registered in 1966
1,668
583
2,251
All Registered Borrowers
6,616
4,169
10,785
BOOKS PER CAPITA
3.5
CIRCULATION PER CAPITA ** 10.8
ACTIVITY GROUPS
AUDIO VISUAL
28 Story hours
84 16mm sound film available
33 Programs for pre-school
320 showing of films to 55 groups with a view- ing audience of 20,870
25 Visits by school classes ***
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