USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1957 > Part 10
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120
School Committee For the Year 1957
Charles W. Baldwin, Chairman Reuben H. Frogel, M.D.
Ruth W. Shuster, Secretary Leonard Alves
Roger W. Arnold Robert J. Barrett
The past year in the Braintree School system has seen the completion of our new thirteen room elementary school on Liberty Street, the completion of a two room addition to the Colbert School, and the start of a four room addition plus renovations to the Watson School. Added to this is the completion of a study of the secondary school system by the Cambridge Consultants which was voted to be made at the 1957 Town Meeting.
To be added to the above must be various studies made throughout the year of our school population, both present and future, the transportation of all students residing within the legal limit, the health and welfare of the pupils, the lunch program, and all of the teaching problems that have arisen since the event of the Russian Sputnik.
Rather than take your time and risk repetition on the operation of our schools for the past year, we would like to refer you to the report of the School Superintendent, Ralph W. Proctor. His cooperation and that of the entire school personnel has been greatly appreciated by the com- mittee.
Thanks are extended to all of our Town officials and to those who give of their time in studying school problems of the future, that Braintree children might continue to be well housed and well educated.
We would be remiss in our duty if we did not point out that many problems lie ahead, but with your continued cooperation and assistance, a successful conclusion can be reached.
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Superintendent of Schools For the Year 1957
Ī The Enrollment
In 1947 the school enrollment was 3563; in 1957 there were 6921; nearly 100% increase in 10 years. Braintree has adequately met the need for facilities on the elementary level by construction of the Ross, Lakeside, Foster, Eldridge and Liberty Street Schools, together with the Penniman and Perkins annexes, and additions to the Highlands and Wat- son Schools.
The conversion and addition to the Hollis School, and the new South Junior High School have provided facilities for 1500 pupils in grades 7, 8, and 9.
Next year the enrollment will increase by 300 pupils, mostly in Junior and Senior High School, as the larger grades move upward. Inspection of the table below will readily confirm the projected need for facilities to house 1800 Junior High and 1700 Senior High pupils within the next few years.
Table I Enrollment by Grades
1957
Totals 1957 669
Pro- jected 6 years
Total 1963
Kindergarten
669
660
Kind.
660
Grade
1
629
630
2
573
630
3
578
630
4
616
630
5
658
630
6
617
3671
640
Total 1-6
3790
J.H.S.
7
478
630
8
513
570
9
491
1482
550
Total J.H.S. 1750
S.H.S. 10
426
570
11
326
560
12
272
1024
550
Total S.H.S. 1680
Special
75
75
120
Special 120
Total
6921
Gr. Total
8000
122
Summary: a. In the next 6 yrs. the elementary gain will be only 120 pupils
, b. In the next 6 yrs. the Junior High gain will be 270 pupils
c. In the next 6 yrs. the Senior High gain will be 650 pupils
The problem then is to immediately take the initial steps to provide facilities for 1000 additional Junior and Senior High School rupils. This school should be con- structed in the East District.
II The Operating Budget
The yearly operating budget increases each year, due to the addition of approximately twenty teachers to the staff, and to salary increases for teachers and other em- ployees. For 1958 the full-year effects of the increases granted in September 1957 plus the cost of additional teach- ers result in an increase of $202,000 before any other items are considered.
It is also necessary to add 20 teachers in September 1958 to meet the increased Junior and Senior High school enrollment. The salary scale has been increased by $400 effective September 1958, making the starting salary (for teachers with a Bachelors degree) $3700, which is the expected median for suburban Boston towns. Last year we paid $3300 when the median was $3460. Unless we can offer at least the same salary as other communities, we are unable to hire teachers of the calibre desired. Last year a substantial number of good prospects turned down our offers for that reason.
Economies in all other departments !- supplies, serv- ices, operation, and maintenance have to be made in order to submit a reasonable budget. In maintenance work, the postponement of needed repairs will turn out to be more expensive in the long run; and nothing is being done to replace old equipment which has long ago depreciated. We are attempting to maintain 48 acres of playgrounds and 17 acres of lawns with appropriation of $5000! Naturally this sum is insufficient even to maintain these acres in the present condition without any improvements.
The fact that the budget administration has been econ- omical is indicated by the per pupil cost in Braintree, well below the state average and 18th out of 24 cities and towns
123
PRESENTATION OF DRIVER EDUCATION CAR - SEPTEMBER, 1957
926 908
124
338INIY89 10 N001
in our population group, yet we are maintaining a better than average school system.
State Average 1956-7 (Per Pupil Cost) $276
Braintree 1956-7 $246
(See Table II)
III Education In The Space Era
The Russian achievement has triggered a release of points of view about education by everyone from school pupils to the President. The expressions of opinion include elimination of fairy tales, a speed-up in our education pro- cess, emphasis on Science and Math ; the schools are blamed for everything including moral disintegration, low stand- ards, and waste of time. When the chaos of opinions finally is analyzed we shall probably find :
1. That putting a satellite up, is not necessarily a measure of all-around scientific achievement; nor prima facie evidence of a shortage of scientists and engineers.
KINDERGARTEN CLASS AT FOSTER SCHOOL
2. That the reputed shortage of engineers may well be caused by the assignment of many highly trained men to a type of work that could just as well be done by techni- cians, thus releasing the engineers for research and de-
125
velopment work. Also many more American than Russian engineers work on luxury items.
3. That schools, in a democracy, still have a respon- sibility to develop liberally educated men with a back- ground suitable for responsible citizenship. Vice-President Nixon, Chief Justice Warren, Governor Ribicoff of Connec- ticut have all emphasized that we must not let ourselves be stampeded into the adoption of a curriculum that em- phasizes scientific proficiency at the expense of humanistic values.
BarToN
SECOND GRADERS ORAL REPORTS
4. That the "standards" we are asked to scrutinize have been established by consensus of opinion or practice on the basis of the needs and abilities of all the pupils in our school today, with the purpose of challenging each indi- vidual to the limit of his ability. Naturally standards could be set so low hat every pupil could get by easily, or so high that all would fail. Standards are not raised by marking harder or failing more pupils, but by a challenging curri- culum, and adequately motivated and inspirational teach- ing, which necessitates hiring and paying for superior teachers. Our standards in college prep subjects are set by the colleges; in business subjects by its requirement of the business world ; but many of the 40% majoring in neither of
126
these have no specific future career to aim for, and respond with a minimum of effort to the general curriculum.
We shall always have:
1. Pupils with superior ability who have high achieve- ment.
2. Pupils with superior ability who are not working to capacity.
3. Pupils with normal achievement.
ability who have normal
4. Pupils with normal ability who have low achieve- ment.
5. Pupils with low ability who have low achievement.
FOSTER III CLOTHING UNIT
Our problem is to stimulate groups No. 2 and 4, but not to discourage No. 3 and 5 by giving them an impossible job. Expecting them to achieve beyond their capacity re- sults in eliminating these pupils from school before em- ployable age. Such is the stuff of which juvenile delin- quents are made, unless society is willing to set up some other agency to supervise and train them. (Like the old C.C.C.) For many pupils over 16 years of age, school is not the best answer to their practical needs; some would be better off working, to learn that effort on their part is necessary for their own support.
127
Following, in outline form, is a list of some of the things that have been done, are presently being done, and need to be done to strengthen our schools:
IV Strengthening Our Schools
What Has Been Done
All courses of study revised and rewritten within past few years.
Teachers' Institutes and courses for teachers in meth- ods of teaching these courses.
Much experimentation in teaching methods and pro- cedures by individual teachers and as school projects.
Providing facilities to accomodate 100% increase in enrollment during 10 year period.
Much attention and effort to articulation between school levels.
Analysis of individual pupil progress related to ability.
Introduction of industrial arts for the more manually- minded boys.
Math and science enrollments in Braintree High School above average:
52% in science
59% in math.
Extensive utilization of Audio Visual teaching aids including radio.
Maintained per capita cost below state average.
What We Are Working On Now
Increased effort in guidance to test and encourage those with aptitude to prepare for scientific careers; and for planning future education for each individual.
Program for challenging the gifted child, not only by enrichment, but by acceleration.
Extension of high school courses in chemistry and phy- sics from 1 year to 11/2 years each.
Strengthening the junior high school science and math program and starting specialized math and science in 8th grade.
128
Attention to developing more practical courses for the "general" pupil-motivation by career planning, and work experience.
Development of supplementary materials, especially in elementary science to be presented over Channel 2 T.V. to stimulate interest and meet teaching needs in eastern Massachusetts.
Experimental arrangements for reorganizing the "sin- gle grade" classroom.
Preparation of "community resources" lists of people who can contribute to enrichment of our subject-matter content.
What Needs To Be Done
Longer school day to provide time to do all the things that need to be done.
Longer school year for pupils (from 180 to 200 days) and longer school year for teachers - 11 months - the added time to be used for summer schools in Braintree, workshops for teachers, etc.
Scholarship aid for many talented youths who cannot finance present college costs.
Establishment of Technical Institutes and 2 year local Junior Colleges.
Better lab facilities for science in High school : rooms, labs, equipment.
Raising salaries so that we can hire really outstanding teachers.
Readiness of the taxpayers to recognize that good schools cost money; and willingness to pay the price.
129
1957 COMPARATIVE SCHOOL COSTS (24) All Cities and Towns 20,000-30,000 Population
1957 Tax Rate
Elem. P-T Ratio
M.T.A. Support Per Pupil 270*
State Per Pupil 273
1955 Population 31,589
Framingham
53.00
Av. Salary 4365*
27.9*
Beverly
69.40
4239
28.0
269
266
31,432
Melrose
59.80
4927
26.3
281
269
29,239
Belmont
48.00
5164
24.1
351
330
28,790
Braintree
66.80
4316
27.3
263
246
26,698
Peabody
66.80
4401
26.6
283
240
26,682
Methuen
65.00
3708'
28.1*
218*
227
26,437
Northampton
61.00
4565
28.2
282
286
26,271
Natick
55.60
4461
31.3
261
246
26,213
Gloucester
63.80
4578
25.9
289
288
25,966
Woburn
46.00
4816
35.1
235
215
25,856
Attleboro
50.90
4120
26.2
243
239
24,870
Leominster
59.00
4281*
23.9*
271*
299
24,787
Milton
56.20
5102
29.6
296
292
24,043
W. Springfield
46.00
4701
28.1
299
267
22,871
Lexington
52.00
4334
25.9
269
246
22,256
Wakefield
62.80
4174
28.6
241
249
22,115
Westfield
46.00
4765
27.6
282
276
22,046
Wellesley
51.90
5132
22.9
341
319
21,759
Needham
52.00
4465
27.4
317
303
21,560
130
North Adams
60.00
4472
27.6
272
285
21,493
Dedham
54.60
4150
23.7
289
269
21,450
Norwood
56.00
4640
31.4
277
257
21,052
Gardner
55.00
4298
25.8
261
269
20,108
Group II (Towns 5,000 population and over)
*Indicates previous years' returns
SOUTH SHORE NEIGHBORS
Quincy
64.80
5178
27.8
298
275
84,495
Brockton
64.50
4635
31.6
235
212
62,628
Weymouth
50.00
4552
28.4
264
251
42,747
Hingham
71.00
4369
23.4
343
341
13,418
State Average
282
276
131
THE LIBERTY STREET SCHOOL
Your Committee is pleased to present the completed Old Liberty Street School. Many hours of careful study, as to present and future needs, have been put into this school. The school consists of thirteen regular classrooms, one remedial classroom, an all-purpose room (gymnasium, auditorium, and cafeteria), a kitchen, health room, teach- ers' room, and principal's office. It has a capacity of four hundred pupils, with playground and parking facilities.
Extensive research proved that a one story, brick, con- crete, and steel building would be the most economical in both original construction and in future maintenance cost. Simplicity in design plus the elimination of all unnecessary "frills" provide excellent educational facilities at a mini- mum of cost and at a maximum of efficiency.
Appropriation-April 1955 $ 15,000.00 April 1956 516,000.00
Total $531,000.00
Bonds Issued $480,000.00
Payable in 20 annual Installments.
The State School Building Assistance Commission will reimburse the Town 45% of the approved construction cost of approximately $522,000, thus making the net cost to the Town (excluding interest on Bonds) $287,100.00. This equals approximately 35c per year on the tax rate over a twenty year period.
Cost Comparison
Average Statewide Cost (1956) $1,760. per pupil Total Completed Cost this school $1,305. per pupil
Amount Below Average $ 455. per pupil
On this basis this school of 400 pupils cost $182,000 below the average in Massachusetts for a school with simi- lar capacity.
South District School Development Committee Lester W. Lindblow, Chairman Charles W. Baldwin, Sec. Alton L. Pike Edward J. Rose Walter H. Packard
132
Water Department REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS
To the Citizens of Braintree :
The year 1957 has been an active one for the Braintree Water Department. During the summer months, we ex- perienced the most severe drought that we have had for many years. As a consequence, we entered into a cam- paign of expanding the water supply from Great Pond through a contract for removing the rocks, clay, sand, and gravel in the bed of the Pond and sites adjoining.
The heavy draft put on the Pond increased our daily pumping from 2,190,000 gallons to a maximum of over 3,585,000 gallons a day for short periods. This abnormal pumpage of water not only strained the Filtration Plant beyond its limits, but put a heavy strain on our distribution system, indicating that improvement was needed in each of these branches of our system.
Consequently, at the October 7, 1957 Town Meeting we brought before the Town the need of expanding both our Filtration Plant and our distribution system and adding new pumps to our Pumping Station. The money for the Filtration Plant and the pumps was appropriated by the Town and the money borrowed for these improvements. We suggested deferring the appropriation for our distribu- tion system until the March Town Meeting in order that our engineers, Weston & Sampson, might have an oppor- tunity to make a thorough analysis of our system. This analysis has been completed and we will present before the Town Meeting an article for these improvements.
The improvements will involve the construction of a standpipe on Penn's Hill, a 12" main to Elm Street, and numerous 8" and 10" pipes in various streets throughout the Town, including the Highlands, which should enable us to deliver water effectively to those sections of the Town that had the lowest pressure during the summer of 1957.
The combined cost of these two operations will ap- proximate $600,000.00 and will materially increase our interest and principal payments on outstanding and new loans. For many years, it has been the practice of this Department to live within its income, but the increased money which we must pay for these loans will prove such that we may have to increase water rates.
133
Since a considerable portion of our expenditures are for improved fire protection, we have asked the Finance Committee to approve an increase in our hydrant rentals from $25.00 to $40.00. According to a letter given us in 1953 by Mr. Dine of the Department of Accounts at the State House approving this increase to $40.00, approxi- mately 40% of our investment in our water system for a town of our size may be charged to fire protection. With- out hydrant protection, insurance rates that all citizens must pay would be at least double the amount they are now paying. At the rate of $40.00 a hydrant, we will receive $27,000.00, while at our current rate we would receive ap- proximately $17,400.00. These figures are small as com- pared with our expenditures of approximately $287,000.00 annually.
The cost of our water supply is increasing daily, not only due to an increased population and increased number of houses, but also due to the fact that the household gad- gets and equipment using water have increased in recent years. The population during the twenty year period from 1935 to 1955 increased 55.9% and the water consump- tion 68.1%. The maximum daily consumption from 1947 to 1956 averaged 67% more than the average daily con- sumption for these years. As the need for more water in- creases, the carrying capacity of our pipes has decreased due to corrosion and encrustation which develops with cast iron pipes.
Our engineers, Weston & Sampson, are recommending a new 1,000,000 gallon standpipe to be located on Penn's Hill. This with our present standpipes will provide us with a total standpipe capacity of 3,000,000 gallons on our low service. This will provide us with one day's maximum consumption in this low service. The cost of this standpipe and a 12" main to connect it to the present 12" main on Elm Street is approximately $100,000.00.
The maximum consumption on our high service system in the Highlands is approximately 380,000 gallons per day. Our present elevated steel tank in the Highlands has a capacity of 300,000. Eventually, we will have to increase this storage, but for the present, we must concentrate on the enlargement of the mains in the Highlands to properly supply that system with water.
In 1946 we made extensive improvements to the dis- tribution system which included a total of 20,600 feet of
134
12" main on Pearl Street, Elm Street, Hayward Street, Quincy Avenue, Allen Street, Shaw Street, Mill Lane, Com- mercial Street, Washington Street, Hancock Street and Tremont Street; 8565 feet of 10" main on Washington Street, Commercial Street and Quincy Avenue; and 4340 feet of 8" main on Common Street, Arbutus Avenue, Brew- ster Avenue and Division Street. This represents a total of about 33,500 feet of 12", 10" and 8" distribution mains. In the ten years since that time, various improvements have been made from year to year which comprise 3,078 feet of 12", 10,697 feet of 10", and 26,450 feet of 8", totalling 40,225 feet, but not enough to adequately care for the un- precedented drought and water consumption in 1957.
The general purpose of a good distribution system is to provide storage at strategic locations with large enough feeder mains and connecting mains to meet the require- ments for fire protection, industrial uses, domestic de- mands, and other uses for water. The extent, character, and location of the growth of the Town of Braintree will govern installation of additional mains as they are required from year to year.
During the past summer, several areas have been with- out an adequate supply of water at various times, and some areas were without any water for several hours on some high consumption days.
This condition was not entirely due to the distribution, but partly to the consumption exceeding the capacity of the supplying works which resulted in the water level in the two standpipes being lowered with a drop in pressure over the entire system. The proposed new pumps at the Great Pond pumping station and the addition to the Fil- tration Plant will relieve this defect. The 500,000 gpd gravel wall well off Lakeside Drive, completed and placed in service in October 1957, and the proposed 1,000,000 gallon standpipe off Commercial Street on Penn's Hill, with a 12" main down Conrad Street and Elmlawn Road from the standpipe to Elm Street, which are recommended for 1958 construction, will greatly increase pressures and flows in that general area.
In order to provide better fire protection and domestic service in the low service distribution system, Weston & Sampson recommends the following improvements.
1. 1,000,000 gallons steel standpipe be- tween Commercial Street and Elm- lawn Road.
$ 70,500.00
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2. 12" main from the above standpipe to Elm Street via Conrad Street and Elmlawn Road.
3. Supply commercial water from Great Pond and use the 10" commer- cial pipe line to supplement the low service distribution system, with 10" cross-connections at various loca- tions. In 1955 only 6,117,000 gallons of commercial water was pumped from Sunset Lake and in 1956 only 6,100,000 gallons. 16-10" cross- connections @ $1,250.00
4. 10" main on Plain Street from Han- cock Street to present 10" on Grove Street.
5. 10" main on Grove Street from end of present 10" to Liberty Street.
6. 10" main on Plain Street from Grove Street to Liberty Street.
7. 10" Liberty Street from Plain Street to Lincoln Street and along Lincoln Street to connect with present 12" on Faxon Street.
8. Jersey Avenue, Sheppard Avenue, Bickford Road, Glenrose Avenue, Pleasant View Avenue, Argyle Road, Pond Street and some other streets fed by 6" and 4" mains need to be reinforced with larger mains. The cost of the new mains will vary from $2,500.00 to $10,000.00 for the var- ious streets. We estimate that the sum of $50,000.00 could well be spent for these improvements. New main to reinforce 4" mains.
Total for Improvements to Low Service Distribution System
The rapid growth of housing develop- ments in Braintree Highlands has overtaxed the distribution system there. The imme- diate improvement that would best reinforce the present mains and allow the new pump in the Booster Pumping Station to deliver at least 500 gpm to the elevated tank would be
29,500.00
20,000.00
22,500.00
16,000.00
40,000.00
71,500.00
50,000.00
$320,000.00
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a new 10" main on Liberty Street from Peach Street to Division Street and on Division Street from Liberty Street to Livoli Avenue, connecting with the present 8" mains on Divi- sion Street and Livoli Avenue.
65,000.00
Total New Standpipe and Distribution System $385,000.00
Our Superintendent George Watson died on Septem- ber 14, 1957. On September 23, 1957 our Department en- tered into an agreement with the Sewer Department for half time service of their Superintendent George Brousseau. This was subject to the approval of the Personnel Board for the payment of a salary of $9,000.00 divided between the two departments. This compared with a salary of $7,500.00 that we had been paying Mr. Watson. The ar- rangement gave us the services of one of the outstanding engineers in Massachusetts which was amply proven during the short time he was with us. Unfortunately the Person- nel Board failed to agree to this salary and we lost the services of Mr. Brousseau, who returned full time to the Sewer Department. As it was impossible for us to secure employment of any competent graduate engineer at a salary which the Personnel Board would approve, we pro- moted our number two man in the department. Mr. Dona- to Richardi has served in all divisions of the Water Depart- ment for over 20 years, and is a young man of outstanding ability. Already he has made improvements in our meth- ods, and by his courage and honesty has dealt fairly, but vigorously with all contractors who have been handling our various contracts in order that we might obtain the best results in the shortest time. We believe the Depart- ment will thrive under his supervision.
The drought through which we passed this past sum- mer indicated that we must do something to augment our water supply. We have been exploring for wells and have practically exhausted the possibility of further wells, al- though we are continuing to look. The Metropolitan Sys- tem cannot take us on for another four years until they complete their new $20,000,000.00 acqueduct to augment the water supply for the Metropolitan area. As our pond is already at its safe yield it seemed desirable to augment the capacity of our pond by dredging the rocks, clay and fill from the bottom of the pond and generally increase the size of the pond. During early 1957 we had been con- ferring with various contractors as to the best terms that
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