USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Chelmsford > Town annual report of Chelmsford 1935 > Part 9
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Satisfactory arrangements were made with Mr. Ashton, and after a series of meetings with the committee members he presentd floor plans that were acceptable to all. These provided six classrooms, all larger than the rooms in the present building, an assembly room, a lunch room, enlarged toilet facilities, and locker and shower rooms. As soon as the floor plans were ready application was made for a Federal grant. The plans were approved by the Federal authorities, but more than two months e'apsed before on November 13, 1935 the grant of 45 per cent of the cost of con- struction and equipment was made. The terms of the grant required that the contract for construction be signed by December 15th.
At the request of the building committee the Selectmen called a special Town meeting for November 27, 1935, at which the Town was to be asked to raise by a bond issue $66,000, this being 55% of the estimated cost of the addition and equipment. The meeting dismissed the article without con- sidering the merits of the proposition.
ROY A. CLOUGH, RALPH A. BERG, C. GEORGE ARMSTRONG, JAMES P. CASSIDY. JAMES KIBERD, Sr. JOHN A. McADAMS.
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
To the School Committee :
This, my eighth report to you and to the citizens of Chelmsford, the 62nd in the series of school reports, should be read in connection with those of 1930, 1932, and 1934, which discussed in detail the various items of school costs. Since these vary little from year to year, comment is made in the case of the few items in which there is considerable change. A complete statement of school expenditures is given in the report of the Town Accountant.
The reports for 1930 and 1934 showed current school costs figured out on a unit basis, item by item, and compared them with costs in other towns. A similar comparison for 1935 would give practically the same results. School costs in Chelmsford are low. The report of the Depart- ment of Education gives each year the expenditure for school support in all the towns and cities of the Commonwealth. For the year ending Decem- ber 31, 1934, the report gives $96,691.86 as the expenditure in Chelmsford, and $63.16 as the expenditure per pupil in net average membership. The report ranks Chelmsford as 77th of the 83 towns in Group II (towns over 5000) in cost per pupil. In the six towns having a lower cost trans- portation ran from nothing at all to $4.46 a pupil. Transportation in Chelmsford costs $5 23 for each pupil enrolled.
ADMINISTRATION
The overhead cost of running the schools was $3,944.81, including expenses of the School Committee, salary of superintendent and of attendance officers, postage and stationery, and telephone in the superin- tendent's office.
INSTRUCTION
The amount paid the fifty teachers and music supervisor was $63.204.23. As explained in last year's report, two separate reductions in teachers' sal- aries have been made, first by a downwrd revision of salary schedule in 1931, and then in 1933 by a cut of five per cent, or more. Beginning last April the five per cent cut was restored. Compared with other towns in Group II, towns of over 5000 population, our salary schedule is low. High School teachers, either men or women, begin at $1100 and receive . annual increases of $100 to a maximum of $1500 Grade teachers begin at $850 and receive annual increases of $50 to a maximum of $1200. The revision of 1931 left the older grade teachers receiving the maximum of that time, $1300. There are eleven now receiving that amount.
Books cost $1,308.69 and supplies $2,482.14, which with the amount paid teachers made the cost of instruction $66,995.06.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
The cost of operation, keeping the school buildings open, includes jan- itors, $8,332.50; janitors' supplies, $390.82; light, water, and power, $1,626.55 ; and fuel, $3,939.87. The ten school buildings required about 500 tons of coal in 1935, 50 tons more than the usual amount.
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The cost of maintenance, keeping the buildings repaired, replacing furniture, typewriters, etc, and of improvements, was $3,153.36. The ten buildings are valued by the Assessors at $518,000, so this expenditure is about three-fifths of one per cent of the value of the buildings. And be it noted that school buildings, used by children, get hard usage. Great credit is due the janitors for the excellent care the buildings receive. They var- nish desks and woodwork, do some painting, and make minor repairs, in addition to keeping the buildings warm and clean. Materials used by jan- itors cost $270. In previous years the East Chelmsford School, the High- land Avenue, and the Quessy have been painted inside as E. R. A. projects. Last summer application was made for W. P. A. projects for the repairing and painting of the two buildings at Princeton Street and the South Chelmsford School, for calsomining ceilings at the Westlands, and for cleaning and whitewashing the attic at East Chelmsford. The projects were approved and work was started at Princeton Street in December. These buildings were badly in need of major repairs. The carpenter work includes replacing splintered clapboards, repairing belfry on the old build- ing, removing the cupola on the new building, which is so weakened that there is danger of it being blown off, replacing all stair treads, replacing some floor timbers, putting up boards for displaying work, building entries from the playground to the basement, etc. Both buildings will be painted on the outside and the old building on the inside. With the completion of this work these buildings, with new toilet systems previously installed, will compare favorably with the other town schools. About $825 was expended in December for material for the work at Princeton Street schools.
Among repairs and improvements these may be of interest. Two rooms at the High School were lined with celotex to make them warmer. They are decidedly the most comfortable rooms in the building. The peculiar con- struction of the building, brick walls without a plaster finish. makes it almost impossible to heat the rooms properly in extremely cold weather and on days of high wind. It would probably be a measure of economy to line all the corner rooms with celotex, and this would go far to do away with complaints of chilly rooms. The cost of the two rooms was approxi- mately $175.
Two typewriters were replaced at a cost of $80; three flagpoles were rebuilt and reset at a cost of $60; new window shades cost $185; doors to the entries at the Westlands. other improvements and repairs amounted to $145 ; connecting the plumbing at South Chelmsford with the new water system, $138; a new ventilating fan at the McFarlin School, $65; steps at East Chelmsford and other repairs, $50: chimney and roof at High'and Avenue, $83; playgrounds and lawns, $112; lining walls in unexcavated space under old building at Princeton Street to prevent pipes from freezing, $75 ; electric wiring, motors, etc., $110.
As is always the case, the month to month repairs to the heating and plumbing systems constituted the largest bills for maintenance. Two items were unusual in 1935, both in the McFarlin School. The heating system is of the vacuum type, and electric pumps are used to return the water to the boilers. The pumps seemed to be running excessively. A checkup revealed many leaks in the peculiar valves used in the system. These were
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replaced at a cost, with labor, of $114. The power bills in the school immediately dropped from a high of $13.77 for November 1934 to the minimum rate of $3.00 a month.
Soon after school opened in September sewage backed up into the toilets in the McFarlin School. When the traps were opened the waste pipes were found clear till they left the building. In previous years the dry wells which receive the effluent from the septic tanks have proved inadequate, and additional wells have been dug and connected with the system. We have never had a plan of the plumbing or of the septic tanks. On uncovering the tanks we found ten small ones set in line. The tank nearest the building was absolutely filled with solids; there was no pos- sibility of the sewage flowing to the second tank. The next two or three were almost as bad, and it may be questioned whether this battery of ten small tanks ever functioned properly. The solids were cleaned out of the tanks and they were covered up, as the quickest way of handling the sitta- tion. This cannot be considered a permanent solution of the difficulty. The tanks may answer for two, or three, or five years, but eventually the same situation will develop. Sewage disposal both for this school and for the High School is a major problem. I would suggest that the Town might do well to engage a sanitary engineer, possibly one from the Department of Public Health, to make a study of the situation in both schools and to recommend procedure for a permanent solution. The cost of this block- ing of the sewage system was one day of school lost and about $85.
Ordinary plumbing repairs amounted to about $275, and the balance of the expenditure for maintenance about $325, was in many small items for repairing doors, windows, furniture, etc.
AUXILIARY AGENCIES
Getting children to and from school and caring for their health are included under this heading. Last June the second three-year transportation contract with George W. Marinel terminated. Bids for another three-year period were called for in June, and when they were opened the contract was again awarded to Mr. Marinel at a somewhat increased cost. This contract calls for the payment of $27.000 to be made in monthly payments for the 34 months from the opening of school last September to July 1. 1938, when the contract terminates. On October 1, 1935, 297 were being carried to the High School, 137 to McFarlin, 78 to Princeton Street, 72 to Quessy, and 29 to South, 613 in all. This makes the cost for each pupil carried $14.70. In addition to carrying pupils to the regular school sessions, the contract includes transportation of pupils to entertainments, graduation exercises, rehearsals, etc., which are approved by the School Committee and to the clinics conducted by the Board of Health. Since the schools are in session about 180 days the cost per day for each pupil carried is less than 9 cents.
No figures are published by the state for the number of pupils carried in the various towns and cities, but the expenditures for transportation are given. Conditions vary widely in different towns, depending on whether the population is closely grouped in one small area or spread out over a
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large township. The latter condition prevails in Chelmsford. Over a third of all the pupils are carried to school. In contrast Clinton reported last year no expenditures for transportation and Arlington less than $20. For the conditions existing in Chelmsford we believe transportation is being provided at a low cost, but it is above the average for the 83 towns in Group II.
The total for Auxiliary Agencies, including the school nurse and school physician, was $10,774.84.
New equipment, all to provide for increased enrollment in the Higl: School, cost $248.15.
Summarizing the above, school costs were:
Administration
$ 3.944 81
Instruction
66,995.06
Operation and Maintenance
17,443.10
Auxiliary Agencies
10,774.84
New Equipment
248.15
Total
$ 99,405 96
The town received in 1935 on school account the following amounts. The first item is, I understand, a credit extended the town by the state, and not a cash receipt. Under date of December 10, 1935, this letter was received :
"Under the provisions of Part I of Chapter 70 of the General Laws, which provides state reimbursements on account of the employment of teachers, I have certified to the Commissioner of Corporations and Taxa- tions and to the Comptroller that the amount given below was due the Town of Chelmsford on November 20, 1935. Amount $15,400.68."
(Signed) PAYSON SMITH, Commissioner of Education.
RECEIPTS BY THE TOWN ON SCHOOL ACCOUNT
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From the State as Rebate on Teachers' Salaries. $ 15,400.68
From the State for Tuition of State Wards 3,708 93
From Other Towns for Tuition 1,189.06
From Sale of Garage
25.00
From Sale of Pump and Tank
10.00
Total $ 20,333.67
Deducting these receipts from the total expenditures by the School Committee leaves as the part of the cost of the Chelmsford schools in 1935 which was raised by local taxation $79.072 29. Since on the present valu- ation each $1000 of expenditures adds about 15 cents to the tax rate, the schools required about $12 of the 1935 rate of $35.
On October 1st there were 79 state wards attending the Chelmsford schools, and ten pupils from other towns.
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Also on October 1st there were 20 students from Chelmsford in Lowell Vocational School. The amount paid for tuition in 1935 was $2,746.04, and the rebate from the State amounted to $1.106.89, leaving the net cost $1,639.15. This account is not handled through the School Department.
TEACHERS
During the year resignations were received from Miss Wells in the High School, Miss Mellen at Highland Avenue, Miss Murphy and Miss McTeague at Princeton Street, and Miss Peterson at Princeton Street requested leave of absence. Miss Ryan was transferred from South Chelmsford to the 5th and 6th grade room at Highland Avenue, and Miss Harrington from South Row to the 5th grade at Princeton Street. Miss Beth R. Hoffman, a graduate of Boston University, was elected to the position in the High School; Mr. Gerald Ivers, a graduate of Lowe 1 Textile Institute, and Miss Ann Hehir were elected to the 8th grade and 1st grade positions at Princeton Street; Miss Roberta Small to the upper grade position in South Chelmsford. Miss Hehir and Miss Small are graduates of Chelmsford High School and Lowell Teachers' College Miss Charlotte Lyons, a graduate of Plymouth Normal, with three years' experience, was elected to the South Row School, and later transferred to the McFarlin. The High School opened with increased enrol ment of about ten per cent. necessitating using a room in the McFarlin School and engag- ing another teacher. Miss Catherine Coughlan of Maynard, a graduate of Boston University, was secured.
The morale of the teachers remained high during the years when their salaries were reduced. At the same time many of them were required to take on increased burdens because of overcrowding and they did this with- out complaint. While the average size of the grade schools has not been unduly large, a few rooms each year have been badly crowded This year two rooms at McFarlin School, three at East Chelmsford, and one at the Westlands have had over 40 pupils. The worst case is the 5th and 6th grade room at the Westlands, which normally seats 35 pupils. Chair desks have been crowded in and fill every foot of floor space in order to accom- modate the 46 pupils entitled to attend these grades. This building and the East Chelmsford building have been filled to capacity for several years
Conditions in the High School have been discussed in all recent reports and on the floor of the Town Hall. It is useless to repeat details. Great credit is due the teachers for the splendid spirit they have shown in taking on unusually large classes in cramped quarters, and then by the earnestness of their endeavors maintaining the school's high standards It may well be asked how long these standards can be maintained, or how much longer the school can retain Grade A rating by the State, when every regulation regarding seating, ventilation, toilet facilities, etc., is being disregarded. Up to the present time the untiring work and loyalty of the teachers have served to overcome many material deficiencies.
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POPULATION AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
The Town Report of 1930, pages 126-129, gives the population changes of Chelmsford from 1765 to 1925, with an estimate of probable future growth. Going back twenty years only, and adding the census figures for 1930 and 1935, the table reads as follows :
Increase in Five Years
Year
Population
Number
Per Cent
1915
5,182
172
3.4
1920
5,682
500
9.7
1925
6,573
891
15.7
1930
7,022
449
6.8
1935
7,435
413
5.9
What the next ten years will show I do not assume to predict.
Of greater importance in school matters than mere growth in popula- tion is the ratio that the number of people in town bears to the number of children in school, as shown below.
Year
Population
Elementary Schools
High School
1915
5,182
887
148
1920
5,582
843
141
1925
6,573
1122
19-
1930
7,022
1182
305
1935
7,435
1203
436
In the twenty years, population increased 43 per cent, the elementary schools 35 per cent, but the High School increased 194 per cent. This is not peculiar to Chelmsford; it is true everywhere. The Comissioner of Education in Connecticut, Hon E. W. Butterfield, gives this formula for determining the size of a high school today. Take the size of the school a generation ago, add the per cent the population has grown in that time, and then double the result. The actual size of the school will be within five per cent of the result obtained by the formula. Try it with the figures given above. Mr. Butterfield speaks of this astounding increase in high school membership as "The New Fifty Per Cent," meaning the half of present day high school students who a generation ago would never have entered high school at all. Formerly pupils dropped out rapidly from the 6th grade on; now there is little drop till about the third year in high school.
This influx of pupils has created problems everywhere. No town which built its high school before 1920 built large enough. Note the towns and cities which have either enlarged their high schools, or built new junior high schools to take care of larger 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. About 1920 there began a thorough reorganization of high school courses of study, which is not yet complete. This "new fifty per cent" need different work than that which answered satisfactorily for the book-minded students of a generation ago. Practical courses are demanded, courses . which teach students how to do things, instead of teaching about things. These courses
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need cost 110 more than the traditional ones, but they do require workshops and laboratories and teachers trained to teach practical arts instead of Latin and mathematics. Chelmsford thus far has not provide either the necessary rooms or modern courses.
SAFETY EDUCATION
A matter of prime importance to all citizens, especially to parents, is safety on the highways. Every effort is made by the teachers to impress on the children's minds the need of care at all times. The traffic patrols and the bus patrols organized in several of the schools have been valuable aids in getting children home safely. The bus drivers hold very respon- sible positions in this regard. They deserve commendation for the fact that no serious accidents have occurred on the busses. Several accidents, one fatal, have occurred while children were on the way to bus stops, or after leaving the bus. Parents have full responsibility till the children get to the busses in the morning, and after they leave the busses at night. The children who walk from their homes to school probably encounter more hazards than the groups who are transported. We endeavor to send them home by the safest routes, but they sometimes come to school along other ways. The crossings at Central Square, on Princeton Street, and on Lowell Road are under police protection at the times when the children go home at noon and night, but it is impossible to guard all crossings. The play- ground at East Chelmsford has been made safer by moving a fence to the roadside, a bit of E. R. A. work. The unfenced playground of the McFarlin School, along Lowell Road, is a place of danger. Children often race into the street in their play in spite of all caution that can be given. and in coming to school they cross everywhere. Fencing the side of the McFarlin grounds might save a life.
Thanks are given to the many citizens and associations who have aided the schools in one way or another during 1935, such as the Parent- Teacher Associations, the Lions Club, the Police Department, the American Legion, the leaders of 4-H clubs and the Scouts, the High School students who aided in clerical work, cadet teachers from Lowell Teachers' College, etc. The services rendered voluntarily by these have been invaluable to the schools and in behalf of all the teachers I express sincere appreciation You, the members of the School Committee, have given of your best to the people of Chelmsford and to the pupils in school. Few know and appreci- ate the many hours of painstaking thought and attention which you and your predecessors in office have given to the many problems which come up for solution. For the teachers, pupils, and the general public I express sincere appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE S. WRIGHT, Superintendent.
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REPORT OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Chelmsford, Massachusetts, January 1, 1936.
Mr. George S. Wright, Superintendent of Schools, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
My Dear Mr. Wright :
It is with great pleasure that I submit my sixth annual report as principal of Chelmsford High School.
The enrollment in September was 206 boys, 226 girls. Since Septem- ber, 9 boys have entered, 11 boys have left, 6 girls have entered, and 11 girls have left making a total enrollment up to January 1, 1936, of 447. This is the largest enrollment in the history of the school.
This year a room in the McFarlin School building has been used as a home room for 35 pupils. This room is also used as a recitation room each period of the day. One other room is also used as a recitation room one period each day.
Athletics at Chelmsford High School are on a very firm foundation. School spirit is excellent. Chelmsford enjoys very friendly relationships with all schools which she meets on the court or field. Both pupils and players are taught that clean athletics and good sportsmanship are to be sought after rather than mere winning teams. Much help has been given by the various civic organizations of the town, police department, and loyal citizens. which has helped to keep athletics on the present high level at Chelmsford High School.
This year a student council has been organized by the pupils, with the help of the principal and teachers. "We, the members of the Student Coun- cil of Chelmsford High School, in order to help teach the pupils of our school how to govern themselves better, have drawn up the constitution by which our council may be governed in a suitable manner." This preamble to the constitution, writen by one of the members. explains the purpose of this student council. This group meets with the principal three times a week. Much good work has been done, and I am sure more is to follow by these pupils chosen by their classmates for this very important duty.
The debating club and dramatic society, both new organizations in the school, are doing good work under the direction of members of the faculty. Debates and short plays have been presented at assemblies and Parent -. Teacher meetings. The objective of these two organizations is to teach pupils to think clearly and stand on their feet and express themselves cor- rectly.
The publications committee, headed by our vice-principal, has charge of the editing of the Blue Moon and the Year Book. These publications entail a great deal of work. Much credit is due the teachers and pupils for the excellent work done in this field.
The financial condition of the high school fund is shown in the follow- ing report made by Miss McCarthy, our vice-principal, who has charge of the department :
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CHELMSFORD HIGH SCHOOL FUNDS
1. GENERAL FUND
Balance, Jan. 1, 1935 $ 466.93
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
96.92
$ 563.85
Les: Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935 122.28
Balance, 'Dec. 31, 1935
$ 441.57
2. ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Balance, Jan. 1, 1935
$ 155.31
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
1,376.02
$ 1,531.33
Less : Payments, Jan .- 1, Dec. 31, 1935
1,268.09
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935
$ 263.24
3. BLUE MOON
Balance
$ 184.83
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
106.82
$ 291.65
Less : Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
93.33
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935
$ 198.32
A HEALTH CLUB
Balance, Jan. 1, 1935
$
2.52
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
11.60
$ 14.12
Less : Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
13.22
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935
$ .90
5 MAGAZINE FUND
Balance, Jan. 1, 1935
$ 72.00
Less : Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
9.95
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935
$ 62.05
6. CHEMISTRY FUND
Balance, Jan. 1, 1935
$ 8.65
Receipts, Jan .1-Dec. 31, 1935
23.20
$ 31.85
Less : Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
20.54
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935 ....... $ 11.31
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7. DEBATING CLUB
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
$ 15.08
Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
7.00
Balance, Dec. 31, 9135
$ 8.08
8. DRAMATIC CLUB
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
$ 6.40
Payments, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935
6.15
Balance, Dec. 31, 1935 $ .25
9. FENCE FUND (Gift of Class of 1935)
Receipts, June 30, 1935 $ 50.00
10. YEAR BOOK of 1935
Receipts, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1935 $ 768.30
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