USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1906 > Part 7
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Willis V. Snow
5 65
Alice M. Ward
16 05
Louise S. Wilber
14 43
Lottie N. Blakeslie
8 80
Shirlie C. Clark
15 70
Jay G. Galligan
3 10
LeRoy M. LeBaron
35 42
Charles E. Reed
29 18
Mary Shaw
37 60
Elmer A. Sisson
22 08
Mildred A. Thomas
21 48
Herbert L. Wilber
21 78
George L. Barney
9 30
Winsor A. Carver
27 45
Ruth M. Davis
9 10
Ethel Macomber
13 15
George H. Shaw
5 55
Willis C. Holcomb
8 35
Mary C. Azevedo
18 30
Frank W. Durant
5 10
Rose Jordan
65
Orton C. Newhall
9 45
Arthur C. Ripley
27 75
Celesta O. Shaw
35 60
Eliza A. Slesser
9 29
14
Alfred E. Standish
9 00
Forest B. Standish
18 00
Ernest E. Thomas
16 32
Leslie M. Thomas
16 02
Lyman H. Thomas
21 29
Stephen B .Thomas Robert L. Tomblen
5 70
Ellis M. Wilber
19 13
Joseph E. Wood
9 40
Clarence H. Wilber
33 36
Marion Johnson
5 05
Arlena F. Tinkham
12 65
Susan A. Bishop
3 90
Alice C. Dunham
3 75
Elsie H. Dunham
3 75
Marian F. Dunham
3 75
Florence A. Hunt
7 50
Sarah McFarlin
3 30
Emil B. Perry
3 75
Carrie L. Murch
7 50
Gladys L. Shurtleff
5 80
Chester L. Vickery
50
Lillian A. Ward
11 10
Arthur B. Westgate
3 75
Nettie C. Westgate
20
Allerton E. Wilbur
3 75
Harold S. Williams
3 75
Ella G. Glendall
3 75
$765 12
The increased expense for transportation over the previous year was due to the failure of the electric road to run cars on the Onset line for 4 months of the year, causing the pupils from South Middleboro and Rock to travel on the steam cars at a greatly increased expense.
Conveyance to Elementary Schools. School Teams.
Pleasant Street, Robert W. Thorson $339 50
Nemasket, C. E. Libby 160 50
.
5 70
15
Thomastown, Dana H. Shaw
285 40
South Middleboro, Amos M. Blackwell
370 75
$1,156 15
Individual Transportation.
Thompsonville School, David N. Wetherbee
$107 00
Main Street Grammar-Fall Term.
Grace Leonard
$4 60
Clark Wilmot
3 10
Annie H. Wilber
7 85
Susie B. Tinkham
2 30
Minnie E. Westgate
3 30
Waldo S. Thomas
3 80
Carlton M. Dunham
3 80
Sarah A. Vaughan
7 85
Bertha Benson, Fall, Winter and Spring terms
20 05
Sarah McFarlin, Winter and Spring terms
12 00
Florence A. Hunt, Winter and Spring terms
14 53
$83 68
Rock School-Fall Term.
Alice Boutin
$3 60
Margaret E. Thomas
3 65
Roy Tripp
3 75
Lawrence Wilber
3 75
Ethel Morrison
6 15
Ralph Tripp
3 70
Ida Bearse
3 75
$28 35
The school team at Wappanucket was discontinued Jan. 1, 1906, and the one at Nemasket last June, thus making the cost of the elementary transportation the lowest for many years. In order to relieve the congested condition at the South Middleboro School, the ninth grade pupils
16
were transferred to the Main Street Grammar School from the Rock and South Middleboro and the eighth grade from South Middleboro to the Rock, and their transportation paid by the town. Pupils attending the High School who live over two miles from the building are allowed trans- portation at the rate of 21/2 cents a mile for every mile or fraction of a mile over two miles going and returning. But in no case shall such mileage exceed the actual carfare. The cost of maintaining the school teams is at present $6.25 a school day. There are 21 pupils carried by the North Middleboro team, 21 by the Thomastown team, and 14 by the South Mid- dleboro team. The discontinuing of the Nemasket team made it necessary to arrange for one pupil to attend school in Bridgewater, the tuition being paid by the town.
Repairs.
Amount available
$1,558 44
Expended.
Fred C. Sparrow :
Labor at Marion Road School building $31 07
Labor at School Street building 88 44
Labor at Chapel building 35 86
Sundries 50
155 87
Eben Jones :
Labor at West Side building
$183 78
Labor at Union Street building 6 56
Labor at Rock School building
34 27
Labor at South Middleboro School building 1 86
Repairing blackboards and general
repairs 104 98
331 45
Zenas E. Phinney :
Labor at West Side
$8 53
Labor at Union Street
8 33
Labor at Soule
5 28
17
Labor at High School
4 48
Labor at Chapel 2 36
67 77
William A. Andrews :
Cash paid for grading at Waterville $100 30
Cash paid for labor at Thomastown 6 32
106 62
Lloyd Perkins, 2d :
Labor at West Side
$8 29
Labor at High School
6 80
15 09
M. W. Baxter :
Labor at Pleasant Street,
$6 90
Labor at Forest Street
6 02
12 92
T. G. Matthews :
Labor and pump at Nemasket
$17 15
Labor at School Street
4 29
21 44
J. K. & B. Sears & Co .:
Material, School Street
$115 73
Material, Chapel
52 16
Material, Marion Road
85 26
Material, Union Street
4 24
Material, West Side
2 17
Material, Thompsonville
5 87
Incidentals
3 74
269 17
Jones Bros. Co. :
Forest Street, shades
$25 20
West Side, shades
13 50
Marion Road, shades
4 50
Purchade, shades
10 00
High School, shades
6 55
Marion Road, desk and chairs
19 05
Thompsonville, desk and chairs
18 00
School Street, labor
.30
97 10
18
Thomas W. Pierce :
Labor and material, Forest Street
$35 26
Labor and material, School Street 7 00
28 20
Labor and material, Union Street, Incidentals
20 51
90 97
J. & G. E. Doane :
Labor and material, School Street
$19 01
Labor and material, Rock 26 33
Labor and material, Union Street 9 66
10 02
Labor and material, West Side
15 87
Labor and material, Chapel 54 20
Labor and material, Thompsonville
8 40
Incidentals
21 42
164 91
C. F. Gay, labor at Forest Street
10 40
13 55
C. H. Crowell, labor and material at West Side J. A. Washburn, labor at Thompsonville and Soule W. L. Faxon, repairing pump at Wappanucket Byron Baker, slates and slating at High School building
21 26
E. H. Blake, repairing locks, furnishing keys and gong
4 88
William T. Clark, grading at Rock
3 25
Fred L. Hanson, labor at Thompsonville
5 25
M. Cushing Co., material for Thompsonville
1 80
New England Brick Co., brick
9 50
H. L. Clapp, repairing concrete at High School
2 00
J. F. McCormick, repairs at Union Street
11 97
C. W. Maxim, material and labor at Union Street
12 66
William LeClerc, labor at Marion Road 46 69
1 00
Joseph N. Shaw, labor at Fall Brook Josiah H. Thomas, labor at Thomastown
5 17
F. E. Pierce, labor at South Middleboro Luther G. Ashley, labor at Marion Road
4 30
7 00
James A. Burgess, repairs on 13 suburban school buildings 48 90
$1,558 44
There are unpaid bills of nearly $300.00 in this account, which were unable to be paid on account of the expense
13 50
1 75
Labor and material, High School
19
incurred in fitting up the School Street and Chapel build- ings, for which no extra appropriation was made. The ex- pense of fitting up the School Street building was approxi- mately $320.00; of fitting the Chapel, $170.00.
To comply with the requirements of the local Board of Health and State Inspector of Public Buildings, over an ex- penditure of $100.00 was incurred in improving the sani- tary conditions in Union Street building and building a. fire escape.
High School Repairs.
Appropriation
$1,000 00
Expended :
J. K. & B. Sears & Co., material
$322 69
Lloyd Perkins, 2d, labor
64 03
E. VanNoorden Co., skylight
34 00
.
Eben Jones, labor
63 43
E. A. Masefield, labor
5 70
J. & G. E. Doane, material and labor
105 84
Frank E. Peirce, labor
389 31
W. H. Southworth, incidentals
15 00
$1,000 00
The amount appropriated for carrying out the vote of the town was not sufficient to make the required changes. It will probably require an additional expenditure of from three to four hundred dollars to finish the work and pay the bills already incurred. I would recommend that the heating plant in the building be made more efficient by increasing the heating power of the plant, that the third floor, now heated by stoves, may be connected with the system. To do this would call for a larger boiler and pipes and consequently an increased appropriation would be re- quired of nearly $1,200.00.
The following table gives the amount expended for school purposes the last two years, showing an increase in current expenditures and repairs and a decrease in the transporta- tion to Elementary Schools :
20
COMPARATIVE EXPENSE TABLE.
1905-1906.
1905.
1906. Increase.
Instruction,
superinten-
dence, care of
build-
ings and fuel
$23,944 77
$24,393 18
$448 41
Books and supplies
1,368 80
1,667 42
298 62
Printing
160 80
208 40
47 60
Sundries
600 78
589 64
11 14
Conveyance to High School
683 80
765 12
81 32
Conveyance to Elementary Schools
2,052 20
1,375 18
677 02
Repairs
1,000 00
1,558 44
558 44
The following table gives the expenditures for 1906; the estimates for 1906; the estimates for 1907. The increase is due to more teachers in the force and increase of salaries. fuel and janitor service for the new School Street building :
Expenditures Estimates
1906.
1906.
Estimates 1907.
Salaries
$21,205 34
$20,650 00
$22,700 00
Care of buildings
1,709 04
1,650 00
2,100 00
Fuel
1,478 80
1,650 00
2,000 00
Books, supplies and print- ing
1,875 82
1,750 00
1,850 00
Sundries
589 64
600 00
550 00
Transportation
2,140 30
2,200 00
2,000 00
Repairs
1,558 44
1,500 00
1,000 00
Salaries of School Com.
150 00
150 00
150 00
Rent of Chapel building
300 00
Respectfully submitted. CHARLES H. BATES.
Secretary.
" You may tell me that my views are vision- ary, that the destiny of this country is less ex- alted, that the American people are less great than I think they are or ought to be. I answer, Ideals are like stars : you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But, like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides and following them you reach your destiny." - Carl Schurz.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
TWENTY-SECOND IN THE SERIES.
Middleboro, Mass., Jan. 31, 1907.
To the School Committee of Middleboro :
In compliance with your regulations I respectfully submit to you and the Citizens of Middleboro my sixth annual report. of the conditions and needs of the schools of the town :
Enrollment and Attendance.
The total number of pupils enrolled for the year was 1,482, a gain of 114; the average membership 1,268, an increase of 57 ; the average daily attendance 1,188, an increase of 55 ; the percentage of daily attendance to average member- ship 93.7, an increase of .. 2. It is gratifying to note the gradual growth in the membership of the schools, as well as the gain in the percentage of daily attendance. The following table shows that last year the daily attendance was the highest for many years and probably was never surpassed in the history of the schools :
Year, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898. 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906, Percentage, 91.5 90.9 92.5 92.8 92.7 91.7 91.7 92.5 90. 90.8 92.2 93.5 93.7
22
The suburban schools had the highest percentage they have probably ever reached, 90.8, being a gain of .6 over last year.
The banner school of the elementary schools was the Thompsonville school, keeping the reputation it has had for a number of years of having a very high percentage of attendance. The record of this school by months is given below :
Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Year
Total membership.
12 12
12
12
12
12
12
11
11
11 12
Average .. attendance,
10.4
12
12
12
12
12
12
11
11 10.68 11.5
10.37 11.61 11.89 11.05
12
11.5
11.26 10.37 10.77 10.42 11.169
Percent. of
99.71 96.75 99.16 95.83
100
95.83 93.83 94.31 97.9 97.56 97.08
The Fall Brook school had but 3 tardy marks for the year. The people of the suburban districts are to be congratulated on the excellent attendance in those schools. Middleboro was surpassed by but a few towns in the state last year in the matter of school attendance.
This attendance is the more praiseworthy when we consider that the past year there has been no school signal for closing schools in stormy weather, the signal system having been abolished by vote of the board last February. While it is an open question whether those who prefer should not always have the privilege of sending their children to school without regard to storms it certainly gives more uniformity in closing by using a signal system. It might be a good plan to adopt such a system for closing the primary grades at least. The usual attendance tables are here given :
23
TABLE I.
School Enrollment and Attendance.
Central.
Suburban.
Total.
Whole number of pupils enrolled
987
495
1,482
Average membership
876
392
1,268
Average daily attendance
832
356
1,188
Percentage of attendance
94.9
90.8
93.7
Number of half days' absence
16,725
15,623
32,348
Number of cases of tardiness
1,109
570
1,679
Number of cases of dismissal
873
390
1,263
Number of cases of truancy
23
10
33
Number of cases of corporal punishment
48
20
68
Number attending over 15 years of age
155
7
162
Number attending between 7 and
14 years
566
400
966
TABLE II.
Enrollment Table for November.
Central.
Suburban.
Total.
1895
662
337
999
1896
669
360
1,029
1897
686
391
1,077
1898
724
389
1,113
1899
727
384
1,111
1900
781
408
1,189
1901
860
401
1,261
1902
840
385
1,225
1903
863
405
1,268
1904
891
400
1,291
1905
907
410
1,317
-1906
933
420
1,353
24
TABLE III. STATISTICS OF EACH SCHOOL. YEAR ENDING JUNE 22, 1906.
SCHOOL.
Room.
TEACHER.
Grades.
Total
Membership.
Average
Membership.
Attendance.
Per cent. of
Attendance.
High
Walter Sampson, Prin ...
10-13
205
191
185
97
Leonard O. Tillson.
Grace Allen. .
Mabel F. Barnum.
Anastacia G. Leahy
Clara E. Parker
Main street.
3
C. W. M. Blanchard, Prin.
9
49
45
43
95
2
Lillian M. Tinkham.
8
47
41
39
96
1
N. Louise Kimball
7
58
51
47
93
Union street.
4
Florence L. Dean, Princ.
5
63
58
55
95
3
Veretta F. Shaw.
6
52
53
49
94
2
Maude B. Perry
4
31
28
27
94
1
Effie D. Williams
4
38
33
31
94
School street.
3
Lucy P. Burgess
3
78
69
66
95
3
Lottie N. Besse, Ass't ..
3
2
55
48
44
91
1
Eleanor A. Barden, Prin.
1
57
49
46
94
Forest street.
2
A. Belle Tenney, Prin ..
2
44
38
36
93
1
Flora M. Clark.
1
35
29
27
94
West Side
4
George L. Weekes, Prin.
8-9
27
24
23
94
3
Marion W. Sisson.
6-7
45
37
35
94
2
Myra L. Atwood.
3-5
57
45
45
95
1
Mattie M. Bennett.
1-2
46
37
35
95
Pleasant street.
Lucy E. Merrihew
mixed
43
33
29
88
Plymouth street.
Annie M. Holt
66
26
21
19
90
Purchase
Eliza McTaggart ..
66
36
28
24
87
Nemasket
Grace S. Hathaway
22
16
15
88
Thompsonville
Alice B. L. Baron
66
12
12
11
97
Soule .
Mary E. Deane ..
66
37
33
30
89
Waterville
Bessie B. Barley.
30
24
22
90
Green
A. Delle Alden.
66
26
19
18
92
Thomastown.
Ethel F. Roberts.
46
36
33
90
So. Middleboro ..
Hattie M. Chase
56
45
42
91
Highland
Annabel Landgrebe
66
33
28
24
87
Rock
Florence I. Reed.
35
28
26
92
Wappanucket.
Faye H. Deane
30
19
17
90
Marion Road.
Katherine M. Cole
66
19
17
15
88
44
33
31
93
Fall Brook.
Katherine Bryan.
66
66
2
Lena M. Baldwin.
. .
66
66
Total
TABLE IV. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE, 1894-1906.
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
Number of teachers.
30
31
31
33
33
33
34
37
37
38
39
39
40
Number of pupils. .
1,201
1,233
1,211
1,232
1,262
1,179
1,236
1,277
1,308
1,346
1,376
1,368
1,482
Average number :.
940
974
948
968
1,024
1,045 1,107
1,122
1,185
1,153
1,188
1,211
1,268
Av. daily attendance.
860
890
881
901
950
959
1,016
1,038
1,038
1,049
1,095
1,133
1,188
Percentage.
91.5
90.9
92.5
92.8
92.7
91.7
91.7
92.5
90.0
90.8
92.2
93.5
93.7
No. half days absence
29,529 28,591 26,623 27,310 27,540 31,136 32,803 34, 156 40,957 34,612 35,563 36,498 32,348
No. cases tardiness".
3,009
1,710
1,143
1,142
1,131
1,195
1,165
1,188
1,431
1,091
1,521
1,553
1,679
No. cases dismissal
2,497
1,659
1,321
1,483
1,495
1,061
1,107
1,116
1,186
811
1,090
1,116|
1,263
No. cases truancy .
23
12
38
21
19
14
15
26
17
9
14
15
33
No. Pupils in High School.
159
146
153
159
159
126
138
133
147
168
174
200
205
26
COST OF SCHOOLS.
In order to show the increasing expense each year in the carrying on of the schools a few tables have been compiled which will be of interest.
Table One-Cost of Schools 1901-1906.
1
Amt. available. Amt. expended. Increase.
Teachers" wages. $15,323.40
Increase.
1901.
$25,570.72
$25,494.95
1902.
26,115.01
25,823.30
328.35
15,573.15
249.75
1903.
27,360.07
27,285.01
1,461.71
16,666.80
1,093.65
1904.
28,559.60
28,545.68
1,260.67
17.772.95
1,106.15
1905.
30,340.98
29,961.15
1,423.47
18,664.00
891.05
1906.
30,797.99
30,707.38
806.23
19,488.70
824.70
$5,282.43
$4,165.30
From the above table it will be seen that nearly four- fifths of the increased expense for the last five years has been due to the increase in the teaching force and the readjust- ment of salaries, especially in the suburban schools.
Table two shows the cost of schools in Middleboro compared with some of the towns of Plymouth County of nearly the same school enrollment. The figures are taken from the last report of the State Board of Education (1904-1905) :
Table Two. COMPARATIVE TABLES.
No. of Teachers.
No. of Schools.
No. of Pupils in High School.
Enrollment of the Schools.
Abington.
27
20
179
1,064
Bridgewater
33
25
132
973
Hingham.
25
25
145
889
Plymouth
51
44
137
1,816
Rockland.
30
25
152
1,166
Whitman.
31
22
130
1,209
Middleboro
39
31
174
1,376
Avg. Wages Per Month. Male Teachers
Avg. Wages Per Month. Female Teachers.
T'chers' Wages for the Year.
Cost per Pupil for Instruction.
Abington. .
$100.00
$49.27
$15,790.20
$15.72
Bridgewater
153.00
60.62
23,173.55
24.84
Hingham
115.00
47.40
15,278.75
17.18
Plymouth
117.50
44.10
26,935.87
14.83
Rockland.
84.00
53.40
18,465.50
15.83
Whitman.
104.50
50.18
16,960.19
14.02
Middleboro
108.00
43.12
18,656.44
13.55
Cost of Sundries.
Fueland Care.
Transportat'n.
Textbooks and Supplies.
Abington
$1,115.34
$3,275.00
920.00
$1,811.13
Bridgewater
436.21
2,385.21
723.94
1,443.77
Hingham.
562.51
4,914.94
1,075.00
1,842.90
Plymouth
874.87
6,434.09
675.26
2,362.87
Rockland.
997.81
3,295.19
59.00
1,261.32
Whitman.
1,214.56
4,005.07
2,006.11
Middleboro
582.10
3,349.33
2,740.20
1,353.12
Am't Raised by Tax for Support of Schools.
Cost per Pupil.
Abington
$22,827.60
$22.73
Bridgewater
20,522.17
21.09
Hingham
22,914.80
25.77
Plymouth
39,365.71
21.12
Rockland
24,521.32
27.02
Whitman
24,449.93
20.22
Middleboro.
28,606.19
20.79
28
The above table shows that next to Plymouth, Middleboro has the largest school enrollment, number of teachers and schools of the seven towns. That she pays a lower monthly wage to her female teachers; that the cost per pupil for instruction is lower than in any of the others; that she pays for incidentals, fuel and care of buildings less than many of them; that in transportation of pupils she exceeds all in her expenditure; that her book and supply account is smaller with one exception than the others; that her cost per pupil for all expense raised by taxation is with one exception smaller.
Table Three.
Table three gives the cost for books and supplies for three years of the same towns :
Abington.
Bridgewater.
Hingham.
Plymouth.
1903
$1.528 45
$1,475 56
$1,598 38
$1,676 67
1904
1,811 13
1,443 77
1,842 90
2,362 87
1905
1,880 45
1,958 26
1,787 40
2,961 12
$5,219 03
$4,877 59
$5,228 68
$7,000 66
Average
$1,739 67
$1,625 86
$1,742 89
$2,333 55
Rockland.
Whitman.
Middleboro.'
1903
$1,202 07
$1,700 76
$1,065 74
1904
1,261 32
2,006 11
1,353 12
1905
2,564 88
2,660 35
1,529 60
$5,028 27
$6,367 22
$3,948 46
Average
$1,676 09
$2,122 41
$1,316 15
The above table shows that the cost of furnishing books and supplies in the Middleboro schools has not been larger than in towns in the county with a much smaller school enrollment.
Table Four.
STATISTICAL EXPENSE TABLE FOR TEN YEARS.
Year.
Fuel.
Books and Supplies.
Incidentals.
Transportation. Elementary Schools.
Transportation. High School.
1897 .
$1,000.01
$1,262.88
$445.28
$1,660.45
$404.73
1898.
989.89
1,335.84
. 420.38
1,440.35
335. 63
1899.
1,215.54
1,439.00
437.93
1,447.75
307.27
1900 .
1,072.98
1,612.76
441.04
1,522.70
352.84
1901 .
1,303.84
1,938.98
504.69
1,560.90
474.27
1902.
690.55
1,822.85
725.10
1,739.60
524.99
1903. .
2,385.17
1,065.42
439.72
1,827.80
693.47
1904 . .
1,711.99
1,353.12
582.10
1,662.30
875.20
1995. .
1,649.32
1,529.60
600.78
2,052.20
683.80
1906.
1,478.80
1,975.82
589.64
1,375.18
765.12
30
NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.
The most important action by the town the past year in the matter of school accommodations was the appointment of a committee to investigate the need of better school accommo- dations and the subsequent action in voting to erect an eight- room brick building on the site of the old building on School street. The committee having charge of the erection of the new building consists of Hon. David G. Pratt, William A. Andrews and William M. Haskins. The committee succeeded in placing the contract so as to keep within the appropriation and the building, in every way well equipped for school purposes and an ornament to the town, will be occupied at the opening of the fall term in September. The building is being erected by the firm of F. P. Cummings Co. of Boston according to plans and specifications of Cooper & Bailey, Boston architects.
It will be an eight-room brick structure, with stone trim- mings and slate roof, 80x85 feet, each room being 28x32 feet. 12 feet in height, and capable of seating 48 pupils.
The teachers' entrance will be in front, the boys' entrance being on the left side and the girls' on the right. The blackboards will be of the best slate. The building will be fitted for gas and electricity and a complete system of telephones and electric bells will be installed. The Fuller- Warren combination of furnace and steam heat and ventila- tion will be used, the school rooms being heated by hot air, and the corridors and teachers' rooms by steam. In order to have the work satisfactorily performed, the building committee secured Mr. John A. Jackson of Brockton as a local supervisor. The town is to be congratulated on the addition of such a building to the group of public buildings and the building committee is entitled to the thanks of the town for their efforts in this work.
Insurance of School Buildings.
An article has been inserted in the annual warrant in regard to the insuring of school buildings. The school buildings at the center represent a large valuation and now that the new School Street building has been added to the group this question is brought forward for the town to say
31
whether it will place the same protection against fire on them as it has on the Town house, Public Library building and Almshouse. While it may not be deemed expedient to insure all or any of the suburban buildings it is thought by many to be a good business proposition to protect the more valuable buildings at the center.
School Accommodations.
The question of securing adequate accommodations for the schools last September was one which was met by the following plan: The old School Street building which had been moved to the rear of the lot was fitted up for temporary use by the permission of the State Inspector of Public Buildings. In this building three schools were placed. The Chapel building was secured and fitted up for the two lower primary grades, while the four rooms in Union Street building accommodated the four intermediate schools. The erection of the new building on School Street does by no means settle the question of adequate school accommodations. With any ordinary increase in the school population the need of another new building for primary grades will soon be apparent. Under the plan adopted by the board the 3rd and 4th grades, now numbering nearly 150 pupils, will allow for but little increase in enrollment without lowering the efficiency of those grades.
The Chapel building has a seating capacity of only 44 to each room and this is nearly taken the present year. In fact some of the second grade pupils had to be transferred to Forest Street, to relieve the overcrowded condition of the second grade this last term.
In order to meet the needs of the primary grades, a new building should be provided. If there is any increase in those grades the coming year such a building will be a necessity.
An eight-room building similar to the new School Street building for primary grades, would give us excellent school accommodations for the next ten years.
Remodeling of School House at South Middleboro.
The school at South Middleboro is the largest Suburban School in town. Last fall in order to relieve the congested
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condition the ninth grade was transferred to the Center Grammar School and the eighth grade to the Rock School, but still the present membership is 47. I said in my last report, if it is assured that this section promises the same or a larger future membership, the present building should be enlarged to a two-room building. With the growth of the school it seems that something should be done soon towards providing better school accommodations for this section of the town.
New Grading.
The removal of the grammar grades from the High School building has called for a change in the grading of the central schools.
With a regard for future increase in the central schools the following plan for grading the schools next September has been adopted :
In the new School Street building the rooms on the second floor will be occupied by two ninth grades, one seventh grade and one eighth grade. On the first floor will be one seventh and eighth grades, one sixth grade, one fifth grade. and one fifth and sixth grades. That is, in six of the rooms there will be single grades and in two rooms two grades each. Based on present membership the enrollment of each room would be as follows :
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