USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1923 > Part 2
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That the amount appropriated for school purposes is not excessive when compared with some of the towns in the county of about the same size may be seen from the fol- lowing table compiled from the last report of the State De- partment of Education of the 355 towns and cities of the State.
Rank in Expenditures for School Support
Cost per Pupil Cost per Pupil in Rank
High School
Cost per Pupil in Elementary Schools
Bridgewater
3
274
$90.57
$51.38
Abington
2
149
102.00
61.33
Rockland
33
178
92.12
52.88
Whitman
82
230
78.66
49.03
Middleboro
98
267
91.76
50.69
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Cost per pupil in high schools of the State is $106.78 and in the elementary schools $87.06. Middleboro's cost per pupil is $15.02 less for high school pupils and $36.37 less for elementary pupils than the cost per pupil in the State.
The same group of towns shows the total cost for 1922 as follows :
Cost per Pupil
Total Cost
No. of No. of Pupils Teachers Based on Total Cost and Total No. of Pupils
Bridgewater
$93,534.91
1620
54
$57.73
Abington
76.620.39
1090
33
57.28
Rockland
94,426.75
1494
44
63.27
Whitman
79,293.09
1445
40
54.87
Middleboro
93,843.43
1745
49
53.77
TRANSPORTATION
The increasing cost of transportation is due to the larger number of pupils now coming from the higher grades of the Suburban Schools to the Central Schools and to the increase in pay to drivers of the six school convey- ances. The present year the cost for pupils attending the Central Schools from the suburban districts will be nearly $900. It is the custom whenever pupils are transferred by vote of the Board from these districts to the Central Schools to reimburse them for cost of their transportation. High School pupils living two miles or more from the School building are reimbursed for the actual cost to them of transportation.
The matter of High School transportation was pre- sented to the voters of the town at a town meeting several years ago and it was voted to allow such pupils their trans- portation expenses. The law governing transportation of pupils reads: "Every town shall provide and maintain a sufficient number of school houses, properly furnished and conveniently situated for the accommodation of all children therein entitled to attend the public schools. If the distance between a child's residence and the school he is entitled to
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attend exceeds two miles and the school committee declines to furnish transportation the department, upon appeal of the parent or guardian of the child, may require the town to furnish the same for a part or for all of the distance."
In 1903 the town paid $2,521.27 for transportation of pupils and of this amount $1,827.80 was for 6 school teams. In 1913 the amount paid was $2,332.80 and of this amount $1,524.50 was for 5 school teams. For this year the cost is estimated to be $8,500.00 or nearly four times"the amount paid in 1913. This estimate includes $6,381.75 for 6 school conveyances and the remainder for transportation reim- bursements to pupils attending the High and Central ele- mentary schools from th suburban districts.
A survey of the Suburban transportation problem may be of interest.
The North Middleboro transportation is done by a motor truck carrying 18 pupils to the Pleasant Street School, 20 to the Plymouth Street and 6 to the Pratt Free School. The district is a large one and the route covered is 16 miles. The cost per school day is $6, excepting in Janu- ary, February and March, when it is $7 a school day. The annual cost is estimated to be $1,230.
The section which furnishes the pupils is so large that it would be difficult to find a site that would do away with transportation by erecting a school house. In fact a survey made by the School Board a few years ago resulted in not being able to find such a location that would do away with transportation. If such a location were possible it would mean a saving to the town of that amount as only one school beside the Pratt Free School would have to be con- tinued in North Middleboro where now there are two. The present arrangement is, therefore, better with its two graded schools of three grades each than two multi-graded schools under some other arrangement.
The Thompsonville section pupils living on River Street are conveyed by a horse-drawn vhicle. The number
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of children carried is 9 and the route covers from 8 to 10 miles. The cost is $3 a school day or approximately $550 a year. No change could be made in this section.
The Marion Road section furnishes 8 pupils who are carried in a motor truck. The route covers 9 miles and the transportation cost is $3 a school day or approximately $550 a year. The opening of the Marion Road School for so few pupils would be impracticable and the additional cost over the present cost of transportation would be $700.
The number of pupils carried to the Thomastown school is 8. The conveyance is a horse-drawn wagon. The route covers 9 miles. The cost per school day is $3 or ap- proximately $550 a year. These children come from the Rocky Meadow section.
Pupils living in the Highland and France districts are carried to the South Middleboro School in motor vehicles. There are 23 from the France section and 13 from the Highland district. The France route covers 12 miles and the Highland 7 miles. The cost per school day is $9.75 and $12.00 a day during the winter months, or approximately $1,927.50 a year. A singular situation in two of these sec- tions is the fact that in the North Middleboro section 75 per cent of the pupils attending those schools live over 2 miles from the school buildings and in the South Middle- boro section only 11 pupils live within that distance. If the France school were reopened there would still have to be transportation as several in that section live over two miles from the France school house. If the Highland school should be reopened as well as the France School there would be a school there of only 13 pupils and one of less than 20 pupils at South Middleboro.
The additional teacher expense for the France School together with cost of upkeep would be at least $1,300 a year. The teaching cost under the present plan is $1,300 and the transportation $1,927.50, a total of $3,227.50. Under the plan of reopening the France school the teacher cost of the two schools-one at South Middleboro and one in the
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France section would be $2,400. and the transportation cost. allowing for a conveyance for the Highland district and one for the France at $3 a school day for each, or $550 a year for each, would make the total cost $3,500. It would seett. as expensive as it may seem to be to maintain two motor vehicles in this section, it would be more expensive under a different plan, not only financially, but also in the charac- ter of the service compared with the splendid results now being secured.
The pupils attending the High School from North Middleboro and the upper grades at the Purchade are transported by the regular jitney service from that section.
This service is also extended to carrying the pupils from the upper grades at the Green to the School Street School at a total cost of $8 a school day or approximately $1,560 a school year.
The only possible saving here would be the retention of the upper grades at the Green now numbering 45 pupils in five grades, and the placing of that school on the half- time plan which would be unfair to the pupils and unsatis- factory to the district.
The number of pupils transported last term was 248; High School 72, Central Schools 62, teams and trucks 114.
REPAIRS
Under the direction of the Town Manager more ex- tensive repairs have been made the past year than for seve- ral years.
The Union Street building has been placed in excellent condition and with its painted exterior and the walls, wood- work of the rooms and corridors painted, and the ceilings kalsomined, the blackboards renovated and the seats and desks varnished, presents an attractive appearance.
At the West Side the plumbing, the ventilating and heating systems have been overhauled, the exterior of the building painted, the walls and woodwork painted, the ceil- ings kalsomined, and the blackboards renovated.
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The portable building has also been painted. The main building has been provided with a fire escape on the rear, a door has been made in each of the four rooms as an exit to the escape, the frames for pupils' clothing have been changed so as to allow a quicker egress and the whole building with the renovation of the furniture presents a fine appearance.
The Rock and South Middleboro buildings have been thoroughly renovated and with their newly painted exte- riors and interiors present a changed appearance. These improvements are much appreciated by the people of the districts.
This year the Forest Street School will be given atten- tion and placed in good condition. Several of the Suburban Schools will also be improved in appearance.
The High School building needs a thorough renovation of the ventilating system, the repairing of the approaches to the building, the installation of a system of fire gongs for fire drill purposes, and the equipment of the building with a fire escape as a guard against fire hazard.
THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
The action of the town, in appropriating $190,000 for the erection of a new High School building on the play- ground lot on North Main Street, will fill a long felt want.
This building will be able to provide for pupils for many years to come and to furnish opportunity for having up-to-date courses in well equipped class rooms and labora- tories. It will make possible a rearrangement of the ele- mentary grading, furnish class rooms of sufficient number to relieve congestion and give schools that can more efficiently produce more satisfactory results.
The School Board has approved of the 6-2-4 plan. which gives six years of elementary work, two years of Junior High School work and four years of Senior High School work, when the building is occupied.
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This will give 20 school rooms in the Centre for ele- mentary work of grades from one to six, reserving the School Street portable building for an overflow school. The present High School building will be used for grades 7 and 8, and the new building for the Senior High School for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. The new building will be large enough so if at any time in the future the congestion in the elementary grades required it the JuniorHigh School could be housed in the new building under supervision of the High School principal, leaving the present High School building for the higher elementary grades. If thought ad- visable such a plan could be carried out at once on the occupancy of the new building, and the consolidation of the rural schools could be put in part operation by transferring the pupils of all of the nearer rural schools to the Central Schools.
It is hoped that work on the new building can soon begin and that it will be ready for occupancy in Sept., 1925.
It is the sentiment of the Board that the hall of the new building should be named in honor of one of the School's former principals-"The Walter Sampson Hall."
RETIREMENT OF PRINCIPAL SAMPSON
The most noteworthy event in connection with the public schools of Middleboro the past year was the retire- ment from active service, at the close of the winter term, of Principal Walter Sampson, on account of ill health.
Mr. Sampson had nearly completed thirty-three years of service as principal of the Middleboro High School, a record at the present time surpassed by but one other prin- cipal in the state for continuous length of service in the same high school.
In recognition of this long and faithful service-a service marked by an unusual success in bringing the Middleboro High School to such a high standard of effi- ciency for accurate, thorough and painstaking instruction- that it was considered by normal and college authorities in
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New England as one of the best preparatory high schools of Massachusetts-the school officials visited the school on the closing day of the term and, through the chairman, con- ferred on Mr. Sampson the honorary title of "Principal Emeritus." In addition to that the Board presented to him a series of resolutions embodying the appreciation and esteem in which he had always been held by school officials and citizens of the town.
At the close of these exercises the teachers and pupils presented him with gifts indicative of their great love for him as a teacher and their admiration for his sterling quali- ties as a man.
It has been the lot of but a few men to go out from a high school as a graduate and then return to it after a col- lege preparation as its principal, to shape the destinies of hundreds of young men and women by always holding before them ideals of manly character, honesty of purpose, fidelity to the truth, fair-mindedness, square dealing and uprightness, as the true and worthwhile ends of an educa- tion. It is a pleasure to know that now as he is retired that renewed health is coming to him and we hope many years are in store for him to enjoy the rewards of a well-spent career.
HIGH SCHOOL
The resignation of Principal Sampson, effective at the close of the winter term, caused a break in the administra- tion of the School. The Board did not think it best to fill the position at once and placed Mr. Leonard O. Tillson, one of the teachers, in charge for the remainder of the school year, as acting principal.
At the close of the year Mr. Tillson was elected to the position of Sub-Master, a new position created by the Board, with a substantial increase in salary. Mr. Tillson has been a faithful teacher in the school for many years and well deserves the honor conferred on him.
Owing to the fact that the new principal would have
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a large amount of administrative work to do in the new building, with the larger teaching force, wider courses of study and added activities, great care was given in the con- sideration of a successor to Principal Sampson.
Out of nearly 100 applicants Mr. Paul S. Nickerson, a graduate of Harvard University, a teacher of experience, and for the past three years Principal of the Canton High School, was unanimously elected to the position.
Mr. Nickerson has entered on his work with much enthusiasm, has shown commendable ability as an admin- istrator, and we feel confident will maintain the high degree of efficiency in school work which has so prominently marked the administration of his predecessor.
TUITION PUPILS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL
The number of tuition pupils, or out of town pupils, the present year in the High School is 54, divided as fol- lows: Lakeville 30, Plympton 20 and Rochester 4. Of this number 3 are members of the Senior class, 13 of the Junior class, 13 of the Sophomore class and 25 of the Freshman class. These are so enrolled in the 54 daily recitations as not to affect the size of any of the classes to any extent. In fact three recitations have no tuition pupils, 5 have but one each, 5 have two each, 3 but three each and there are only 12 recitations that have over 5 each.
In the commercial course out of 34 pupils in the two recitations in stenography only 6 are tuition pupils. Of the 59 pupils taking typewriting only 8 are tuition pupils, while out of 53 taking bookkeeping only 8 are tuition pupils.
The academic classes are larger and have a few more such pupils. With the tuition pupils out of the school the number of recitation periods would be the same and the same number of teachers would be required. These pupils it is true occupy so many seats that would be available for in-town pupils if the tuition pupils were excluded, but it must not be forgotten that with the merging of the eighth and ninth grades in September, 1926, as one class in the
29
High School, the membership will be over 400, exclusive of tuition pupils, and the present building could not accom- modate the enrollment, and a half time arrangement would have to be made.
The present rate for tuition is $100 a year. Up to 1907 it was $55, when it was raised to $75, and in 1915 it was again raised to $100. With the greater expenditures which will result on the occupancy of the new building a rate of $120 would be justified. The past fiscal year the town received from Lakeville for tuition $3,000.00; from Plymp- ton $1,785.00; from Rochester $587.50. During the past ten years Middleboro has received from Lakeville for tuition $19,283.64; from Plympton $8,171.62; from Rochester $2,519.75; from other towns $834.58; a total of $30,809.59. In the next ten years with an increased rate the same num- ber of pupils would give a return of nearly $65,000.00. The amount received each year is enough to pay the annual salaries of four female teachers in the school.
It seems to me that it is a good business proposition to continue this policy of helping our neighboring towns by offering the graduates of the elementary schools of those towns an opportunity for securing a secondary school education.
CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
The present congestion in these schools will be relieved when the new High School building is ready for occupancy. The present school year, in order to give a full day school- ing to as many pupils as possible, the schools have been regraded and several of them have now a large and a small grade, an arrangement not always satisfactory.
The Town House school has a fifth grade with two teachers. The total enrollment the past term was 101. The rooms are not well adapted for school purposes and would probably be condemned for such purposes by the State inspector if the town were not considering ways to relieve the school room congestion. It is a question
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whether we should place this school on a half-time or platoon system next year if the class is larger.
The eighth grade, formerly in the Town House, has been transferred to the School Street School and both schools placed under the charge of the Principal of the School Street School.
The position of teacher-coach in the School Street School, ably filled for two years by Mrs. Anne R. McFarlin, has been abolished and a student teacher from the Bridge- water Normal School now works in the building, giving the Principal time for general supervision.
Two of the janitors, Mr. Samuel S. Lovell at the West Side school and Mr. Martin Hanley at Forest School, re- signed the past year after many years of faithful service.
In order to safeguard the children of these schools against the possibility of accident from passing automobiles during the noon hour, the Board voted to close the morning session at 11 45, opening in the afternoon at 1.15. The plan is working very satisfactorily. I would especially com- mend Chief of Police Sisson and his officers for the care- ful consideration they pay to looking after the safety of the school children and the parents may feel assured tha if any accident should happen it will be through no negligence on their part.
SUBURBAN SCHOOLS
The most noticeable feature of the Suburban Schools for the past year is the increase in enrollment.
To the congestion problem in the High School and Central elementary schools is now added the problem of what to do to relieve the congestion in the Suburban Schools. So large are the schools at the Centre now that the transfer of any number of pupils in the higher grades of the Suburban Schools to the Central Schools is impos- sible. Already there are 62 such pupils now attending the Central Schools, but the limit has been reached.
It is interesting to note that a large percentage of the
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total school enrollment is made up of pupils living in the suburban districts. At the present time there are 552 pupils attending school who are residents of the rural sections. These are divided as follows :
High School
72
Pratt Free School
18
Central Schools
62
Suburban Schools
400
552
The pupils from these sections comprise one-fourth of the High School enrollment and are divided by classes as follows: Seniors 13, Juniors 17, Sophomores 17, and Fresh- men 25.
On account of the large enrollment at the Rock school this school was placed on the half- time plan in October. This plan is also in operation for the first and second grades at the Purchade school.
The school at South Middleboro has had the school day lengthened from 8.45 to 4, with a half hour nooning, in order to give the pupils the necessary time for the required work.
The Fall Brook school was closed temporarily in Sep- tember and the pupils transferred to the Centre. The num- ber now attending the Central Schools from this section in grades from one to six is 10. The closing of the school effected a net saving of over $1,100.
With the increase in building in many of the rural sections the number of suburban pupils bids fare to in- crease steadily. It was only three years ago that the ques- tion of closing the Thompsonville and Wappanucket Schools, owing to such a small membership, was consid- ered. This year Thompsonville has enrolled 30 and Wap- panucket 20. The number of pupils in these districts is apt to change greatly from year to year.
It is gratifying, however, to note that these schools are in charge of experienced teachers, seven out of the eleven being graduates of some normal school or college.
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There are six teachers who have taught over eight years and none who did not have at least a year's expe- rience before coming here. The salaries paid these teach- ers, the same as paid the Central grade teachers, enables us to secure such teachers. It is a great advance from placing these schools in charge of inexperienced teachers at $7 a week, or $266 a year, as was done 20 years ago, to securing trained and experienced teachers at $1,200 a year. And the work of these schools attests to the work of trained teachers.
VOCATIONAL WORK
The feature of vocational work as carried on in the Evening Practical Arts Classes for Women has been a worthwhile investment and it is of interest to know that it will be continued the present year under the direction of the School Board in a room in the Public Library Building.
During the past year there have been three different classes in the dressmaking work numbering in all 41 differ- ent pupils, ranging in age from 16 to 50 years. The amount of money expended for material, each pupil buying her own material, in both the dressmaking and millinery classes, was $212.78 and the estimated value of the finished articles was $531.50.
In the millinery class the number of pupils was 36, from 16 to 51 years of age, and the cost of material for the work was $149.32 and the estimated value of the finished articles $215.68. The value of the work to many of these members, several of them married women with children, in the instruction they received, so that they are enabled to do such work in their homes is certainly evident.
Of the $300 appropriated for this work the town re- ceives a reimbursement of one-half the amount from the State, on the approval of the State Department of Voca- tional Work.
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TEACHERS
The teaching force remains about the same as last year. There has been but two changes in the High School other than that of the principal. Apart from the changes by trans- fers only three new teachers commenced work in Septem- ber. The permanency of the teaching force at the present time has been of great benefit in maintaining the standard.
The schools are doing excellent work and the town is to be congratulated on having such a faithful and efficient corps of teachers. Another teacher will be added to the High School corps in September, making twelve in the faculty.
A successful drawing exhibition and the annual concert of the High School were two interesting features of the year.
CHANGES IN TEXT BOOKS
There have been several needed changes in text books in both the High and the Elementary schools the past year.
The Pearson and Kirchwey's "Essentials of English" has been placed in all the Central and Suburban Schools. This language series was recommended unanimously by the Central teachers after an examination of ten other series and seems to be meeting our needs much more satisfac- torily than the former books.
The revised edition of the Aldine Readers is now in use in nearly all the schools.
Each pupil of the ninth grade has been supplied with a copy of Webster's Elementary School Distionary for more intensive word study in place of the small Primary Dic- tionary.
A revised edition of Chemistry has taken the place of the old book in the High School and together with the re- vised edition of Physics introduced the previous year pro -- vides up-to-date texts in these two subjects.
A revised edition of American History brought up to
1
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date is now in use in the High School and that with the new Civics introduced last year provides an up-to-date course in the history department.
Other changes, however, are needed in several other text books now in use in both the High and Elementary Schools and a larger appropriation for books has been asked for the current year. Good text books are a prime essential and in such subjects of science, history and geography should be changed from time to time to secure an up-to-dateness in the subject matter.
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