USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1924 > Part 2
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The record for the elementary schools follows:
Adoption of a new plan of grading for the Central elemen- tary schools, requiring an additional teacher, to meet present congestion conditions; adoption of a regulation requiring pupils desiring to take an examination to pass from the eighth grade into the High School to attain an average of B in their studies; placing the work in physical training under the direc- tion of the teachers, thereby doing away with the services of a special instructor; extension of the supervision of the work in drawing to the Suburban schools so that the supervisor visits each of these schools every three weeks; revision of the elementary course of study to meet the change from a nine to an eight-grade system; retiring July 1 by the Massachusetts Retirement Board of Miss Mary R. Burke, teacher at the Green School; temporary discontinuance of signals for closing schools in stormy weather; arrangements made with the trustees of the Pratt Free School whereby the work in that school is carried on under the same plan of supervision as in the other suburban schools.
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REPAIRS
High School.
Walks repaired; Assembly Hall divided into three rooms by partitions so arranged that it still can be used as a hall. Elementary Schools.
New fence built, additional sanitaries and a new furnace installed at the West Side building; Forest Street building, exterior and interior renovated; fence partially rebuilt at Union Street; new fence built at Plymouth Street; Thompson- ville building, exterior and interior renovated, and a cement platform and steps built; electric lights installed in those Central school rooms where the schools are on part time.
SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS
With the steady increase in the school enrollment the need of more school accommodations becomes more and more im- perative. Owing to congested conditions several Central schools are now on a part time plan. The increasing enroll- ment in the High School calls for immediate attention. The matter of, school accommodations is the most important pro- blem before the town at the present time.
CONCLUSION
The town is to be congratulated in having such a faithful, interested and progressive body of teachers, many of whom are carrying on their work under handicapped conditions, but still are securing good results. When the time comes, that the town will provide sufficient school accommodations, with the opportunity for a full day's schooling for every pupil, in schools with an enrollment of not more than 35 pupils to a room, then can be developed a school system that the town can well be proud of.
CHARLES H. BATES,
Superintendent of Schools.
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REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
Mr. Charles H. Bates, Superintendent of Schools.
Dear Sir :
I submit herewith my second annual report as Principal of the Middleboro High School.
The most important educational problem facing the town is unquestionably the matter of school accomodations. No one in Middleboro doubts the need of added school ac- comodations both for grade and high school students. There seem to be in the public mind, however, differences of opinion as to (1) what additional accomodations are necessary (2) how soon these accomodations will have to be provided, and (3) the cost of providing these accomodations. It is hoped that the following analysis of these three points may prove helpful.
We may expect at least the following number of students to be in attendance at the Middleboro High School in Septem- ber of each of the years 1925-1931:
TABLE A
(Present number of students is 320)
September 1925 340 September 1929 474
September 1926 447
September 1930 437
September 1927 444
September 1931 460
September 1928 448
The growth indicated above has been figured by two entire- ly different methods, and the results averaged.
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FIRST METHOD OF ESTIMATING FUTURE GROWTH
1. A study was made of the actual registration of all grades from the first through the high school for the last four years, and tables were computed, which are on file, showing the average number of students that drop out of school each year in passing from grade to grade.
2. The second step was to take the present membership of the grades and eliminate successively year by year the number of students which the above elimination table shows are accustomed to drop out of school. This, of course, gives a fairly accurate estimate of the future number of students in any desired grade in any desired year.
SECOND METHOD OF ESTIMATING FUTURE GROWTH
The average annual increase in the high school since 1913 is 19 pupils per year. (In computing this average, the abnorm- al years between 1918 and 1921 when there was a marked de- crease in the size of the school due to unprecedented condi- tions produced by the war, were not included. Since it is the normal increase we seek to know, and since these years were notably abnormal, it was felt that to include them would not give a true figure.)
2. The average annual increase for the last three years has been 29 pupils per year.
3. It might be claimed that 19, the long-period figure is too low or that 29, the figure for the last three years is too high; hence, the average of these two figures, or 24, has been fixed upon as a fair estimate for annual growth in the future.
4. Take the present size of the school (320), add 24 to it for each year's growth, and include, with yearly eliminations, the extra class which enters in 1926 as a result of the abolish- ing of the ninth grade. This furnishes a second method for estimating the size of the high school in future years.
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Average the results obtained by the first method with those obtained by this second method and we secure the figures previously submitted in TABLE "A" which may be taken as a reasonable basis for considering the problem of school accommodations.
And what these figures show clearly is :(1) accommodations must be provided before September 1926 for the 450 students who will be in high school at that time; (2) the accommodations should be ample enough for the 500 students that will be at- tending high school within a few years thereafter. This problem is immediate, since there is barely time for its solu- tion even if definite steps be taken at once. As a matter of fact, if any construction were planned to be ready for Septem- ber 1926 it would have to be under way before winter weather of the present year, 1925.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
There are three methods by which the problem may be solved :
1. By the adoption of the "two-platoon" system of attendance for the high school. 1
2. By the construction of a new building, thereby re- lieving grade congestion.
3. By remodeling and enlarging the present building thereby relieving grade congestion.
I. THE "TWO-PLATOON" SYSTEM
The two-platoon system provides that the three upper classes attend school in the morning from 8 to 12:15 and the freshman class in the afternoon from 12:30 to 4:45.
1. ADVANTAGE
There is only one advantage to this plan, and this advan- tage is more apparent than real. It seems to save money. As will be shown later, however, this apparent saving is an. expensive and unwise procedure.
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2. DISADVANTAGES.
In the first place it is obvious that the two platoon system in no way solves the problem; it merely postpones it temporarily.
Again, the two-platoon system is not only a source of much concern to parents but it is also a serious educational detri- ment to the pupils. No one would expect to open school earlier than eight o'clock or to close it later than quarter of five; yet, even to conduct school between these hours would give each pupil a school session of only 414 hours in length. The normal length of the high school session is 514 hours. The two-platoon system would, therefore, mean depriving every high school pupil of one hour, or one fifth of his education, every day. Considered over a four year's course this would mean a total loss equal to 80% of one full year's work. When it is considered that the pressure of the colleges upon the high schools is so great that the high schools have all they can do to prepare their students satisfactorily for college on full time sessions, this educational loss becomes even more significant. In addition to this, pupils will have fewer study periods in school, and, because school is in session all day, will have little opportunity to secure extra help from their teachers. Pupils who come in the afternoon are likely to work or play so vigor- ously in the morning that they have neither inclination nor energy for good work in school in the afternoon. Moreover, the two-platoon plan makes it difficult to conduct such valu- able activities as glee clubs, orchestra, school paper, etc. Also it is practically impossible to arrange a program for an irregular pupil some of whose work comes in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. Tardiness, absence, and truancy form a greater problem in a two-platoon system than in a one session system. Moreover, the undesirability of the late afternoon teaching and the necessity of sometimes scattering a teacher's work over both morning and afternoon sessions makes it difficult, at the salary Middleboro offers, to secure and to keep the kind of teachers desired. Another disadvantage under the two-platoon plan is the matter of attendance and trans- portation.
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Obviously the two-platoon system for a grade school where the students live fairly near the school, for a high school in a city where there are inexpensive and excellent transportation facilities, or for a small and well-centralized community, is a wholly different proposition from a two-platoon system for the high school in Middleboro, which is one of the most extensive towns in the state of Massachusetts. Forty per cent of the pupils attending the Middleboro High School are transported by bus or trolley. Therefore, under a two-platoon system, one of two things would be necessary: (1) all transportation pupils would have to be conveyed at the same time, some of them waiting half a day to go to school, others waiting half a day to go home, and all of them for several months of the year arriving home after dark, many with long walks from where the bus leaves them; or (2) the busses would have to be run twice a day thereby doubling the expense of high school transporta- tion, which is already large enough. The first of these two alternatives is practically unthinkable from the parents' point of view. The second means increased transportation cost and tuition loss.
This leads directly to a consideration of the financial side of the two-platoon system. The apparent financial saving is in the temporary avoidance of the cost of a new building or an addition. Let us consider the losses to be set over a- gainst this temporary apparent saving. The first point is the probable loss of tuition, mentioned above. The surrounding towns will hardly send their children to a two-platoon, 414 hour school when they can conveniently send them for the same cost to the full-time schools at Taunton, Wareham, and Kingston. A mistaken idea is sometimes expressed that this would be a good thing for Middleboro. There are this year 67 out-of-town pupils in the high school. Since these pupils take varying subjects, they are scattered throughout the recitation divisions of the school. There are 57 recitation divisions. It should, therefore, be clear that the distribution of 67 students among 57 recitation divisions does not increase
.
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the number of classes or teachers, but simply adds a few stu- dents to classes which would have to be conducted even if these 67 students were not in the school. Of course there is some added expense for books and supplies, but these are minor items in the total school budget. Moreover, to remove these 67 tuition pupils would not solve the problem, for a school of 400 pupils would still be left-this being 80 more than the present school which is already using the assembly hall for three classrooms. Hence, not only is it a false idea that the school problem could be solved by refusing admission to out- of-town pupils, but it would probably mean a clear loss to the town of at least $5000 a year out of the $6700 now being paid for tuition by other towns. Next, the cost of bus transporta- tion for high school pupils would be doubled, thus adding an extra annual expense of about $1500 to the budget. Again, it is impossible for teachers to do in 414 hours what they can do in 514 hours; consequently the two-platoon system always requires more teachers than are required for the same number of pupils in a regular-session school. It has been the exper- ience of places where the two-platoon plan has been tried that considerable difficulty is encountered in arranging teachers' programs, which tends still further to increase the number of teachers needed. One principal with experience under the two-platoon system writes as follows: "Educational loss to students is, I think, found in the inability of the teacher to make personal contacts with the students. If the two-platoon plan is a necessity, it seems quite probable that an attempt should be made to minimize this educational loss by insistence upon particularly small recitation divisions and a larger pro- vision for individual pupil-teacher conferences within the hours of the regular session. If adequately provided for, this increase in' the teaching force might well run to from 15% to 25% or 30%, and it would seem highly desirable to provide distinct and separate faculty groups for each of the platoons." Another principal writes: "With a single corps of teachers the burden is greater than we shall be able to bear after this year. Unless our additions are under construction by this summer,
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we shall be forced to adopt the strict two-platoon system with ยท additional teachers beginning in September." Thus it is clear that if the two-platoon plan were adopted, several more teach- ers would be required, for the same number of pupils, than would be necessary under the one-session plan. The exact increase cannot be definitely foretold at this time, but a con- servative estimate would be two extra teachers. This would mean an annual increase in the school budget of about $3000. Moreover, janitor, Sub-master, and Principal would hardly be expected to care for two schools, extending over a period of time from 8 to 5, under the same circumstances as for one school. Inevitably there would have to be added janitorial, administrative ,and clerical assistance, or salary increases to present incumbents for assuming absolutely double burdens. Consider this to be in the vicinity of $800. These items of annual loss or expense incurred by the two-platoon plan, over and above what would be incurred by the regular-session system, would make a total of $10,300 per year, $51,500 for 5 years, $103,000 for ten years. Two teachers and increased transportation would alone amount to $22,500 in only 5 years. To put the matter another way, the town would in five years under the two-platoon system expend an extra amount of money sufficient to half pay for the addition mentioned later in this report; in ten years, the town would expend enough extra money to entirely pay for such an addition.
Now let it be remembered that after all these expenses there will be nothing to show except an old building grown older by 5 or 10 years, during which time all the pupils will have been receiving an education less adequate by about one fifth than that furnished in other communities, and at the end of which time the community will of necessity be faced with the identical problem that faces it now-additional school accommodations. The whole two-platoon idea, as far as this town is concerned can be summed up as an unwise and uneconomical postponement.
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II. A NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
1. ADVANTAGES.
Those that obviously go with a new building.
2. DISADVANTAGES.
Cost. It is a justified assumption that the cost of a high school building in Middleboro would not differ materially from the average cost of high school buildings built in recent years in other communities throughout the state. For this report the cost of every high school building built in the state of Massachusetts since 1918 has been secured and the figures averaged. The full figures for the buildings complete and equipped are too lengthy for presentation in this report, but are on file for reference or inspection. Summarized they are as follows:
Number built
Average cost per pupil
Cities
9
$656
Towns of over 5000 people 11
508
Towns of under 5000 people 11
362
The average expense incurred by cities is greater than need be incurred by Middleboro; likewise the average expense in- curred by towns under 5000 population is lower (including as it does some wooden construction) than would be incurred by Middleboro. The most reasonable basis of comparison is the average expense incurred by towns of over 5000 population. The figures earlier presented show that it would be unwise to construct a building for less than 500 pupils. Using $508, the average per pupil cost in towns the size of Middleboro, a building for 500 students would cost approximately $254,000. $435 is the average between the per-pupil cost in towns over 5000 population and in towns under 5000 population. Using this lower figure, $435, a building for 500 pupils would cost $217,500. It should also be borne in mind that after the expenditure of this sum of money, the town would still have
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on its hands the present building, 40 years old, which is bound to require considerable expenditure for repair and alteration, not to mention the vital need of a satisfactory system of heat- ing and ventilation.
III. ADDITION AND ENLARGEMENT OF PRESENT HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
In considering this problem certain fundamentals should be borne in mind :
1. Practically a third of the present structure is waste corridor space.
2. One dimension of the present rooms is somewhat greater than is necessary to provide space for the regular high school classes of 25 to 35 students.
3. There is some doubt of the wisdom of any plan for addition which would leave the present building in practically its present condition, and merely add to it a modern school plant of the necessary number of rooms.
4. It would seem, therefore, that in regard to an addition the need is for a plan which should:
a. Utilize the excessive corridor space as classroom space.
b. Turn the slightly extra width of present classrooms into corridor space.
c. Provide for enough remodeling of the interior of the old building to give it the appearance and usefulness of new construction while at the same time utilizing enough of the present construction to keep the cost within a figure that the town will readily recognize that it can afford.
A plan for remodeling and enlarging the present building has been called to my attention which is wholly different from any previously considered, a plan which will accomplish the things specified above, which will add 4 standard-size class- rooms to the building under the present roof, and which will provide a compact addition of six new rooms, thereby produc- ing an 18 room building for well over 500 students, with an assembly hall, library, teachers' rooms, offices, etc.
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From the standpoint of cost, it appears from the authority of competent persons that this can be accomplished for ap- proximately $100,000. including new heating plant and equip- ment.
Morever, such remodeling and enlargement would be a satisfactory solution of both high school and grade difficulties. It would do away with all the undesirable features of the present high school building. It would provide a building attractive outside and inside, large enough for years to come, and absolutely adequate for educational purposes. Being large enough to care for the double class which enters in Sept- ember 1926 when the ninth grade is to be abolished, it will remove a large enough number of pupils from the grades to relieve the grade congestion. Not only will it accomplish these things, but it will accomplish them at a cost which will still leave sufficient sums of money available within the debt limit of the town to provide needed accomodations for police and fire department, and added grade accomodations when in the future the grades shall again grow to a size making added accomodations necessary.
In view of the foregoing circumstances I believe it to be imperative that immediate consideration be given to the desirability of remodeling and enlarging the present high school building in accordance with the above mentioned sug- gestions.
Turning from the matter of future school accommodations to matters of present concern, mention should be made of the fire hazard in the school. In my report of last year this matter was mentioned. It is pleasing to record that the installation of fire gongs and fire extinguishers, and added systematic watchfulness on the part of the janitor have done much to remedy the situation. It would be unfair to the students however, to fail to record the great danger involved in the stairways, the only means of exit from the second and third floors. The stairways are situated only forty feet apart, are flimsy and oil-soaked, and of open, wooden, highly combusti- ble construction.
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A second matter mentioned in my report of last year was the need of a slightly broader course of study for the high school. This has also been achieved by the adoption last spring of the present revised course of study.
At the time this course was presented for consideration last spring, several reasons were advanced for its adoption. It was suggested that the modern high school is composed of pupils of widely differing abilities, backgrounds, interests, and aims, and that since this is so, a high percentage of failure is inevitably produced by confining all students to the same subjects, particularly to such college preparatory subjects as Algebra and Ancient History, occurring in the first year when students are struggling to adjust themselves to the new condi- tions which they find in the high school. It was suggested that to afford a broader choice of subjects would be likely to result, first, in drawing more pupils into the school, and second- ly, through allowing them to choose in accordance with their aims and abilities, hold their interest better and as a result lessen the amount of failure.
On the basis of these suggestions, the present course of study which appears below was adopted.
MIDDLEBORO HIGH SCHOOL COURSES OF STUDY
CLASSICAL COURSE
THIRD YEAR
FIRST YEAR
(All subjects required)
Periods
per week
English I
5
Algebra
5
Latin I
5
Ancient History
5
FOURTH YEAR
SECOND YEAR
(All subjects required)
Periods per week
ELECT ONE :
English II
5
Mathematics
5
Geometry
5
Chemistry or Physics 5
French I
5
American History and Civics* 5
Latin II
5
Modern History **
5
NOTES: Pupils electing the CLASSICAL or SCIENTIFIC course must consult the Principal.
*Required by State Law; must be ta ken either third or fourth year.
** May be taken only if school program permits.
*** Must be taken third or fourth year.
Periods per week
REQUIRED:
English IV
5
French III
5
Latin IV 5
Periods per week
REQUIRED :
English III
5
French II 5
Latin III 5
ELECT ONE :
Mathematics 5
American History and Civics* 5
Modern History ** 5
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SCIENTIFIC COURSE
FIRST YEAR
(All subjects required)
English I
5
Algebra
5
Ancient History
5
Elementary Science
5
SECOND YEAR (All subjects required)
Periods per week
English II
5
Geometry
5
French I
5
Modern History
5
THIRD YEAR
Periods Per week
REQUIRED:
English III
5
French II
5
Chemistry or Physics 5
ELECT ONE :
Mathematics **** 5
American History and Civics* 5
FOURTH YEAR
Periods per week
REQUIRED:
English IV
5
French III
5
Chemistry or Physics 5
ELECT ONE :
Mathematics
5
American History and Civics * 5
(All students may elect Glee Club, and Mechanical or Freehand Draw ing).
NOTES: Pupils electing the CLASS- ICAL or SCIENTIFIC course must consult the Principal.
* Required by State Law; must be taken either third or fourth year. ** May be taken only if school program permits. *** Must be taken third or fourth year.
GENERAL COURSE FIRST YEAR
Periods per week
REQUIRED :
English I
5
Algebra
5
Citizenship 5
ELECT ONE :
Elementary Science
5
Latin I
5
SECOND YEAR
Periods per week
REQUIRED:
English II
5
French I
5
Modern History
5
ELECT ONE :
5
Latin II
5
THIRD YEAR
Periods per week
REQUIRED :
5
American History and Civics 5
French II 5
ELECT ONE :
Chemistry or Physics Latin III 5
5
MAY ELECT ONE IF DESIRED:
Typewriting **
5
Mathematics *
5
FOURTH YEAR
Periods per week
REQUIRED :
English IV
5
Problems of American Demo- cracy 5
French III
5
ELECT ONE :
Chemistry or Physics
5
Latin IV 5
MAY ELECT ONE IF DESIRED :
Typewriting
5
Mathematics
**
5
** These subjects may be elected only if school program permits. All students may elect Glee Club, or Freehand or Mechanical Drawing.
English III
Geometry
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