USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1948 > Part 7
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The amount of state aid to schools under the old Chapter 70 this past year was $16,950.00 or $42,457.00 less than the amount to be received in 1949. Since this is a distribution of Income Tax Proceeds on a new formula, there is a loss of income to the town on the valuation basis of $14,700.00. However, by subtracting this loss from the increased revenue to be received, the town will receive $27,847.00 more through the medium of the new school aid law. A summary of the distribution is given below.
1948
State
Middleboro
On school basis $5,000,000
$16,950.00 (A)
Transportation 1,000,000
14,625.99 (B)
On valuation basis 21,000,000 ($1.47 per $1,000)
30,870.00 (C)
.
Total distributed
$27,000,000
$62,445.99
(D)
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1949 (If income tax proceeds are same as 1948)
State
Middleboro
On school basis $15,000,000
$59,407.00 (E)
Transportation 1,000,000
14,625.99 (B)
On valuation basis 11,000,000 ($1.47 per $1,000)
16,170.00 (F)
Total distributed
$27,000,000
$90,202.99 (G)
SUMMARY
Increase in School Aid (E) minus (A)
$42,457.00 (H)
Increase to Town Treasury (G) minus (D)
27,757.00 (I)
Decrease in aid on Valuation basis (C) minus (F)
14,700.00 (J)
Amount School Budget can be increased without
raising local tax rate (H) minus (J) 27,847.00 (K)
NOTE: For every dollar increase in total tax proceeds to the State, Mid- dleboro would receive an increase of their proportionate share in addition to the above.
Approximately $78,000.00 will be received from State and Federal sources toward the cost of Middleboro schools in 1949. There is no new tax provided but there is new money in the sense that there will be an increase in the income tax receipts over the total available prior to 1948. The schools are in the same position as far as appropriation procedures are concerned "since they must request an appropriation for whatever they need and must live within their appropriation." There will exist, however, a much greater credit against the appropriation that will not have to be met by local taxation.
The separate items will be explained under the headings as they appear in the Budget for 1949.
SALARIES
Most of the school personnel is on a definite salary schedule, adopted in December 1946, with a set minimum and maximum and regular step- increases or increments, effective annually. There have been no raises in salary other than those directed by the schedule. A request from the teachers' association for some adjustments and a further general increase was thoroughly studied, discussed, and refused by the School Committee.
Additional teachers become imperative as the enrollment increases and these with the annual increments will make $211,712.59 necessary for Salaries in 1949, an increase of $8,811.31 over Salaries of 1948. Seventy- five percent of the total budget is spent for salaries.
TRANSPORTATION
The item of Transportation is 9.6% of the total budget and the second largest expenditure.
Chapter 71, Section 68 General Laws reads ... "If the distance between a child's residence and the school he is entitled to attend exceeds two miles and the nearest school bus stop is more than one mile from such residence 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 between such residence and the school .
Neither the number of children nor their place of residence can be controlled by the School Committee. Neither can the Committee accu- rately estimate these conditions next September. New three-year contracts were executed in June with the bus contractors at an average per mile
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rate of approximately twenty-seven cents. All contracts contain adjust- ment clauses as the mileage is necessarily increased or decreased due to numbers and residence changes. The steady increase in school popula- tion will soon demand even more buses and more trips to carry the load. At the present time, there is usually a seat for all children but on most routes none vacant.
On July 1, 1947, the General Court approved An Act Relative to Reimbursement to Cities and Towns for Certain Expenses Incurred for the Transportation of Pupils, Chapter 71, Section 7A states "The State Treasurer shall annually, on or before November twentieth, pay to the several towns from the proceeds from the tax on incomes, which shall be available therefor subject to appropriation, the sums required as reim- bursement for expenses approved by the commissioner of education, incurred by any town for the transportation of pupils once daily to and from any school within the town, or in another town, in excess of five dollars per annum per pupil in the net average membership of such town; provided, (a) that no transportation reimbursement shall be made on account of any pupil who resides less than one and one-half miles from the school which he attends, measured by a commonly travelled route; and (b) . . . "
Under this Act the town will receive reimbursement of $14,625.99 for the year 1948.
To better understand the magnitude of the transportation set-up, some statistics should be noted :-
Number of buses operated
Number of miles per day 539.5
(48.7 more miles than last year due to location and increase in numbers)
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Average number of children per day 699
(35 more children than last year)
Present contracts per day
$147.60
Number school days, 1949 182
Necessary under existing contracts $26,863.20
Expended under contract for 1948 $25,115.74
State Aid for Transportation-Chap. 71, Sec. 7A 14,625.99
Total cost to Town of Middleboro 1948 $10,489.75
Necessary under contract for 1949 $26,863.20
Estimated reimbursement under Chap. 71, Sec. 7A
$16,500.00
Estimated cost to Town of Middleboro 1949 $10,363.20
NOTE: Larger estimated reimbursement due to greater estimated net aver- age membership for school year 1948-49.
TEXTBOOKS
Many parents have complained of the condition of the textbooks their children use and bring home for study, and rightly so. We are ashamed of the condition of some but have tried to replace those in the poorest shape each year. One-third of the books should be replaced yearly but with the advanced costs this has become impossible.
With the increasing enrollment, the numbers of textbooks, naturally, must also increase. On October 1, there were 53 new children in our schools. Each must have five or more new textbooks in addition to five or more new books for the 39 increase that went into the advanced grades in September.
Many reference books are vitally needed in the high school library to supplement courses in social studies and science, the public library not being available to many of our bus pupils who have to leave directly at the close of school. By the addition of a few volumes each year, we
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hope to better serve the needs of our pupils in the library. If our public schools are to do a creditable job, they must have sufficient and decent tools with which to work.
Textbook costs have steadily increased over the past few years and even without complete new adoptions in any subject we have been unable to put the newer texts before our children. One and six-tenths percent of the total budget goes to furnish and replace textbooks. A minimum amount necessary for 1949 would be $4,500.00.
PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM
This appropriation has made it possible for the boys and girls of the high school to receive a fairly satisfactory course in physical education. Satisfactory to the extent the physical properties of the school building allow. With only one gymnasium available, it is impossible to offer physi- cal education to all boys and girls but with the outdoor play areas avail- able in the Fall and Spring, they do receive an excellent training.
The program in the lower grades is confined mostly to studying proper health habits in the classroom, and calisthenics, group games, and free supervised play on the playgrounds. Very little organized team play or competitive games with other schools is possible due to the lack of facili- ties and equipment, late closing, and the large number of transportation pupils. The program in the Bates School has been enlarged and with the friendly co-operation of the Y. M. C. A. some basketball during the winter months has been made possible.
It should be properly understood that none of this appropriation goes for or toward the expenses or equipment of the representative teams. That money is raised by the school itself through their athletic dues and admissions at games. All of the appropriated money is used for the general program for all children in the school and is expended only upon requisition by the Head of the Physical Education Department.
Our locker and shower rooms for both boys and girls at the high school need renovation and improvement due to neglect through lack of necessary funds. An additional five hundred dollars earmarked for this purpose should be added to this appropriation this year.
Less than one dollar per child each year is appropriated for the mate- rials of physical health teaching. The health of our children is precious and we receive 0.5% for their supplies. Not too much!
The sum of $1,500.00 is included in the budget.
FUEL
The purchase price of all types of fuel is something over which there can be little local control. We can neither control the quoted prices nor the weather that regulates the usage.
This item of the budget is entirely influenced and controlled by out- side agencies and the only possible effect our committee can cause is the economical use of the fuel purchased. Both teachers and janitors are instructed to keep our buildings and classrooms only at temperatures healthful to the child, and to avoid over-heating.
The addition of the Rounseville School to the Bates School heating plant will probably somewhat increase the consumption of oil in that building. It is difficult to estimate to what extent this first year.
Last year at this time, the price of soft coal delivered to the town was $14.25 per ton. The quotation as of today, November 16, is $16.65, an increase of $2.40 within the year and of $.90 since July. With one less building using this kind of fuel, we will only need about 200 tons, but the advanced price increases the cost of the same tonnage $480.00.
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Hard coal today costs $22.60, or $2.45 per ton more than last Janu- ary. We only use about 90 tons, but the increase will amount to $220.50.
In 1947 the Bates School was converted to the use of oil and during the last summer forced-air oil heaters were installed in the four suburban buildings. These heaters have not been in operation a sufficient length of time to very accurately estimate the oil consumption.
The price of the lighter oil used at the Bates and suburban schools was $.085 in September 1947, and in September 1948 had risen to $.109, an increase of $.024 per gallon. This has little significance until it is realized we used 17,607 gallons of this oil in the Bates School during that period. Still it hasn't full significance until it is further realized that the same amount of oil, for the same period, would now cost $422.57 more than last year.
The price of the No. 6 oil used at the Union Street School has in- creased $1.11 per barrel since January 1948. We used 552.5 barrels last year which would now cost $613.28 more.
All of the old-fashioned, outmoded stoves have been eliminated so no hard wood is needed. We do buy a few pine slabs for kindling new fires, but the total cost is not large.
SUMMARY OF PROBABLE FUEL USAGE AND COSTS
200 tons soft coal @ $16.65
$3,330.00
90 tons hard coal @ $22.60
2,034.00
25,000 gallons No. 2 oil @ $.109
2,725.00
550 barrels No. 6 oil, Union Street School @ $3.181
1,749.55
3 cords slabs @ $12.00
36.00
Total necessary for Fuel for 1949 $9,874.55
Just for historical interest the taxpayers might be interested in the per-ton prices the town has paid for soft coal over the past thirteen years. The chart below shows the continued upward rise.
Year
Price of Soft Coal
1935
$7.75T
1936
7.72T
1937
8.25T
1938
8.35T
1939
8.00T
1940
8.40T
1941
9.60T
1942
9.60T
1943
10.25T
1944
10.30T
1945
10.56T
1946
11.56T
1947
14.25T
1948
16.65T
1949
??????
LIGHT, POWER AND WATER
With an increased enrollment comes an increased usage of school classrooms and buildings. With this increased usage comes also a corre- sponding increase in the consumption of light, power, and water. By action of the Board of Selectmen, the cost of gas was increased in July, and we use approximately 450,000 cubic feet per year. By similar action, the cost of water was increased 50% in January. With the installation of four new water services in our suburban schools, this increase is a factor to be considered. A total of 279,600 cubic feet of water has been used to October 1 in all schools.
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The Rounseville School adds one more classroom to be lighted, yet its construction and fenestration is such that lights are only necessary on very dark days. There will, however, be some added expense.
The following table shows the net expenditures for Light and Power during the first ten months of 1948 together with an estimated yearly cost.
Actual Cost 10 months $1,031.44
Estimated Yrly. Cost
Memorial High School
$1,237.68
Bates School
296.44
355.68
School Street School
172.41
206.88
Union Street School
284.35
341.28
West Side School
20.56
24.72
Flora M. Clark School
22.60
27.12
Plymouth Street School
8.04
28.00*
Pleasant Street School
3.34
28.00*
Rock School
15.56
32.00*
South Middleboro School
14.49
32.00*
Total
$2,313.36
*Installation of forced hot air heaters October 1948.
Water expenditures for the year 1948 amount to $890.90. With new toilets in four additional schools, the cost of this item in 1949 will approxi- mate $1,000.00. Under the new rates and new conditions $3,300.00 will be necessary for Light, Power and Water for 1949.
TELEPHONE
For the safety and protection of the children, there are telephones in all of our schools. In cases of sickness or accident, the school may readily reach the home and parent or, if needed, the school physician or school nurse. All calls for the School Nurse go directly to her office, eliminating class interruption and insuring prompt and correct delivery of messages.
This past year all but four telephone services were suspended during the two summer months when schools were not in session. This saving amounted to approximately one-half of two months' service for ten phones or about $26.66.
The phone at the Bates School, serving over 400 children, is now on an extremely busy party line and should be changed over this year to a private phone. This cost will be fifty cents ($.50) per month.
The following table shows telephones and monthly rates:
Location
Monthly Rate
Superintendent of Schools, Town Hall
$4.00
Memorial High School
4.00
Agriculture Department
2.83
Physical Education Department
2.83
Bates School
2.83
School Street School
2.83
Union Street School
3.33
School Nurse
3.33
West Side School
2.83
Flora M. Clark School
2.83
Pleasant Street School
2.17
Plymouth Street School
2.17
Rock School
2.17
South Middleboro School
2.17
Outside calls are made only when absolutely necessary and time is an important factor. Most of these calls are naturally made from the office
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of the Superintendent of Schools while most of the other calls are to homes in our tuition-paying towns when emergencies arise that demand immediate contact with parents. Average monthly tolls $7.27; estimated yearly tolls $95.00.
TELEPHONE SUMMARY
Number of telephones
14
Monthly rate
$ 40.32
Yearly rate, 12 x $40.32
483.84
Estimated toll service 95.00
Change in Bates School Service
6.00
Total telephone charges
$584.84
Less estimated suspended service
26.66
Amount necessary for Telephone
$558.18
MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
The cost of all labor and materials necessary to maintain our build- ings continues to steadily mount. Floor oils, waxes, cleaners, brushes, window glass, etc., all have steadily advanced in price until they are now nearly double the pre-war price. The labor cost of minor repairs such as mending a leak or fixing a toilet shows a decided advance.
Most of our school buildings and equipment are old. If they are to continue in use, they must be constantly repaired and maintained. With the larger enrollment and larger classes, there is naturally more wear and tear and more necessary maintenance. The valuation of our school prop- erty is set at $465,550 by our Assessors. This property is used by over 1800 each school day. No individual or private corporation would expect or could afford to maintain nearly one-half a million dollars worth of prop- erty for less than three-quarters of one percent.
As previously stated, most of our buildings and equipment are old. They need constant attention and minor repairs. A screw replaced, a leg glued, a leaky faucet fixed, a flag rope replaced, a step repaired, a spot of paint on a corridor, on a wall, done near the time of discovery would save hundreds of dollars later. Hardly a day goes by that some work does not have to be done on some school. Much more should be done.
Classroom supplies must be delivered to the buildings; cans of used paper and rubbish collected weekly. These and dozens of other jobs are constantly required and it is necessary to wait upon the convenience of the Highway Department personnel for the performance. Their co-opera- tion is excellent, but they have their own work to do and often emergencies develop in both departments simultaneously due to hard storms or strong winds.
We believe the time has come when a School Maintenance Depart- ment, consisting of one man and a pick-up truck, is necessary and more economical for the town than the present more unsatisfactory arrangement.
The man should be sort of a "handy" man or "Jack-of-all-trades." One that is perhaps primarily a carpenter, can paint a bit, and can "see things to be done." When a spare hour can be found it can be economi- cally used repairing and refinishing school furniture, as our desks have been marked and disfigured from years of usage.
The first cost will naturally be the largest, but we believe the efficiency and saving involved will more than recompense for the outlay. A truck will probably cost around $1,800.00 while a suitable man can, without doubt, be hired for $2,000.00 or less.
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An estimate of all maintenance costs this original year would be $5,200.00 and in future years $3,500.00-$4,000.00. Our buildings and class- rooms will be better maintained, more efficiently maintained, and more satisfactorily maintained under such a proposed set-up.
PRINTING, STATIONERY AND POSTAGE
Many different record forms, report cards, letterheads, envelopes, etc., are necessary in the operation of any school system. The cost has increased due to advances in paper stock and labor. However, the amount appro- priated in 1948 ($450.00) should be sufficient for administrative needs in 1949.
CLASSROOM SUPPLIES
The question of Supplies with which to operate the schools is a serious problem. With a steady increase in school population demanding the usual common supplies for their classroom use and all materials, paper stock especially, showing tremendous further advances in cost, an estimated increase becomes a MUST.
Our teachers use extreme care in the use of papers and other mate- rials, even to a point of unsatisfactory work if judged from appearance alone. Pupils bring many articles like pencils from home when the supply is short. If we are to operate a school system efficiently, we must furnish the necessary tools for efficiency.
The most commonly used paper by our children in grades I-XII is arithmetic paper, 6x9 inches, news. A package of 500 sheets cost $.20 in January 1943 and as of today costs $.48 for the same number of sheets and sometimes of a poorer quality. This is only one individual instance of the trend of paper prices.
Again the increasing enrollment, year by year, means an increasing demand and consumption of all general school supplies. The addition of every fifty new children means the necessary addition of approximately $250.00 or $5.00 per child for his supplies each year when prices are normal or at pre-war average.
With our added numbers and the added unit costs, $5,250.00 will be necessary for Supplies for 1949.
SCIENCE EQUIPMENT
Over the years the science equipment and supplies of the Chemistry and Physics departments have worn out and have become obsolete. Our pupils attending colleges are at a decided disadvantage in not being familiar with the new in Science. To meet college requirements and college com- petition, we must earmark some money for such equipment this year. It is imperative if our children entering advanced schools of education are not to be handicapped in their science courses.
Fifteen hundred dollars is necessary and should be earmarked for Science Equipment.
TUITION
Chapter 74, Section 8 of the General Laws states "A town where a person resides who is admitted to the school of another town under section seven shall pay a tuition fee to be fixed by the commissioner, and in default of payment shall be liable therefor in contract to such other town."
It becomes necessary for our town, since they do not maintain a vocational school or department, to pay tuition elsewhere for those wishing such education.
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This fall there are five attending at New Bedford for which the tuition for 1949 is $200 each. There are two in the Taunton School at the same tuition and one in Weymouth at $250. In addition to the regular day pupils, there are, at present, seven adults enrolled in New Bedford Evening Vocational School, two adults in Brockton, and one in Boston. The rate for this evening instruction is $.15 per hour.
Simple arithmetic will show that the last appropriated amount will not be sufficient to continue this number in school this year. Some may not make good and withdraw but provision must be made for all.
The town receives one-half of the amount spent as reimbursement from the State, but the full amount of the cost must be appropriated.
An estimated amount of $1,600.00 for Tuition should be sufficient, in view of possible future graduations and withdrawals. This is, howe- ever, another item in the budget over which there is no local control and therefore cannot be very closely anticipated, except through previous experience of occurrence.
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
This item includes such transactions as Express, Office Equipment and Supplies, Newspaper advertising of school opening or calls for bids, Duplicating machines, all Graduation expenses including Diplomas, trans- portation and assembling of stage, and hiring of chairs. Graduation ex- penses alone this year will be more than $250.00 due to the increased cost of diplomas.
Also included are the transportation expenses of the School Nurse and the Attendance Officer amounting to about $100.00. With the above items out, there is little left to purchase the necessary equipment or con- duct the administration of the schools. We can and do operate, however, on $750.00.
REPAIR OF BUILDINGS
This budget item is directly under the administration of the Town Manager. Each year the School Committee makes a personal inspection of all buildings with the Town Manager and allocates funds for major repairs to those buildings most in need.
Many repairs were necessarily made to the four suburban schools during the past summer in conjunction with, and prior to, the installa- tion of water, inside modern toilets, and oil heat.
Some inside painting has been done at the high school, a little water- proofing, and the worse roof leaks fixed. A long-needed widening and sur- facing of the drives and parking space was completed. This has removed the continuous damage done by the stones in this gravel area and elimi- nated the mud conditions caused by the large buses.
At the Bates School some of the copper gutter had to be replaced as leaks were developing. Some bituminous concrete was put in between and about the Bates and Rounseville Schools.
The boiler in the Union Street School has been relined with fire brick.
At School Street School some of the black top around the base of the building has been replaced and the slate roof should be removed and asphalt shingles applied. A dangerous dead elm tree has been removed from the playground.
The fence at the Flora M. Clark School was beyond repair at a rea- sonable expense and is being replaced by a four-foot chain link metal fence. It is hoped to extend this in another year to the other two sides of the play area for the safety and protection of the children. Some repair has been made in the playground condition.
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At the West Side School the paint on the north side had peeled badly in spots. This has been repainted.
Among the repairs listed as necessary last year and still listed as undone, and still necessary, are:
(a) Painting - Memorial High School, all outside trim and interior walls and ceilings; Union Street School, all outside trim and playroom walls; Flora M. Clark School, outside.
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