USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1950 > Part 18
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School Nurse, Hilda Swett
Interviews at School Department office or at school buildings by appointment.
School Dentists: Dr. William O. Dyer Dr. James A. McDade
Dental Hygienist, Jane B. Bradford
Dental Clinic Office, Governor Bradford Building Telephone 1255-M
Custodian of Buildings, Thomas A. Bodell
Telephone 600
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SCHOOLS
Senior High School-Telephone 26
Edgar J. Mongan, Principal
Junior High School-Telephone 460 Mary M. Dolan, Principal
Cornish-Burton School District Donald T. Welch, Principal
Cornish-Burton School-Telephone 933
Oak Street School-Telephone 1661-W
Cold Spring School-Telephone 1018-M Hedge School-Telephone 1140 Richard F. Smith, Principal
Mount Pleasant School-Telephone 1097 Mrs. Helen S. Manchester, Principal
Manomet School-Telephone Manomet 3356 Mrs. Elouise E. Cashin, Principal
SCHOOL CALENDAR 1950 - 1951
Open: September 6, 1950
Close: December 21, 1950
January 2, 1951
February 16, 1951
February 26, 1951
April 18, 1951
April 30, 1951
June 22, 1951
School Holidays: Columbus Day, Oct. 12-13; Teachers' Convention Day, Oct. 25; Thanksgiving Recess, Nov. 23- 24; Good Friday, March 23; Memorial Day, May 30.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL 2-2 Repeated on fire alarm
7:05 No school for Junior and Senior High Schools.
8:15 No morning session for Grades I to VI, inclusive.
12:15 . No afternoon session for Grades I to VI, inclusive. Radio station WEEI broadcasts no-school signals shortly after 7:00 a.m.
Radio station WBZ broadcasts no-school signals during the following periods: 7:00-7:25 a.m., 7:30-7:45 a.m., 8:30-8:45 a.m., 12 m .- 12:15 p.m.
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FINANCIAL REPORT
RECEIPTS
Appropriation, Salaries,
March 1950
$365,145.00
PAYMENTS
Supt., Prins., Supvrs., Teachers
$314,361.86
Supvr. of Attendance, Noon
Supvrs., Clerks
11,343.00
Americanization
668.00
Summer School
475.00
Janitors, Building Supervisor
24,633.25
School Physicians, Nurse and Asst., Dental Hygienist 9,406.38
Pensions for Retired School
Physician and Janitor
2,303.25
School Census 315.00
Total
363,505.74
Balance to Excess and Deficiency
$1,639.26
RECEIPTS
Appropriation, General, March 1950
$42,205.00
Trust Fund Income 7.33
Total
$42,212.33
PAYMENTS
General Expenses
Stationery, postage, printing
$468.06
Telephone
256.20
Travel expense in State
124.56
Automobile expense in State
400.00
Office supplies
157.17
$1,405.99
-6-
Expenses of Instruction
Text and reference books
$6,010.59
Paper, pencils, and supplies 7,895.70
Manual training supplies
1,633.40
Domestic science supplies
902.53
Athletic supplies
983.77
Typewriters and supplies
635.32
Visual education supplies
734.70
18,796.01
Tuition
Out-of-town schools
$916.02
Vocational education
2,751.30
3,667.32
Maintenance
Repairs and improvements
$7,656.57
Janitors' supplies
1,914.93
Gas and electricity
4,010.73
Telephones
876.85
Ashes, etc. removed
192.75
14,651.83
Furniture and Furnishings
Desks and chairs
$426.00
Window shades
363.35
Filing equipment
Safe for Hedge School
35.00
Misc. radio equipment
14.68
Domestic science equipment
61.17
2 Gas stoves for Jr. High
170.00
Motion Picture Projector, Sr. High
362.25
1,432.45
Medical Inspection
Dental health
$785.72
Medical supplies
117.31
Nurse's car expense
491.47
1,394.50
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Diplomas and Graduation Rent of Memorial Hall
528.68
280.00
Total
$42,156.78
Balance to Excess and Deficiency RECEIPTS
$55.55
Appropriation, Fuel, March 1950 $10,500.00
PAYMENTS
Coal, wood, oil 10,455.66
Balance to Excess and Deficiency $44.34
RECEIPTS
Appropriation, Transportation, March 1950 $26,560.00
From Reserve Fund 200.00
$26,760.00
PAYMENTS
Transportation of pupils
$26,644.76
Transportation of supvrs., prins. 59.49
Total $26,704.25
Balance to Excess and Deficiency $55.75
RECEIPTS
Appropriation, Out-of-state travel, March 1950 $50.00
PAYMENTS
None
Balance to Excess and Deficiency $50.00
REIMBURSEMENTS AND RECEIPTS
From the State on account of:
State Aid for Public Schools $35,857.39
Americanization Salaries 360.00
Vocational Tuition 1,240.44
Vocational Pottery School 23.76
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State Wards
2,451.88
Transportation
13,588.10
Tuition, Out-of-town Pupils:
Carver (Town of)
13,768.33
Plympton (Town of)
7,474.75
Summer School
6.00
Balance of Military Retirement Fund 366.52
Miscellaneous Receipts
923.22
Total
$76,060.39
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Balance to Excess and
Appropriation Expenditures Deficiency
Salaries
$365,145.00 $363,505.74
$1,639.26
General Incl. fuel
and transportation
79,522.33*
79,316.69
205.64
Totals $444,667.33
$442,822.43
$1,844.90
Reimbursements and receipts
account of schools
76,060.39
$366,762.04
Net expenditures for schools (from appropriations to School Dept. for salaries and general) *Including Trust Fund Income
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TRUST FUNDS U. S. GRANTS
George-Deen Fund for Teaching Pottery Classes
Balance from 1949
$86.00
Payments:
Salary of pottery instructor 86.00
Unexpended Balance
None
-9.
George-Barden Fund for Teaching Pottery Classes Balance from 1949
$176.00
Cash from State
332.00
Total
$508.00
Payments:
Salary of pottery instructor
$508.00
Unexpended Balance None
IMPROVEMENTS TO HEDGE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
Appropriation, 1950
$6,500.00
Payments:
Loaming and seeding
$3,085.00
Drainage and hard surfacing
3,415.00
Total
$6,500.00
REPAIRS TO CORNISH-BURTON SCHOOL
Appropriation, 1950
$20,000.00
Payments:
Plumbing
$4,184.80
Painting
4,015.00
Carpentry Work
8,798.50
Finishing Floors
335.94
Insulating Roofs
720.00
Wiring
137.25
Window Shades
321.37
General Labor
933.80
Miscellaneous
240.41
Total $19,687.07
Unexpended Balance
$312.93
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
During 1950 much attention has been paid by the Com- mittee to the two major problems in school administra- tion, namely, that of maintaining a competent teaching staff and that of providing adequate housing for the schools.
TEACHERS' SALARIES
One prerequisite to maintaining a competent staff is a salary schedule that will enable Plymouth to compete successfully with other communities for qualified teach- ing service. We are glad to report that the improvement in the Plymouth salary schedule made by the appropria- tion of 1950 brought the average salary of teachers in Plymouth up to the average paid in Massachusetts towns of our class as of October last.
The Korean war and the over-all defense program on which the nation has recently embarked are again de- preciating the purchasing power of the dollar. We are observing again a resulting wide-spread movement to improve teachers' salary schedules to meet the increased living costs in the hope that teachers in service and pro- spective teachers will not again in large numbers turn to other employments more lucrative than teaching though less important to our future well-being.
Our Committee is therefore asking again this year for an increased appropriation that will enable us to make an average increase of about 10% in the pay of our teaching staff as of January 1. From all that we can learn of what other Massachusetts School Committees are re- questing, this increase will be necessary if we are to retain our competitive position-not with the larger city school systems but with towns in our general classifica- tion. We feel also that it is very important to the morale
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of teachers that they find themselves able to meet the increasing living costs.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
The voting of a new elementary building to accom- modate pupils of grades 1-6 in the Cold Spring area at the annual Town Meeting of 1950 will give much needed relief to the overcrowded conditions in the Cornish- Burton, Hedge, and Cold Spring schools.
This new building is now about half completed and is being constructed on a seven-acre lot lying between Court Street and Standish Avenue and fronting on Alden Street. The situation is almost equidistant from the Cornish and Hedge schools. The building is of masonry brick construction having a front section of two floors, a right wing of two floors, and a left wing of one story. On the ground floor at the front are located a combina- tion playroom and assembly hall and a kitchen with a lunch or general-purpose room adjoining. On the upper floor at the front are the administrative offices, the health room, and the first-grade room. In the right wing are three classrooms for pupils in grades 5, 6, and the prac- tical arts class. In the left wing are classrooms for grades 1 to 4. The building will accommodate a normal enroll- ment of about 225 pupils and is so designed as to be read- ily enlarged when necessary. It is anticipated that this new school will be ready prior to the fall opening. The architects are the J. William Beal, Sons Company of Boston and the contractor is the L. C. Blake Construction Company of Milton.
PROGRAM OF REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS OF ELEMENTARY BUILDINGS
Cornish-Burton School
The growth that will soon take place in the number of elementary school pupils, if the young families with pre- school children now living in Plymouth remain here,
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promises to be such as to require 20 to 24 more classrooms than we now have by the time the peak enrollment has passed in 1959 or 1960. The new Cold Spring School will furnish eight of these, thus leaving 12 to 16 still to be supplied.
The immediate replacement of the Cornish - Burton with a new building-a plan earlier considered-would have added 14 more rooms. However, in view of all the other building needs of the Town, including the costly change in the sewage disposal system, it seemed wise to your Committee to continue the use of the Cornish- Burton buildings at least until the peak of the increased enrollment is passed. In continuing the use of these buildings, repairs and improvements were imperative to make them safe, sanitary, and attractive. Such a program was carried out during the past summer. New floors were laid in classrooms and corridors; interiors were repainted in attractive colors; new sanitaries were installed in the Burton; additional safety exits were provided; and the attic floors of both buildings were insulated. The ex- terior of the Burton was painted to match the Cornish. These repairs and improvements were made within the appropriation of $20,000. For detailed information on expenditures incurred in this project, see our preceding financial report.
Mt. Pleasant and Oak Street Schools
We strongly recommend that the program of repairs and improvements in our present buildings be continued. We are asking the Town to make special appropriations this year for a similar program in the Mt. Pleasant and Oak Street buildings. A new oil-burning furnace is a necessity at Oak Street; and new floors in classrooms and corridors as well as new fixtures in the boys' toilet are much needed. At Mt. Pleasant floors should be refinished, the interior redecorated, and new fixtures installed in the boys' toilet. The cost of this program of repairs in the two buildings will approximate $11,000.
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NEW MANOMET SCHOOL NEEDED
For years past, it has been the established policy to house in the Manomet School building all elementary pupils living along the shore from Rocky Hill Road on the north to the Bourne line on the south. For the past several years the school population in this large area has grown substantially making it necessary to use a small room on the second floor of the school as an overflow room for the primary grades. Last fall the numbers of pupils had so increased as to make it necessary to trans- port 9 pupils in grades three and four to the Hedge School.
The Committee appointed at the last annual meeting to make a study of Manomet School building needs have made a comprehensive investigation and recommend the immediate construction of a one-story building contain- ing six classrooms and general-purpose room to be located on a spacious, level site of nearly eight acres on the easterly side of Strand Avenue on land formerly known as the Porter Harlow lot. The cost of land and building will approximate $250,000. The School Committee unan- imously agrees with the recommendations of said com- mittee and hopes that the Town will see fit to endorse this project as the second major step in the school build- ing program. For more detailed information on this project, see the report of the Superintendent of Schools, which follows.
Respectfully submitted,
E. HAROLD DONOVAN, Chairman SIGNE L. J. BORGHESANI, Secretary WILLIAM H. ARMSTRONG DAVID A. CAPPANNARI WILLIAM E. CURTIN RALPH C. WEAVER
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To Members of the School Committee:
The year 1950 has been a notable one in that it has marked the beginning of our elementary school building program. As Secretary of the Building Committee for the new Cold Spring School, I have necessarily devoted much time to this project as the construction of the building has gone forward and as various types of equip- ment and costs have been studied. To meet these addi- tional demands, however, has afforded much satisfaction in that this project marks real progress on the part of our Town in meeting the needs for more adequate hous- ing of the elementary school children. The opening of the new school of eight classrooms in the Cold Spring area in September will measurably relieve the heretofore crowded condition both in the Hedge and Cornish districts.
MANOMET SCHOOL BUILDING NEEDS
Our experience in 1950 has shown even more clearly than before the need for a new building in the Manomet area. From the school enrollment in the spring term and the prospective numbers to enter grade one in the fall, it became clear that we were faced with one of three methods of relief: (1) transferring children from Cedar- ville to the Bourne Schools, if possible; (2) placing certain grades on a half-time basis; (3) transporting a number of pupils to the Plymouth village schools. After con- siderable investigation, the last course was decided upon and the 9 third and fourth grade pupils living in the Beaver Dam and Rocky Hill sections have been trans- ported by taxi to the Hedge School. It now seems prob- able that it will be necessary to transport a larger number during the coming school year.
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MANOMET ENROLLMENT 1944 TO 1950 Grade groups enclosed in parentheses are taught by one teacher.
Grades
Year
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
1944
(11
14)
(13
11)
( 7 11)
67
1945
(16
13)
(16
11)
(11
9)
76
1946
(19
18)
(14
12)
( 9
15)
87
*12
1947
(19
14)
(22
18)
(14 11)
110
1948
(16
34)
(10
20)
(14
14)
108
*15
1949
(32
6)
(27
8)
(19
16)
123
*16
1950
( 6 28)
(15 20)
(14 21)
** 120
* Housed in small teachers' room.
** Nine additional pupils are being transported to Hedge School.
From the data above it is clear that a consistent growth has been taking place since 1944 in the number of school children in the southern part of the Town. It has been my privilege to confer from time to time with the able committee appointed at the last annual Town Meeting to investigate school building needs in Manomet. This Committee, consisting of Mr. Russell Anderson, Chair- man; Mrs. Louise Meyer, Secretary; Mr. Thomas Dutton; Mr. Albert Hayden; Mr. Lionel Moreau; Mr. Bryce Prin- dle; and Mr. Alton Valler, has made a most thorough study of the housing problem. I am pleased to give below an abbreviated summary of the committee's recommenda- tions:
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"That the Town appropriate a sum of $7,000 to apply to the purchase of approximately eight acres of land bordering on the northerly side of Strand Avenue in Manomet .
"That the Town of Plymouth appropriate a sum of $243,000 to defray the estimated costs of design, construc- tion, and equipping of a new one-story school building on the above-mentioned site.
"That the building be of one-story, brick veneer, wood frame construction and to consist of 6 classrooms, general purpose room, cafeteria, and usual facilities incidental to a building of the type . . .
"It is the unanimous opinion of this committee that action should be taken on these recommendations at the current Town Meeting of March, 1951, and we have formulated an article to be inserted in the warrant incorporating the foregoing recommendations. In the event that favorable action is taken at this time, the purchase of the land, the preparation of final drawings and specifications, and other work incidental to prepara- tion for and acceptance of bids for construction should be expedited as rapidly as possible, and construction should be started as soon thereafter as possible."
It is to be hoped that the Town will see fit to take favorable action on the recommendations of this special committee which has taken a long-range view of the problem.
STAFF CHANGES
Our experience with staff changes in 1950 was about normal as to numbers involved. One of our teachers of long service in Plymouth schools, Miss Charlotte Lovering, retired in June having completed 37 years in grades 5 and 6 at the Cornish School. Her position was filled by the transfer of Mrs. Eleanor Testoni White from the Oak Street School. The position at Oak Street in
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turn was filled by the appointment of Miss Julia Kazantis of Fall River. Miss Kazantis graduated from Boston University in the class of 1950 and has taken additional work at the State Teachers' College in Fitchburg.
Miss Mary Connolly, teacher of Social Studies at the High School for several years past, resigned in the spring to accept an attractive opening in the Boston schools. This position was filled by the transfer of Joffrey Nunez from the Junior High faculty. Mr. Nunez' position in turn was filled by the appointment of Lewis Morton of Sand- wich Road, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and Boston University.
Mary Cingolani, teacher of English in the Junior High School for seven years, who was granted a year's leave for graduate study at DePaul University in Chicago, re- signed to accept an appointment in the Chicago schools. Miss Cingolani's place was filled by the appointment of William Gault of this town, who had been a substitute in this position during Miss Cingolani's absence.
The first member of our staff to join the armed forces was David E. Barlow, instructor in Science at the Junior High School. Mr. Barlow is a Lieutenant in the Army and now stationed at Fort Devens. His position was filled by the appointment of Harold Rogers of this town as a military substitute. Mr. Rogers was graduated from Plymouth High School in 1940 and Boston University in 1948. He has been teacher of Science in High Schools in Royal Oak, Michigan, and Guilford, Maine.
At the Hedge School, resignations were received at the close of the school year from Mrs. Renelta Moran, teacher of grade 6, who resigned because of home cares, and from Barbara Bell, teacher of grade 3, who resigned to be married. Mrs. Moran's position was filled by the appointment of Mrs. Mary Guidoboni, a graduate of Bridgewater State Teachers' College and formerly on the staff at Cold Spring and at Hedge. Miss Bell's position
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was filled by the appointment of Elinor Lenon of Swan- sea, a graduate of Bridgewater State Teachers' College, class of 1950. Mrs. Mary E. Henry, a graduate of Bridge- water State Teachers' College and formerly a teacher of grade 4 here, was reappointed to her position, which had been filled by Mrs. Catharine Cahalane on a substi- tute basis.
At the Cornish School, Miss Audrey Lonergan was appointed to the staff in place of Mrs. Jeannette Holmes who had taught grades 1 and 2 during 1949-50 on a sub- stitute basis. Miss Lonergan is a graduate of the Lake Erie College for Women with post-graduate work at Bridgewater State Teachers' College.
The year 1950 was exceptional in that we lost three supervisors of special subjects. Miss Carolyn Parren who had served for seven years as Supervisor of Physical Education in the elementary grades resigned to accept a position in the Framingham High School. This vacancy was filled by the appointment of Miss Helen Whiting of this town. Miss Whiting was graduated from Bridge- water State Teachers' College in 1945 and since has been Supervisor of Physical Education in the schools of Bourne, Medfield, and Ludlow. The second supervisor to resign was Miss Elizabeth Crook who for two years has been Supervisor of Vocal Music. Miss Crook accepted a position on the faculty of the University of Delaware. The vacancy here was filled by the appointment of Miss Marietta Canan of Easton. Miss Canan was graduated from Boston University, College of Music, in 1934 and has served as Supervisor in Canton and Easton. She was music instructor in Watertown High School when appointed to the Plymouth position. Miss Elizabeth Egan, for 21/2 years Supervisor of Art in the elementary grades, resigned to accept a similar position in her home city of Quincy. The vacancy was filled by the appointment of Mr. Robert Andrews of Boston. Mr. Andrews was grad-
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uated from the Massachusetts School of Art in 1949. He did practice teaching in the elementary schools of Plym- outh and Cambridge and was serving as substitute teacher in the Scituate schools when appointed to this position.
Miss Theresa Gallerani of this town was appointed to the position of Clerk in the Superintendent's Office to take the place of Mrs. Barbara Gunther Holmes, who resigned because of home responsibilities. Miss Gallerani graduated from Plymouth High School in 1949 and from Burdett College in 1950.
PLYMOUTH EXPENDITURES FOR EDUCATION
Our annual budget for education has shown substantial increases within recent years. This increase is not as yet due to an increasing enrollment but rather to the pay- ment of higher salaries made necessary by increasing living costs and by the growing scarcity of qualified teachers as well as to increasing costs of all materials and services involved in the giving of instruction and the maintenance of school buildings. The present purchasing power of the dollar is 58.4( as compared with the average purchasing power of 100ยข during 1935-39.
The opening of the new elementary school in Septem- ber will necessarily add to our school costs; nevertheless, the indications are that Plymouth school expenditures for the coming school year, 1951-52, will remain well below the average cost of schools in the towns of our classification. The accompanying table shows that al- though in valuation of property to be taxed for the education of each child, Plymouth stood in the upper half of the towns listed, yet Plymouth was in the lower half of these towns in all three indices of school expenditures, namely: (1) the school tax per thousand of valuation in 1949; (2) the percent that the school tax was of the total
COMPARATIVE DATA ON SCHOOL EXPENDITURES-PLYMOUTH AND 22 MASS. TOWNS (11 Next Larger and 11 Next Smaller Having Elementary, Junior, and Senior High Schools) (As of November 30, 1950) 1949-50
1950 Pop.
1949-50 Equalized Valuation Per Pupil (1)
1949 (Fiscal Year) School Tax (2)
1949 (Fiscal Year) Per Cent School Tax of Total Tax
(School Year) Expenditure for School Support Per Pupil
Wellesley
20847
Wellesley
$16547
Northbridge
$22.25
Agawam
53%
Norwood
$241.82
W. Spring.
20398
Swampscott
15987
Agawam
19.66
Northbridge
47
Winchester
230.70
Natick
19663
Barnstable
15800
Ludlow
19.65
Norwood
46
Swampscott
225.73
Winthrop
19494
Falmouth
15259
Shrewsbury
19.03
Amherst
43
Wellesley
224.77
Greenfield
17237
Winchester
15138
Amherst
18.07
Shrewsbury
42
W. Spring.
224.77
Lexington
17098
Norwood
14762
Norwood
17.45
Winthrop
41
Marblehead
213.80
Norwood
16693
Greenfield
14353
Bridgewater
17.38
Bridgewater
40
Amherst
212.70
Needham
16262
Andover
13356
Winthrop
17.16
Needham
38
Lexington
210.71
Winchester
15567
Marblehead
12041
Natick
16.31
Winchester
38
Barnstable
207.85
Reading
13819
Plymouth
11858
Lexington
15.69
Andover
38
Andover
199.90
Marblehead
13711
W. Spring.
11256
Marblehead
15.50
Marblehead
37
Ludlow
198.86
Plymouth
13652 Needham
10762 Reading
14.99 Ludlow
37
Falmouth
193.72
Stoneham
13208 Lexington
10571 Stoneham
14.35 Natick
36
Winthrop
188.42
Andover
12261
Amherst
9978
Needham
14.25
Greenfield
36
Stoneham
187.67
Swampscott
11537
Ludlow
9365
Andover
14.09
Lexington
36
Greenfield
187.63
Amherst
10850
Winthrop
9109
Swampscott
14.07
W. Spring.
35
Needham
187.36
Barnstable
10397
Stoneham
9107
Winchester
13.85
Reading
35
Plymouth
186.77
Shrewsbury
10392 Reading
8212
Greenfield
13.76
Plymouth
35
Shrewsbury
184.74
Northbridge
10328
Northbridge
8147
W. Spring.
13.52
Swampscott
34
Reading
178.01
Agawam
10189
Natick
7497
Plymouth
13.14
Barnstable
34
Northbridge
171.10
Bridgewater
9513
Shrewsbury
7144
Wellesley
11.34
Wellesley
31
Agawam
170.43
Ludlow
8629
Agawam
6854
Falmouth
10.84
Stoneham
31
Natick
163.56
Falmouth
8497 Bridgewater
6453
Barnstable
10.29
Falmouth
27
Bridgewater
135.53
Median
13652
$10762
$14.99
37%
$193.72
Average
13926
$11241
$15.51
38%
$196.81
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(1) Valuation established by State for five-year period, 1946-1950.
(2) Local tax per $1,000 for school support (not including outlay).
-21-
tax in 1949; and (3) the expenditure per pupil for the school year, 1949-50.
When compared also with the average school expendi- tures for the State as a whole, Plymouth's school costs are noticeably lower as shown in the following table.
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