USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1920-1922 > Part 27
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Extensions :- One hundred and fifty-two graves have been added to the Perpetual Care Section. Twenty-five one hundred feet lots have been graded and ready for sale, all of which have been reclaimed from rough and unlevel land. A large piece of the meadow has been filled in.
Lots and Graves :- Twenty lots and nineteen single graves were sold last year. At the August meeting the Cemetery Commissioners voted to sell Perpetual Care with all lots. This has met the approval of the people.
$2,500.00 has been added to the Permanent Fund for Per- petual Care of lots. This increases the town's income and adds naturally to the cost of care as more lots are now under care in the old section than ever, in addition to the new ones sold each year.
We recommend that steps be taken at once to fill the rest of the meadow (so-called) as this is a very unsightly spot located, as it is, in the center of the cemetery.
We are making some headway with a card system with indi- vidual sketches of lots showing each interment. This work is necessarily slow, as details of the old part are hard to secure.
BENJ. F. FULLERTON, Chairman, WILLIAM E. LUDDEN, .
WARD PERKINS,
Cemetery Commissioners.
II7
COLLECTOR'S REPORT.
1922]
Collector's Report
Henry A. Parker, Collector, in Account with the Town of Saugus. DR.
January 1, 1922.
To balance of 1920 tax . .
$29,498 87
To supplementary list
5 00
To 1920 interest collected
3,511 70
$33,015 57
CR.
By 1920 tax paid Treasurer $28,542 83
By 1920 interest paid Treasurer
3,511 70
By 1920 abatements
621 43
By tax titles to town
339 61
$33,015 57
Entire 1920 commitment completed.
DR.
January 1, 1922.
To balance of 1921 tax . ·
. $133,729 25
To 1921 interest collected
3,004 08 -- $136,733 33
CR.
By 1921 tax paid Treasurer .
$88,007 05
By 1921 interest paid Treasurer 3,004 08
By 1921 abatements
1,071 48 1
$92,082 61
Uncollected, December 31, 1922, on 1920 commitment
$44,650 72
118
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
DR.
To tax of 1922 committed October
9, 1922, and December 20, 1922, $358,483 36 To 1922 interest collected . 3º7 94
$358,791 30
CR.
By 1922 tax paid Treasurer .
. $212,467 46
By 1922 interest paid Treasurer ·
307 94
By 1922 abatements .
2,028 16
$214,803 56
Uncollected December 31, 1922, on
$143,987 74 1922 commitment
119
STATISTICS OF SAUGUS
1922]
STATISTICS OF THE TOWN OF SAUGUS.
YEARS.
Real Estate.
Personal Property.
Total Valuation.
Balance Excess of Revenue
Tax Rate per $1,000
1922
$8,050,175
$910,400
$8,960,575
$58,184 36
$38 00
1921
7,930,383
917,675
8,848,058
43,432 12
37 00
1920
7,590,627
871,561
8,462,188
46,033 76
35 95
1919
7,309,951
690,444
8,000,395
53,858 81
25 95
1918
7,189,697
623,104
7,812,801
40,768 42
27 95
1917
6,817,568
599,642
7,417,210
30,701 96
26 30
1916
6,640,157
610,952
7,250,809
41,850 19
24 30
1915
6,542,503
579,590
7,122,093
31,161 89
22 30
1914
6,384,099
559,256
6,943,355
26,717 71
25 40
1913
6,157,204
518,605
6,675,809
27,908 07
21 80
1912
5,911,837
530,140
6,441,977
19,841 62
20 70
1911
5,421,681
548,199
5,969,880
25 60
1910
5,138,623
406,121
5,598,744
22 00
1909
4,947,062
355,117
5,302,179
20 00
1908
4,906,548
228,271
5,134,819
22 80
1907
5,428,858
266,558
5,695,416
17 80
1906
4,335,476
263,806
4,599,282
19 80
1905
4,338,464
238,106
4,576,570
18 70
1904
4,132,598
293,027
4,425,625
20 00
1903
3,968,206
492,552
4,460,758
17 70
1902
3,708,210
172,626
3,880,836
18 90
1901
3,619,329
172,226
3,791,555
21 00
1900
3,496,335
182,727
3,679,062
19 80
1899
3,393,994
174,214
3,568,208
20 00
1898
3,349,912
163,378
3,513,290
20 50
1897
3,173, 313
177,883
3,350,997
18 00
1896
8,044,200
179,377
3,223,597
22 00
1895
2,768,019
196,589
2,964,608
19 00
1894
2,697,548
263,825
2,961,373
18 40
1893
2,600,651
303,647
2,904,298
18 50
1892
2,463,984
252,128
2,716,112
16 50
I891
2,333,633
276,014
2,609,647
16 80
1889
2,162,530
228,331
2,390,861
20 00
1888
2,037,192
234,107
2,271,299
19 00
1887
1,906,061
202,835
2,148,896
13 50
1886
1,373,680
156,555
1,373,680
17 50
1885
1,289,982
184,378
1,474,360
16 80
1884
1,197,402
181,280
1,378,692
18 00
1883
1,200,590
145,780
1,346,370
18 20
1882
1,197,760
142,605
1,342,395
19 00
1881
1,205,210
223,752
1,425,962
17 60
1880
1,210,495
254,960
1,465,095
16 50
1879
1,202,054
260,890
1,462,944
17 00
1878
1,210,725
299,810
1,510,535
18 00
1877
1,326,529
355,460
1,681,980
16 00
1876
1,317,128
381,300
1,691,428
20 00
1875
1,289,433
448,825
1,738,258
19 00
1874
1,254,233
543,000
1,796,233
18 50
1873
1,165,375
541,710
1,707,184
13 50
1872
1,110,125
492,225
1,602,350
12 50
1871
1,048,908
451,937
1,500,845
18 00
1870
1,004,929
457,160
1,462,089
15 00
1869
973,342
469,629
1,442,971
13 33
1868
914,214
369,558
1,310,772
14 50
1867
906,464
385,429
1,291,893
18 00
1866
895,312
458,366
1,348,678
15 00
1865
904,544
444,973
1,349,517
17 00
1864
909,646
897,400
1,807,046
12 50
1863
880,314
824,490
1,204,804
18 83
1862
876,680
270,000
1,146,695
8 00
1861
889,693
286,189
1,175,882
7 86
1860
877,605
301,087
1,179,592
6 80
1890
2,253,875
238,993
2,492,868
18 00
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
Superintendent of Schools
OF THE
Town of Saugus, Mass.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1922
F . SAU
G
0
T
1629
1815.
LYNN MASS. FRANK S. WHITTEN, PRINTER.
1923
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
LAWRENCE E. MORSE, Chairman 16 Riverside Court FRANK P. BENNETT I Hayden Road MORTIMER H. MELLEN 26 Mount Vernon Street
MRS. MABEL L. CARTER 14 Clifton Street MRS. ROSA V. DANFORTH 12 Pleasant Street
Term expires 1924 Saugus 42-R Term expires 1924 Saugus 356-M Term expires 1923 Saugus 301-M Term expires 1925 Saugus 531-M Term expires 1925 Saugus 154-M
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
JESSE W. LAMBERT
Residence, 279 Central Street Office in Town Hall Tel. 45
Tel. 267
Office hours : 8 to 8.30 A. M on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday ; 8.30 to 9.30 A. M. on Wednesday at Cliftondale School ; 4 to 5 P. M. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Fall term (15 weeks), September 5 - December 15, 1922. Thanksgiving recess, 22 days beginning at noon, Wednesday. Winter term (8 weeks), January 2-February 23, 1923. Spring term (8 weeks), March 5 - April 27, 1923. Summer term (8 weeks), May 7 - June 29, 1923. Graduation, High School, Thursday, June 28, 1923. Fall term (16 weeks), September 4 - December 21, 1923. Thanksgiving recess, 23 days beginning at noon, Wednesday. Winter term commences January 2, 1924.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL
(2-2-2-2) on the fire alarm and the street lights turned on five minutes.
At 7 A. M., means no High School session for that day. At 8 A. M., means no session for the grades in the forenoon. At 12.45 P. M., no afternoon session for the grades.
Report of School Committee
To the Citizens of the Town of Saugus :
Your attention is respectfully invited to the following report of the School Committee for the year ending December 31, 1922.
Immediately following the annual election in March, the Committee organized with the election of Lawrence E. Morse, chairman and Superintendent of Schools, Jesse W. Lambert, Secretary. Two new members, Mrs. Mabel L. Carter of Clif- tondale and Mrs. Rosa V. Danforth of Saugus Centre, succeeded Dr. Ernest W. Homan of North Saugus and Mrs. Anna C. Parker of Cliftondale, both declining re-election after serving the town for six years.
Regular meetings "have been held each month and special meetings have been held as occasions demanded, all of which have been well attended.
A large number of problems have been considered during the year and all have been given very careful and painstaking consideration. School accommodations, transportation and · tuition of non-resident pupils are the most vital problems affect- ing the school system at the present time.
The committee requested the sum of $139,360 for general expenses for the year and $138,500 was voted by the town at the annual town meeting in March upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee. Owing to the fact that the new Armitage school was not ready for occupancy and also to the fact that the fall term was cut from sixteen (16) to fifteen (15) weeks, the committee were able to finish the year within the appropriation voted. Of the entire amount spent, $26,837.50 was received from the Commonwealth's General School Fund.
Owing to unforeseen circumstances, several large repair items were undertaken which were not included in the repair budget made out in January. Among these were the following : Fel- ton School-Rebuilding of entire stone wall; High School- Changing of a spare toilet room into a recitation room ; Manual
4
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec 31
Training-Shinging entire roof instead of a patch job ; Oakland- vale School-Providing additional room and heating apparatus ; Armitage School-Installation of heating apparatus ; Cliftondale School-Extra plumbing ; Lincoln School-Repairs to ceiling. To cover part of these unforeseen expenditures, the committee requested the transfer of $1,000 from the general expense account to the repair account, which was voted at the special town meeting held December 11, 1922. This transfer of funds made it possible for the committee to complete the year with no unpaid repair bills.
High School
Many changes in the teaching staff of the High Schools occurred during the year. Owing to the fact that other towns and cities pay larger salaries than Saugus, the services of these teachers were lost to the town.
Resignations received included those of Principal Mrs. Lucie Mears Norris, heads of the French, Commercial and English departments, and fifteen (15) assistants.
Careful consideration was given to electing a successor to Mrs. Norris, who served the town faithfully for a period of four years and resigned owing to ill health. Many candidates were interviewed and finally Mr. Robert R. Webber, principal of the High School, York, Me., was elected. During the short time Mr. Webber has been with us, he has already proven his worth to the town, and the committee feel that they were justi- fied in the selection made.
Owing to be obliged to keep within our salary schedules, many teachers with little or no experience were engaged during the year. This constant changing of teachers has weakened the standard of the school more than any other reason, and the committee hope that more money may be secured during the year 1923 in order to engage teachers of greater experience and thereby make stronger the standard of the school.
This school is overcrowded notwithstanding the fact that the committee had a spare toilet room changed into a recitation room in order to provide added accommodations. A serious condition faces the town when school reopens the coming fall because about three times as many pupils will enter High School as will graduate. A spare room at the Ballard school has been utilized the past year, but this was only a temporary relief.
5
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1922]
Many classes have so many pupils that justice cannot be done to either pupil or teacher. An additional teacher has been engaged to remedy this condition since the opening of the winter term.
Transportation and Tuition
This phase of our work still remains very serious and is now becoming very expensive. Saugus with its 13 square miles of territory has a Junior and Senior High School building located at the Centre. Many of the pupils attending these schools live outside the two mile limit and therefore, the committee are obliged to furnish transportation or pay their tuition in the Wakefield or Melrose schools.
For the past few years, only the pupils of North Saugus were transported to the Junior High School but during the year the committee have voted transportation to pupils living in the Lynnhurst and Blueridge sections of the town ; also transporta- tion has been provided pupils attending the Oaklandvale school who live in the section known as Golden Hills.
Notwithstanding the fact that the committee have increased the expenditure for transportation from $1,600 to $3,200, there are many pupils who live in other sections of the town who are just as much entitled to receive transportation as those who now enjoy that privilege. Requests for such transportation are being received daily and are being carefully considered with a view of keeping this item of the budget as low as possible and at the same time comply with all requirements of the State Law in this respect.
In order that the citizens may thoroughly understand why the amount for transportation has doubled during the year, the State Law governing the action of the committee is quoted :
" If the distance between a child's residence and the school he is entitled to 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. If said distance exceeds three miles, and the distance between the child's residence and a school in an adjoining town giving substantially equivalent instruction is less than three miles, and the school committee declines to pay for tuition in such nearer school, and for transportation in case the distance thereto exceeds two miles, the department, upon like appeal, may require the town of residence to pay for tuition in, and if necessary provide for
6
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
transportation for a part or for the whole of said distance to such nearer school." (Chapter 71, Section 68, General Laws Relating to Education) .
Notwithstanding efforts made by the committee, the town is educating many children whose parents or guardians are not residents of the town. Children under supervision of chari- table institutions attend our schools, and we have been unable to collect for their tuition. Bills have been sent to all non-residents or institutions, but the results obtained have been negligible. This problem is receiving every attention from the committee, but the amount of tuition received has been very small.
School Nurse
The committee accepted with regret the resignation of the school nurse, Mrs. Florence (Harrison) Stacey at the close of the school year. This vacancy was extremely difficult to fill, but Mrs. Mary Donovan of Lynnfield was secured and is carry- ing forward the work so ably started a year ago by Mrs. Stacey.
Clerk
In September, Miss Helen Graves resigned as clerk of the school department, and after considering candidates for the position, Mrs. Mabel L. Carter, a member of the School Com- mittee, was unanimously elected to fill the position, owing to her business training and experience. Mrs. Carter, upon her election, promptly resigned her seat on the committee, but the remaining members voted not to accept the resignation as no law could be found which would prevent her from holding both positions. This decision of the committee was later verified by information received from the State Board of Education.
Penmanship and History Prizes
We again report that suitable prizes were awarded the school children in the various grades for the best improvement in writing made during the school year. These prizes are donated by the Women's Civic League of Cliftondale.
Prizes of $5.00 in gold were awarded to the boy and girl obtaining the highest average in American History. Parson Roby Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, donated these prizes to pupils in the eighth grade.
Both organizations have the thanks of the Committee for their interest and also for the prizes which have so generously been donated.
.
7
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1922]
Physical Education
In order to comply with the recent law passed by the General Court, certain changes were made in caring for the health of the children. In the past the sum of $200 per annum had been voted for services of a coach for the various athletic teams of the high school, particularly baseball and football teams. By this system, only a few students received benefit from this expen- diture ; therefore,a department of physical education was estab- lished for the junior and senior high schools.
In selecting a man to head this department, the Committee felt that no better choice could be made than the coach of the athletic teams, Mr. Fred Beresford of Lynn. He was unani- mously elected to the position and from results already obtained, we are confident that the right man has been secured.
The school baseball and football teams have made enviable records during the year and the committee have outlined work for the girls which include a basketball court which has been laid out at the high school grounds for their exclusive use.
Other phases of the work will be developed in the future and the Committee look for greater results during the coming year from this new department.
Oaklandvale School
Just before the fall term opened, the committee was con- fronted with a serious situation which existed in the Golden Hills section. The school population had increased from 6 in June to 30 in August, and knowing the cost of tuition to the Melrose and Wakefield schools would be great, the Committee decided to open another room at the Oaklandvale School. This was done after information was received that the schools of Wakefield and Melrose were already overcrowded and the additional pupils could in no way be accommodated. Trans- portation was voted these pupils and another teacher engaged at this school.
During the coming year, this school building will have to be repainted, reshingled, a fire escape installed, changes made to hand rails, and toilet accommodations must be improved. Some of these changes have been ordered by the State Inspector of Buildings.
Americanization
During the past year evening classes have been conducted two evenings a week in the Ballard school at East Saugus under the
8
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
supervision of Mr. Harry Johnson, Principal of the Ballard Junior High School.
The purpose of these classes is to teach English, American History and Civics to the non-English speaking population of Saugus which is largely centered in the East Saugus section. The classes have been carried on in co-operation with the Amerieanization Department of the Massachusetts State Board of Education.
The School Committee feel that Saugus should do its part in promoting Americanization inasmuch as the work is of national importance and a large number of the cities and towns of Masssachusetts are actively carrying on Americanization work and providing classes for instruction.
Parent=Teachers Association
The committee endorse the work of the various Parent- Teacher's Associations in the various schools. £ The need of such Associations has long been felt in Saugus The benefits are many, bringing parents, on the one hand, into closer touch with the school and the school purposes and problems, and on the other hand, giving teachers an opportunity to become acquainted with the parents and so learn more intimately personal characteristics of their pupils. It is the aim of the Associations to enable the teachers to understand the parents, and the parents to gain a better comprehension of what the schools are trying to attain with the children.
The committee hopes in the near future to be able to report a Parent-Teacher's Association in every school in the town of Saugus.
Public Playgrounds
In order to obtain the desired results from the new depart- ment of physical education at the High School, it is absolutely necessary that the students have a playground. In this respect the town of Saugus is extremely lacking in providing facilities for health development of their youth.
It would be a very difficult task to find another town or city the size of Saugus which does not boast of at least one public playground for their school children. Saugus, with a popula- tion of 12, 118 and about 2,600 school children has none.
There is only one field in the entire town where school ath- letic contests are held and this field is located in the extreme northern section of the town, and not centrally located.
9
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1922]
Through the public spirit and generosity of Saugus citizens this field has been saved for contests of our High School teams.
The committee commend the efforts being made by citizens in the Cliftondale section of the town towards establishing a public playground. We recommend to the citizens that this phase be given careful consideration with a view that in the near future the town will own a piece of ground where the future citizens may enjoy themselves without being obliged to pay for that privilege, which is the present practic.
Armitage School
At the annual town meeting in March, the town voted to con- struct a new six room school building on the site of the Armi- tage school and a building committee was appointed to have charge of its construction. The committee consists of Charles W. Hanson, chairman ; Wesley P. Burwell, George W. Mun- son, secretary ; Mortimer H. Mellen and Lawrence E. Morse.
In May, the present Armitage school building was sold at public auction and Mr. Clayton Penney was the successful bidder for the sum of $500. At the time the building was sold, the committee expected the new building would be ready for occupancy about October Ist, and Mr. Penney very generously gave the town free use of the building until that time.
When it was found that the new building would not be ready on October Ist, the committee were forced to enter into an agreement with Mr. Penney to keep the children in the old building until the new building was ready. So an agreement was reached whereby the committee would pay Mr. Penney at the rate of $75 per month for its use. This figure was con- sidered reasonable and was accepted. It was also found necessary to provide heating apparatus which consisted of two stoves which were removed from the Mansfield School. Minor repairs were also made to the old building to put it in proper condition and suitable toilet accommodations had to be provided.
A report of the new building is given in a separate article written by the architect, Ralph Harrington Doane of Boston, and the committee invite the citizens to carefully scrutinize this report.
New Building
Your committee believe that a new building is needed at once to be located in Cliftondale to relieve the overcrowded condi- tions existing at the Central Junior High School.
IO
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
We recommend the immediate erection of an eight room building, the major portion of which to be used to accommodate the pupils now attending the Central Junior High School who live in Cliftondale section of the town and also to take care of the pupils now attending the Lincoln school and allow for future growth.
For a long time the committee has felt that this building, the Lincoln School, which is one of the oldest in the town, has out- lived its usefulness. Accordingly, during the past few years, only very urgent repairs have been made. The three heating units used to heat only three rooms and halls make it a very expensive proposition for the town to continue.
The committee, therefore, feel that this building should be condemned at the earliest opportunity and recommend that provisions be made as outlined above.
At the instigation of the committee, an article was put in the warrant of the Special Town Meeting held in December request- ing the appointment of a committee of three to investigate the housing conditions prevailing at the Central Junior High School and report with recommendations at the Annual Town Meeting in March.
This commitee consists of Henry O. Westendarp, Charles D. Keyes, and Carl L. Norris.
This article was unanimously passed and the committee refrain from making further recommendations at this time pend- ing the report and recommendations of this special committee.
School Repairs
In the upkeep of the thirteen (13) school buildings, the com- mittee feel that much progress has been made to put the build- ings in proper condition.
Instead of assigning the care of buildings to the various members, the committee adopted the policy the past year of handling repairs by the entire committee. Prior to undertaking the repairs accomplished during the summer vacation, each building was inspected by the committee and another inspection was held after the repairs had been authorized and completed. Both inspections were very satisfactory and enabled each mem ber to know the exact condition of each building.
The committee feel that the town received full value for every dollar expended. A brief list of the more important repairs and improvements undertaken during the year is given as follows :
II
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1922]
HIGH SCHOOL .- Pipes covered with asbestos ; walls of four classrooms and principal's room painted ; entire front of build- ing painted and touched up ; repairs to toilet accommodations.
ROBY SCHOOL .- New conductors installed and new steps made leading to basement ; roof repaired.
MANUAL TRAINING .- Gutters and conductors repaired ; roof reshingled.
OAKLANDVALE SCHOOL .- Four new windows installed ; new stove installed and additional room fitted up; conductors repaired ; gutters and roof repaired ; interior walls and class- room painted.
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