USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1923 > Part 6
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5
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1923]
This amounts to about $100 per week or $4,000 a year. The highest paid teacher we have outside of the Principal of the High 7 School, Supervising Principal and Heads of Departments is $1,650. This will give a comparative idea of the amount of money we are spending for which we get no return.
Tuition
We are facing rather a serious problem in the number of chil- dren we are educating in our schools whose parents do not live in the Town of Saugus. It seems to be impossible to collect tui- tion for these pupils as long as the parents claim that they are not living here for the purpose of attending schools.
Last year we sent out bills to the parents or guardians of these pupils amounting to some over $1,700. We were able to collect less than $75.
Expenditures of School Department
INSTRUCTION
Salaries
$116,680 70
Textbooks .
3,619 42
Supplies .
7,112 04
OPERATION
Salaries
9,317 42
Fuel
9,081 49
Miscellaneous
629 47
MAINTENANCE
Repairs ·
6,186 45
AUXILIARY AGENCIES
Transportation .
3,966 97
Tuition .
2,251 2I .
Miscellaneous .
1,548 06
Total expenditures
. $160,393 23
Armitage School
The new Armitage School was opened in February, four rooms being used. In September, it was necessary to open all six rooms. By changing the school dividing lines, this building relieved the Cliftondale, Roby, Felton and the Lincoln Schools, all of which were crowded. Notwithstanding the relief gained by opening the new Armitage School, a much crowded condition still exists in several of the buildings.
6
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
High School .
Few changes have been made in the teaching staff of the High School this year. The committee feels this has been largely due to the granting of a 10 per cent. increase made possible by the vote of the town meeting in March.
Under the conscientious guidance of our new principal, Robert R. Webber, the standard has been raised and discipline troubles have practically disappeared. This he has done in the face of a handicap of an overcrowded building. Approximately 800 pupils are being housed in a building designed for 650. Next September the overcrowding will be much greater unless some relief is provided in a new building.
The sewing room is unsuited and entirely inadequate to accom- modate the sewing classes. The typewriting room is greatly overcrowded. The auditorium in the old building is being used for a class room and is not adapted as to light, ventilation or arrangement. The large auditorium in the new part is being used as a class room also. Two toilets on the second floor were rebuilt into a small classroom. The only light being from over- head. According to statistics from our school superintendent, the condition of overcrowding at this building next September will be greatly aggravated, and nothing but a two platoon system will be possible, and according to the best authorities, this sys- tem is very unsatisfactory.
New Junior High
The school committee advised in its report of last year that a new building was needed at once to be located in Cliftondale to relieve the overcrowded condition existing at the Central Junior High School.
The need is even more pressing now than at that time. By taking advantage of all possible available space in all of the school buildings we have avoided the necessity of adopting a two platoon system at the High School.
At the annual March town meeting a school house investigat- ing committee was appointed consisting of Charles W. Hanson, George W. Mason, Frederick H. Griswold, Mortimer H. Mel- len and Fred E. Ewart. This committee has investigated the school house accommodations and urges the immediate erection of a ten room building to be located in Cliftondale to take care of the Junior High pupils of Cliftondale, thereby relieving the Central Junior High and Roby Schools.
7
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
1923]
This new building would also provide for the classes now housed in the Lincoln School which has been pronounced un- safe by the State Building Inspector and which must soon be abandoned. It is one of the oldest buildings in the town being built in 1838 and has outlived its usefulness.
If the standard of the schools is to be not only maintained but raised to compare favorably with those of our neighboring cities and towns we ask the co-operation of the citizens of Saugus to provide the proper housing accommodation as well as the neces- sary funds to properly conduct the schools.
Your attention is invited to the report of the Superintendent of Schools, also to the Principal of the High School which will cover in detail the various phases of our school activities as well as the educational work.
(Signed)
MORTIMER H. MELLEN, MABEL L. CARTER, LAWRENCE E. MORSE, FRED E. EWART.
8
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Report of the Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee and Citizens of Saugus :
Your Superintendent herewith submits his sixth annual report of the condition, progress and needs of the schools of Saugus, the same being the thirty-first annual school report.
Retrospection
In order that we may face the future with well directed interest and enter upon the tasks before us with the highest possible intel- ligence, it seems necessary to take a look backward, visualize the ' trend of education, the growth of our school population and our own efforts to meet the obligations which have been and still are ours not only as school officials, but as citizens of Saugus.
What has been the trend of education during the present gen- eration? It has certainly not been toward the little red school house with its ungraded school system, as well as that institu- tion served its time and purpose. No, the call has gone out for better housing facilities, better sanitary conditions, better pre- pared teachers, a more accurate grading of pupils, broader courses of study, a greater degree of harmony and active co-oper- ation between teacher and pupils, a higher degree of patriotism and morality and an effective health program carried forward by specially prepared workers.
We have tried to meet this demand just as far as conditions would allow.
Perhaps we shall be able to best show whether these conditions have been favorable or adverse by submitting such figures as are available covering a period of several years.
Attendance. Grades 7 to 12 inclusive
January
7
8
9
IO
II
I 2
Totals
1920
220
160
121
79
I13
65
758
1921
248
181
136
84
65
79
793
1922
231
206
194
92
60
42
825
1923
259
179
217
116
81
53
905
1924
280
220
182
I 20
90
71
968
9
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1923]
Total Enrollment
July Ist.
1914
1,950
1919
2,286
1915
2,105
1920
.
2,407
1916
2,336
1921
2,438
1917
2,057
1922
2,511
1918
2,418
1923
2,713
During the current year we shall probably enroll about 2,800.
It will be noticed that attendance in grades 7 to 12 inclusive increased 758 in January, 1920 to 968 in January, 1924. We have therefore been called upon to care for 210 more students in our combined Junior and Senior High Schools.
To do this we made use of our four empty rooms at the Ballard, the empty room at the Lincoln, same being made vacant by transferring a grade to the New Armitage school, and have robbed the Roby school grade pupils of one room there, thus greatly interfering with proper educational standards.
The Central Junior High and Senior High has a seating capa- city of more than a thousand, if we simply want to keep the children in out of the cold, but as an educational institution it should not house more than 650. That building, therefore, was much overcrowded in 1920. It now has twenty more than in 1920 in spite of the fact that we have opened six rooms during the last four years and have converted a double toilet into a class room at the Central school.
It will be clearly seen that while housing conditions affecting the last six grades might have been worse, they were certainly not of the best. Our troubles have now reached an acute stage, We can diagnose the case but the remedy can be provided only by a vote of the citizens. Let every voter study the situation with an open mind. We positively must not use a room at the Roby next year for grade seven. We must have it for a lower grade. .
What have we done for grades I to 6 inclusive?
We have very materially improved conditions at North Saugus, opened an additional room at Lynnhurst and built a new school house at West Cliftondale. In this new building also in the Oaklandvale and the Emerson buildings there are a few vacant seats. There is also a vacant room at North Saugus. All other buildings are either filled to capacity or overcrowded.
Seven rooms at the Roby are housing at least sixty-five more pupils than they should.
IO
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
We have done well, but not well enough. Prompt and active building operations is the only effective remedy.
As to the preparation of teachers we have made gains of con- siderable importance. The younger teachers are very nearly all Normal or College graduates and those who are not graduates have had training in college either through regular or through summer courses. The older teachers have become thoroughly trained through experience. We consider our present teaching force to be decidedly efficient.
We now have no ungraded schools in town but had we the room much better results could be secured with backward pupils by employing one or two teachers for individual instruction. Every school house of four or more rooms should have an extra recitation room to be used for individual or small groups of pupils needing special help. This may come in time and will be a long step in the right direction.
A new course of study was introduced a few years ago but as some of our basal books have been changed the course needs to be revised. This will be attended to very soon.
General conditions throughout the town were never better. Harmony prevails everywhere as far as we know and there is a sincere spirit of cooperation and friendship among teachers, par- ents, and pupils. This is a very strong incentive to greater effort.
Our health program, while not complete, is better than for- merly and covers quite a wide range of activities, including regu- lar physical training at the High School under direction of a special teacher and the weighing, measuring, and health train- ing by an especially competent school nurse.
Thrift has also been introduced through activities in the way of school savings. Much assistance along this line has been rendered by members of the Parent-Teachers' Associations, es- pecially at the Roby school.
Generally speaking the progress made during the last five years, while not spectacular in any way, has been steady and of considerable importance.
Per Capita Cost of Education
In March, 1923, an appropriation of $154,000 was granted for educational purpose exclusive of repairs. But because of a greater number of trained teachers and steady growth of average attend- ance on the part of pupils we received from the State, Aug. Ist, 1923, $27,916.50 or $1,079 more than we received last year.
II
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1933]
Subtracting $27,916.50 from $154,000.00 we find our net ex- penditure for the past year to be $126,083.50 or about forty-six dollars per pupil.
Our per capita cost is considerably below the average for the State.
Comparative Statistics
Relative to expenditure for education we are submitting a sheet of comparative statistics compiled from the State Report for the years 1921 and 1922.
This sheet shows the per capita cost for education in various towns for those years and also the increase or decrease in the same from 1931 to 1922.
1921
Andover .
$74 22
1922 $78 60
$4 38
Arlington
72 26
77 18
4 92
Amesbury
77 17
89 07
11 90
Belmont
66 97
72 47
5 50
Braintree
50 28
56 12
5 84
Danvers
58 25
61 91
3 66
Dedham
61 16
64 84
3 68
Framingham
58 41
66 43
8 02
Greenfield
60 50
66 29
5 79
Marblehead
68 16
77 83
9 67
Methuen
49 97
52 72
2 75
Milford
.
43 21
48 46
5 25
Milton
.
96 61
IO2 27
5 66
Natick
51 01
60 72
9 71
No. Attleboro
57 23
57 16
Plymouth
67 64
78 84
II 20
Reading
67 23
74 43
6 20
Saugus
47 77
47 32
Stoneham
61 24
64 07
2 83
Swampscott
57 44
77 56
10 12
Wakefield
61 24
66 18
4 94
Watertown
59 86
64 08
4 22
Weymouth
47 18
49 70
2 52
Winchester
83 13
89 72
6 59
Winthrop
58 79
61 36
2 57
.
.
·
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It will be seen that the per capita cost in Saugus was the low- est of all in 1922. Further it was one of the two towns that de- creased its per capita cost in 1922. The amount of decrease being .45. North Attleboro is the other town with a decrease of .07.
Increase
I2
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The city of Newburyport has been pointed out as having its school well handled from a financial standpoint. Here are the figures compared with Saugus
Newburyport, $50 03 $57 58 $7 55 increase
Saugus, 47 77 47 32 45 decrease
During the past year we have lost comparatively few teachers from the high school force, but more from the grades. The numbers follow :
Senior High School
Junior High School
6
. Supervisors
.
2
Elementary
IO
-
Total
19
In addition to these we lost three teachers by death. Miss Irene Thompson whose long and faithful service had endeared her to teachers, pupils, and parents. Mrs. Eva Snow, a teacher of great value, whose service we appreciated, both because of its educational value and its inspiring faithfulness ; and Miss Kather- ine Mackinnon, who was killed in Boston November 26, having been in our employ less than three months, during which time we had learned to have absolute confidence in her efficiency and integrity.
These were sad losses, indeed. Our present teaching force is, we believe, far above the average, and we hope that the salaries paid in Saugus together with good working conditions may be sufficient to retain a larger percentage than has been the case in past years.
Pupils and Their Work
There seems to be an excellent spirit on the part of pupils, generally speaking. Interest is keen, resulting in marked atten- tion to school work and a noticeable freedom from disturbing elements.
Attendance has been fairly regular excepting on the part of a few who continue to offend again and again. These have been looked after by an efficient attendance officer who gives much of his time and more of his patience to the work.
Transportation
This problem is still with us and is growing bigger and bigger. We have tried to keep down the expense, but in spite of our efforts it grows.
13
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1923]
Besides car tickets costing $2.40 a day we are paying to bus drivers $17.50 daily. In other words transportation costs us nearly $100 for every full week of school.
High School Music
This work is under the able direction of C. Francis Woods and flattering results are being secured. There is a deep interest in junior high grade work and in the chorus work which is con- ducted during Junior Intermission in the auditorium. Your at- tention is called to Mr. Woods' report.
Physical Education
Much excellent work is being done along this line in the high school, but comparatively little in the grades as we have no supervisor for grades I to 6. Teachers do the best they can but physical training to be effective as an aid to proper development and better physical condition generally, should be supervised by a teacher trained in that work.
Health hygiene should also be taught regularly and in such a way as to correlate with physical training.
Manual Training
This work is being carried on under same conditions as for- merly. Our equipment should be enlarged and improved.
Your attention is called to Director Corthell's report.
Domestic Science
This department is under excellent direction. Miss Emily Woodbury took charge of it last June and at the opening of the present school year, two other very excellent teachers were secured as assistants.
Miss Woodbury is submitting a report to which your attention is respectfully called.
Supervisors
Our Supervisors are doing an exceedingly high grade of work. Your attention is called to their reports.
High School
As Principal Webber is to submit a report, there is no special call for one here. It gives us pleasure, however, to say that Mr. Webber has proved to be just the kind of educator that our school needs.
·
I4
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Ballard Junior High
Mr. Harry Johnson, Principal of Ballard Junior High, was made Supervisory Principal of the Ballard, Lincoln, and Armi- tage Schools, beginning his duties as such last September. This was a new departure from the general order of affairs in Saugus, but very common in many large towns and cities. To your sup- erintendent it seems to be a step in the right direction. Mr. Johnson has surely done much to correlate the work and to in- crease the efficiency of these schools.
Your attention is called to his report.
School Nurse
Our school nurse is a tireless worker and makes every minute count. The improvement along the lines of personal cleanliness of pupils is certainly remarkable. Her efficiency along all lines in her field of service is a matter of comment throughout the town.
Your attention is called to her report.
Recommendations
Recommendations for this year are largely a repetition of those of last year, but, as they call for changes that are badly needed, we venture to put them before you again.
1. An extension of physical education by the employment of a specially trained supervisor for the grades.
2. Extension of school grounds.
3. Preparation of a playground back of the High School and the restoration of the lawn in front and the building of proper approaches. This corner should be a beauty spot. Is it?
4. Closer attention to school grounds throughout the town.
5. Continued support of a definite building program.
6. Increase above maximum salaries for teachers who take professional courses.
In General
Under the head of Retrospection a fair résumé of the work has been given. We are looking forward, as we close this report, to a greater awakening on the part of all interested in education.
We must spend more money, or place a handicap on our boys and girls. What shall we do about it?
To teachers who have served so faithfully, to the School Com-
15
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
1923]
mittee whose support is unquestioned, and to the citizens whose courtesy has been uniform and helpful, I express my appreciation.
Respectfully submitted, JESSE W. LAMBERT, Superintendent of Schools.
SAUGUS, January 15, 1924.
Report of School Physicians
EAST SAUGUS, MASS., Jan. 7th, 1924.
Mr. Jesse W. Lambert, Superintendent of Schools :
I respectfully submit the following annual report : -
I have visited all the schools assigned to me in this district. The Ballard, Emerson, Mansfield, and Lynnhurst.
I have carefully examined all pupils attending these schools, also all of those sent to me by the teachers, from time to time at my office, requiring medical inspection and advice.
The Schick test was used on most of the children for active immunisation against Diphtheria. The immunity produced by the proper injection of diphtheria toxin-antitoxin mixture lasts for at least seven years. All this work was done under the super- vision of the State Board of Health free from all expense to to pupils.
Examination during the year reveal the following disabilities :
Adenoids
5 Diphtheria . 4
Chicken pox .
4 Impetigo
· 37
Decayed teeth
34
Nasal catarrh
4
Enlarged glands of neck, 6
Pediculosis . 22
Heart disease
2 Tonsilitis
.7
Mumps ·
5 Whooping cough 4
I also find 4 cases of lameness caused by infantile paralysis. Also 3 cases of blindness caused by accidental injury. There are 14 wearing eye glasses.
Very respectfully, GEORGE W. GALE, M. D.
Dr. Leroy Furbish, school physician for precincts 2 and 4, being ill his report, of necessity, is omitted.
J. W. LAMBERT, Supt
16
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
January 4, 1924. Mr. J. W. Lambert, Superintendent of Schools :
Herein I submit my annual report as school physician. I have carefully examined all pupils in the Roby school, the North Sau- gus, Oaklandvale, and the Junior High school. I found seven- teen cases of deflected septum, twenty-eight cases adenoids, thirty-two cases of diseased tonsils, four cases of chronic otitis media with discharge, five cases of impetigo contagiosa, seven- teen cases of pediculosis, and twelve cases of impacted cerumen. Sanitary conditions are fairly satisfactory in all the school build- ings, except Oaklandvale where there is much to be desired. What promised to be a very serious epidemic of diphtheria in the schools during October and November was averted by the prompt and efficient work of the school nurse and chairman of the Board of Health. The untiring efforts of the school nurse cannot be too highly commended.
Respectfully, MYRON H. DAVIS.
Attendance Officer's Report to the School Committee
I feel that we are making progress in attendance each year. It has been my practice since serving in this capacity to give each child, careless in attendance, all the chance in the world by appealing to his manhood and love of home, until I find this has no effect, then the only thing remaining is to send him to Law- rence Training School. We have committed one this year which seems to be our average. Our greatest number of truants are boys between 14 and 16 at the Junior High grades. At this age they seem to tire of school and long to take up some employment, it takes a great amount of persuasion, even with the parents' co- operation, to keep some boys at school at this period of life.
I have reached the conclusion that a truant, if neglected, would soon fall into the hands of the police as the extra playtime which cannot be used legitimately gives an opening for temptation. Parents do not appreciate that lost time at school means a set back in the child's progress. I have known parents to have a child excused early and later I have found him at the barbers waiting his turn. It would seem that there were time enough to attend to that between 1.30 and night.
The cases needing aid in clothing this year have been very few. This speaks well for our present prosperity.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES E. LIGHT.
1923]
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
Report of the High School Principal
SAUGUS, MASS., January 11, 1924.
Mr. H. W. Lambert, Superintendent of Schools :
I herewith submit my second annual report as principal of Saugus High School. Saugus High School opened September 4, 1923, with a total enrollment of 776. The enrollment by classes was as follows : Post Graduate 1, Seniors 70, Juniors, 90, Soph- omores 120, Freshman 161, Eighth Graders, 180, Seventh Graders, 154, which made the total for the Senior High 281 and the Junior High 295. The total enrollment for the fall of 1923 is not as great as that for the fall of 1922 owing to the fact that a group of seventh graders was kept at the Roby and Lincoln Schools. At present we are housing more pupils at the Saugus High School than we should in order to do good effective school work. , The conjestion comes in the seventh and eighth grades. In the eighth grade the number of pupils in each room is as follows : Room 1, 47 ; Room 3, 46 ; Room 4, 47, Room 12, 40. In the seventh grade the number of pupils in each room is : Room [I, 36 ; Room 13, 42 ; Room 14, 41 ; Room 15, 35. You can see by this that there are far too many pupils in the rooms of the seventh and eighth grades for a teacher to do the high standard of work that should be done. The only relief that could be secured would be a building for the Junior High in the Cliftondale Section.
Last spring a new course of study was submitted to the School Board and adopted April 18, 1923. This new course of study affects only the Senior High. Owing to the fact that the Junior High School is existing in our present building under such unsatisfactory conditions, it would be very unwise to install a new course in this department until better housing facilities are provided. The new course, that was put into use last Fall, has been strengthened in all of the departments so that any pupil now entering upon his ninth grade of school work and pursuing his course through the four years of High School should be on an equal footing with any other pupil in adjoining schools if he does what studying he should. The new course will not have the effect upon our present Juniors and Seniors that it will upon the Freshmen and Sophomores because the latter students will be in the school longer, and will therefore get the benefits of the improvements offered under the new program. The changing of the course of study is one of the ways that we hope to improve the standard of Saugus High School.
Last June fifty-five students were graduated from Saugus High
18
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
School. Of this number fifteen are attending higher institutions. They are as follows : Attenting preparatory schools, 1 ; attending Normal School, 5; attending Business College, 3 ; attending College, 6. In order to show the people of the town that Saugus High School is capable of fitting students for college I will quote the following letter received by me July 26, 1923: "Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass. My dear Mr. Webber : You will be delighted to know that one of your students has been accepted for entrance to Mt. Holyoke in 1923. In the examina- tions taken, the best work done was in French. It gives us great pleasure to have one of your students at Mt. Holyoke next year. Very truly yours, Mrs. Mary Atwell Moore, Sec. of the Board of Admission." We have also received grades from other students who are attending Normal Schools and Colleges, which show us that the pupils who entered college from Saugus High School last year are capable of doing a grade of work which is a credit to the school.
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