USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1951-1955 > Part 57
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At the suggestion of the School Building Assistance Com- mission, study was made of a regional school district consisting of Acton and Boxborough. The financial benefits of this plan were many, and meetings were held with Boxborough repre- sentatives to discuss such a region. At special town meetings held early in February it was voted to appoint a Regional School Planning Committee with three members from each
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town. This committee, Aubrey Kretschmar, Norman McIntosh and Thomas Wetherbee for Acton, and John McNamara, Joseph Hartshorn and John Lymberg for Boxborough, sub- mitted, in March, a Regional Agreement for approval of the two towns.
The organizational meeting of the Regional School Commit- tee was held on March 29. At this meeting, the Acton Building Committee, plus John W. Lymberg of Boxborough, were appointed as a Regional Building Committee. Also in March, Acton voted to withdraw from the Nagog Regional District.
The work of the Building Committee continued during the formation of the Region. Many meetings were held with the architects, the School Building Assistance Commission, an edu- cational consultant, and the State Emergency Finance Board.
A curriculum for the new school was drawn up, and a detailed study made of population trends in the two towns.
An Act of the State Legislature was passed legalizing the Region.
By the first of April it was possible to make an estimate of the cost of construction. On May 9, at special town meetings, a bond issue of $1,300.000.00 was approved. In the same month Mrs. Priscilla Felt was appointed Secretary-Treasurer of the Region, proceedings were begun to finance the new building using the services of the Second Bank-State Street Trust Company, and Mr. Warren Carley of Ropes, Gray, Best, Cool- idge & Rugg, the bonding attorneys, was engaged as legal counsel.
In June a committee of local insurance agents was appointed to keep the Committee informed of the insurance needs of the Region as the building program progressed.
Final discussion of plans was held in June, and on July 6 it was voted to accept the architects' plans as of that date. The next six weeks were spent in clearing these plans with the various agencies concerned. In July Mr. William O'Connell was appointed Superintendent of the Region, Mr. Raymond Grey, Principal, and Miss Ruth Proctor, Director of Guidance. Advertisements for bids were published in August.
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In September, Arnold H. Mercier of West Acton was engaged as Clerk of the Works for the building of the school.
On September 7, bids for construction were opened. The lowest bid was $1,170,000. With this figure it was impossible to start construction of the building because funds were insuffi- cient for equipment and site development. Working with the architects and legal counsel, a time schedule was planned to insure signing of a construction contract prior to the end of thirty days from bid opening, at which time all bids would approved an additional bond issue of $300,000 and on October 11 an adjusted contract was signed with J. F. Rand & Son for $1,225,067 for the construction of the school. Construction began the following week.
On November 2, the first $1,300,000.00 of bonds were sold at a price of 100.77% with an interest rate of 2.70%
The past two months have seen considerable progress in the development of the school site and start of the building. An operating budget for 1956 has been submitted, more planning has been done on curriculum, and a sub-committee is planning equipment for the building.
The Regional School Committee wishes to thank all who are, or have been, engaged in the planning and building of this new school for the time, effort, and cooperation they have given to this project.
The Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Committee
GEORGE E. NEAGLE, Chairman JOSEPH H. HARTSHORN THOMAS E. WETHERBEE
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ACTON-BOXBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Treasurer's Report
Appropriations June 1955 .. $3,000.00
Receipts June 1955 to Dec. 31, 1955:
Loan-Anticipation of Bond Issue 75,000.00
Loan-Accrued Interest
15.63
Forfeiture of Performance
Bond
1,000.00
Construction Loan :
Principal
1,225,000.00
Premium
10,010.00
Accrued Interest
10,822.50
$1,324,848.13
Payments June 1955 to Dec. 31, 1955
$119,779.90
Balance December 31, 1955 :
Second Bank-State Street
Trust Co. and Middlesex
County National Bank
459,694.06
U. S. Treasury Bills in custody of Second Bank-State Street Trust Co.
745,374.17
$1,324,848.13
Schedule of Payments
Maintenance and Operation :
General Control $1,141.06
Expenses of Instruction 0.00
Operation of Plant
0.00
Maintenance of Plant 0.00
Auxiliary Agencies 360.90
Outlay 0.00
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Cost of Transportation
0.00
Special Charges
0.00
Miscellaneous
17.59
$1,519.55
Construction
106,960.35
Purchase of Land
11,300.00
$119,779.90
PRISCILLA FELT, District Treasurer.
ACTON-BOXBOROUGH REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Proposed Budget for 1956 January 1 - December 31, 1956
General Control
School Committee Expenses .... $110.00
Superintendent's Salary
1,767.00
Secretarial Services
817.00
Treasurer Services
600.00
Supervisor of Attendance
40.00
Stationery and Postage
100.00
Conference Attendance by
Superintendent
100.00
School Census
150.00
Educational Consultants
434.00
Magazines, Books, Dues, etc. ..
50.00
Bonding Treasurer
259.00
Miscellaneous
300.00
TOTAL GENERAL CONTROL $4,727.00
Expenses of Instruction
Present Faculty, 25 members $34,610.00 Additional Needs - Seven
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Teachers, Librarian, High School Secretary
12,520.00
Substitutes
400.00
Military Service Fund
140.00
Eleventh Grade Testing Pro- gram
88.00
Increases
300.00
Total Salaries
$48,058.00
Textbooks
English
$536.15
Mathematics
183.84
Science
233.20
Social Studies
576.80
Languages
141.30
Business
223.36
Remedial Reading
46.70
Orientation and Occupations
..
101.20
Guidance
97.00
Music
150.00
Art
56.95
Shop
282.00
Home Economics
300.00
Miscellaneous
500.00
Total Textbooks
$3,428.50
Instructional Supplies (Specific)
English
$70.70
Science
150.00
Remedial Reading
57.70
Guidance
165.41
Music
150.00
Art
196.46
Shop
200.00
Home Economics
300.00
Physical Education
168.75
Audio-Visual Aids
100.00
Total Supplies (Spe- cific) $1,559.02
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Instructional Supplies (General)
1,000.00
TOTAL EXPENSES OF INSTRUCTION
$54,045.52
Operation of Plant
Custodians, 4-including one
matron
$5,000.00
Fuel
1,600.00
Light
2,000.00
Gas
340.00
Telephone
200.00
Plowing
100.00
Supplies
1,000.00
Water
200.00
Insurance - Compre-
hensive Building .. 1,500.00
Liability
400.00
1,900.00
Miscellaneous
300.00
Total Operation of Plant
$12,640.00
Maintenance of Plant
Typewriter Repair
$150.00
Miscellaneous
300.00
Total Maintenance of Plant .... $450.00
Auxiliary Agencies
School Physician
$100.00
School Nurse
600.00
Health Supplies
100.00
Library
50.00
Insurance
75.00
Printing and Advertising
25.00
Miscellaneous
100.00
Total Auxiliary Agencies $1,050.00
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Outlay Miscellaneous
$100.00
Cost of Transportation
September through December
$5,600.00
Special Charges (None)
Miscellaneous
$150.00
Summary
GENERAL CONTROL
$4,727.00
EXPENSES OF INSTRUCTION
54,045.52
OPERATION OF PLANT
12,640.00
MAINTENANCE OF PLANT ..
450.00
AUXILIARY AGENCIES
1,050.00
OUTLAY 100.00
COST OF TRANSPORTATION
5,600.00
SPECIAL CHARGES
0.00
MISCELLANEOUS
150.00
Total Operating Budget
$78,762.52
Capital Budget
Interest on Bonds
$35,100.00
Payment on Principal
65,000.00
$100,100.00
Less State Aid
39,000.00
Total Capital Budget
$61,100.00
Total Amount to be Appro- priated $139,862.52
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APPORTIONMENT OF THE CHARGES TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE TOWNS OF ACTON AND BOXBOROUGH
Acton
*Operating Expenses, 87.8% of
$78,762.52 $69,153.49
Capital Expenses, 95% of $61,100.00 58,045.00
Total Acton's Share ..
$127,198.49
Boxborough
*Operating Expenses, 12.2% of
$78,762.52
$9,609.03
Capital Expenses, 5% of $61,100.00 3,055.00
Total Boxborough's Share .. $12,664.03
Total
$139,862.52
* Acton High School Enrollment 10/1/55 384 Number of Boxborough students included 47
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INDEX
Assessors' Report 118
Board of Health
200
Agent for Board of Health
204
Inspector of Milk and Food
205
Inspector of Plumbing
207
Inspector of Sanitation
204
Inspector of Slaughtering
208
Town Nurse
206
Board of Public Welfare 183
Bylaw Committee 185
Cemetery Commissioners 209
Civil Defense Agency 210
Dedication - Horace F. Tuttle 2
Elizabeth White Fund Trustees
208
Finance Committee Report 15
In Memoriam - Ralph Piper 3
Insurance Committee Report to the Selectmen
213
Librarian's Report
180
In Memoriam - Mary Haskell Lothrop
182
Planning Board 186
Proposed Amendments to Town Bylaws
196
Proposed Building Bylaw
189
Proclamation on 100th Birthday of Otis B. Mott 5
Selectmen's Report 33
Dog Officer
46
Fence Viewers
52
Fire Department
47
Forest Warden 52
Inspector of Animals 45
Inspector of Wires 37
INDEX - Continued
Jury List (Revised) 1955 13
Moth Superintendent 46
Police Department 38
Sealer of Weights and Measures 37
Superintendent of Streets 53
· Town Forest Committee
36
Workmen's Compensation Agent 52
Town Collector's Report 120
Town Accountant's Report 144
Cash Receipts and Departmental Disbursements 151
Summary of Appropriations and Expenditures 145
Balance Sheet December 31, 1955 174
Town Clerk's Report
Special Town Meeting February 7, 1955 57
Annual Election March 7, 1955 61
Annual Town Meeting March 14, 1955 63
Special Town Meeting March 21, 1955 80
Special Town Meeting May 9, 1955 83
Special Town Meeting Sept. 12, 1955 85
Special Town Meeting Oct. 10, 1955 91
Special Town Meeting Dec. 12, 1955 92
Births
94
Births registered in 1954 (not previously reported) 100
Marriages 102
Deaths 106
Non-Resident Burials 108
Dog Licenses
110
Town Officers
6
Appointments by Selectmen 8
Treasurer's Report 130
Funds in Custody of Treasurer 137
Outstanding Notes and Bonds 136
INDEX - Continued
Tree Warden 212
Trustees of Goodnow Fund 211
Warrant for Annual Meeting March 12, 1956
17
Finance Committee Budget
18
Schools :
Age and Grade Distribution Table 22
Calendar - 1956-1957 3
Director of Guidance, Report of 25
Financial Report 6
Budget for 1956 9
Graduation Exercises and Awards
30
Class of 1955 31
High School Principal's Report
23
Organization 2
Regional School District
Committee Report 32
Budget for 1956
36
Treasurer's Report 35
School Committee, Report of
4
School Nurse, Report of
28
School Physician, Report of
28
Superintendent's Report 6
Teaching Staff of Acton Public Schools 18
9 1
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Actoň Memorial Library
REFERENCE BOOK ACTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01720
W JELLS BINDERY INC. ALTHAM, MASS. DEC. 1956
Acton Memorial Library
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