Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1951-1955, Part 57

Author: Acton (Mass.)
Publication date: 1951
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1262


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


32


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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