USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Franklin > Town of Franklin annual report 1930 > Part 6
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Books and Supplies
6,000.00
7,556.38
6,500.00
Wages of Janitors
9,925.00
9,688.50
9,925.00
Fuel
4,500.00
3,890.38
4,000.00
Miscellaneous Operating
2,400.00
2,327.96
2,400.00
Repairs
4,000.00
3,314.65
4,500.00
Transportation
7,200.00
7,523.25
7,500.00
Miscellaneous Health, Insurance, Etc.
4,100.00
3,839.08
4,000.00
Outlay
1,500.00
1,499.43
Totals
$130,825.00
$129,992.35
$130,825.00
Dog Tax 1930
1,088.01
Appropriation 1930
129,000.00
Total Appropriation
130,088.01
Expended - 1930
129,992.35
Unexpended Balance
95.66
Appropriation recommended 1931 : $130,825.00 and Dog Tax.
Receipts and General School Fund 1930 : $20,948.62
Estimated Receipts and General School Fund 1931 : $21,000.00
GENERAL SCHOOL FUND AND RECEIPTS OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT FOR 1930
General School Fund, Teachers' Salaries
$13,625.00
State Wards, Tuition and Transportation
533.10
230.04
Massachusetts Training School, Tuition Bellingham, Tuition
5,705.69
Norfolk, Tuition
446.16
Hall Rentals
93.00
Manual Training
200.80
Miscellaneous, books, breakage, telephone, etc.
114.83
$20,948.62
Total
5
SCHOOL CALENDAR - 1931 - 1932
January 5, 1931. Opening of Winter Term.
February 21 to March 2, 1931. Winter Vacation.
April 3, 1931. Good Friday.
April 18 to April 27. 1931. Spring Vacation.
June 19, 1931. Closing of Schools, Grades I - VIII Inclusive.
June 25, 1931. Closing of High School.
September 9, 1931. Opening of Schools.
October 12, 1931. Columbus Day, Holiday.
November 11, 1931. Armistice Day, Holiday.
November 25, noon to November 30, 1931. Thanksgiving Recess.
December 24, 1931 to January 4, 1932. Christmas Va- cation.
NO SCHOOL SIGNALS
2 Blasts 4 Times and in addition Electric Lights will be turned on for 5 minutes at 7:30 A. M.
7:30 Omit Sessions in all schools for the day.
11:30 Omit afternoon sessions in all schools.
COMPARATIVE Costs of Franklin Schools for the last FIVE YEARS
Expenditures General Expenses :
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1 School Committee - Salaries
$
50.00
$
50:00 1,697.66
$
50.00
$
50.00 1,631.30
$ 50.00
Expenses, Clerk, etc.
1,493.08
1,760.00
1,718.55
2 Supt. of Schools - Salaries
3,120.88
3,325.00
3,325.00
3,325.00
3,325.00
Expenses
490.69
419.17
490.00
490.00
490.00
Instruction
3 Supervisors - Salaries Expenses
2,279.26
2,473.38
2,669.56
2,564.00
2,829.00
139.50
82.00
95.50
29.22
6.00
4 Principals - High Junior High
3,380.00
3,540.00
3,640.00
3,740.00
3,800.00
5 Teachers' Salaries High
22,121.25
23,787.00
23,720.52
25,113.56
26,595.75
Junior High
12,441.46
Elementary
47,894.62
49,749.17
50,208.71
51,353.01
36,925.84
6 Textbooks High
1,083.34
1,024.32
1,084.30
1,251.42
1,207.07
Junior High Elementary
1,538.87
1,382.43
1,485.95
1,276.20
1,069.37
2,283.67
2,050.24
2,775.25
3,146.16
2,541.75
Supplies - High Junior High Elementary
2,626.35
2,280.39
3,702.44
2,389.22
1,450.58
8 Wages of Janitors High
3,002.00
2,964.00
2,971.00
2,996.00
2,966.00
2,171.12
6
419.30
7
880.36
Junior High Elementary
7,157.78
6,737.25
6,722.50
6,928.50
1,362.00 5,360.50
9
Fuel High
1,058.20
1,326.04
1,390.37
1,066.72
1,044.91
Junior High
435.62
Elementary
4,129.81
3,904.50
2,873.60
3,529.56
2,397.80
10 Miscellaneous Operating High
890.30
861.05
1,014.07
1,016.76
1,051.73
Junior High Elementary
1,474.05
1,515.21
1,350.66
1,529.24
730.17
11
Repairs - High
511.63
1,183.88
2,272.29
792.86
592.44
Junior High
686.37
Elementary
3,508.95
2,787.17
2,681.55
2,597.44
2,035.14
12
Libraries
4.00
67.10
13
Health
1,280.30
1,386.83
2,097.52
1,426.76
1,420.79
14 Transportation
6,433.53
7,325.80
6,780.75
7,060.75
7,523.25
15
Tuition (to other places)
552.18
679.32
824.84
666.70
261.48
16
Sundries
1,721.81
1,634.37
2,335.68
2,297.56
2,089.71
17
New Equipment and Improvements
1,854.09
1,499.43
$120,226.05
$124,166.18
$128,323.05
$130,122.03
$129,992.35
Receipts :
I Receipts from General School Fund
$ 11,329.50
$ 12,675.00
15,630.00
13,398.75
13,625.00
2 Other Receipts
3,668.97
5,885.23
5,822.59
5,759.56
7,323.62
3 Total Receipts
14,998.47
18,560.23
21,452.59
19,158.31
20,948.62
4 Net Cost
$105,227.58
$105,605.95
$106,870.46
$110,963.72
$109,043.73
1
546.76
V
HOW THE SCHOOL DOLLAR WAS SPENT - 1930
Cents
4-
8-
12
16
20
24
28
32
$.6521 Teachers' Salaries
36
40
44
48
52
56
60
64
68
$.0746 Janitors' Salaries
72
76
$. 0583 Books and Supplies
80
$.0579 Transportation
84
$. 0426 Administration
88-
$.0299 Fuel
92
$.0296 Health, Ins. Tuition, etc.
96
$. 0255 Repairs
(etc.
$.0179 Mis. Op. Water, Light, Power,
100
$.0116 Outlay, Theron Metcalf Field
9
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of the Town of Franklin :
The School Committee presents herewith its report for the year ending December 31, 1930, together with the report of our Superintendent and the reports made to him by the Principals, Supervisors and others in charge of special work.
The total number of pupils enrolled during the Fall term was 1711, an increase of 69 over that of the year before. Of this increase 38 was in the High School. making the enrollment there 447, a larger number than this building was arranged to accommodate. Our Junior High Building is also over crowded with nearly four hundred pupils in attendance. Something must be done to relieve these conditions immediately. One solution of the problem might be to build a new grade school near the Four-Corners on East Central Street, and adopt the three year systems for our High School and Junior High. However, we doubt if the people of the Town would favor this change at the present time. It would also require an addition of at least two more class rooms in the Theron Metcalf building and more teachers.
The High School Investigating Committee which re- ported to the Town in 1924, after making a thorough study of the situation at that time, foresaw the need of more rooms for the grades, and commented at length on the practical use which could be made of the old High School Building. That committee recommended that after the new High School had been completed, the Horace Mann building be remodeled into an eight-room building. It was estimated at that time the cost would be close to $35,000. If those figures were correct, the cost of such an undertaking at present ought not to be "over $30.000. This seems to be the most practical and
10
least expensive way of providing the rooms needed. The work would furnish employment for a considerable number of unskilled as well as skilled laborers. We be- lieve that the Town is financially able to undertake this. work. The old school notes, amounting to $44,000 when the new High School was built, have been paid, and the- new debt materially decreased. The cost could be met by a series of notes whereby the burden in any one year would not be great. The result would be a substantial eight room building which would cost at least $100,000 to build.
Our appropriation for the year was $129,000 and Dog Tax. the same as the preceding year. Although there was- a decrease in the latter, the expenditures have not ex- ceeded the amount available, notwithstanding the in- creased enrollment and the obligation which the com- mittee is under to increase the salaries of those teachers who have started at a low figure and who are still poorly paid. In order to do this, other items in the budget have been reduced to a minimum. Those who say that the cost of our schools is excessive, and that a reduction ought to be made, should investigate the situation. A nearby town, with about the same population and num- ber of pupils, appropriated $152,000 for the year 1929, and that sum did not include the cost of fuel and repairs to buildings and grounds, which amounted to nearly $15,000 more and were met from the Town Engineer's Department. Fuel for six school buildings cost that town $6264.98 as against $4596.28 for Franklin's seven large and three small school houses. The amount paid teachers exceeded that of Franklin by about $24,000; transpor- tation by $5000; janitors by $1000; books and supplies. by $1100. The only item which the Superintendent of Schools of that town admitted was excessive was the cost of transportation. He asked for and was granted an appropriation of $159,000 for the year 1930.
The last report of the Department of Education, that for the year 1929, gives Franklin the rank of 62, among the 79 towns of the State with a population of 5000 or over, in net cost per pupil in average membership from local taxation. The actual cost to the taxpayers of the
11
town was $70.80 per pupil for all schools. The figures for some of the other towns are as follows: - Mansfield $73.71; Grafton $75.80; Concord $108.79; Hudson $78.23 ; Shrewsbury $79.02; Canton $103.15; North Attleboro $78.67 and Walpole $79.02. Stoughton's cost per pupil was $69.23, slightly less than ours but more than ac- counted for by the difference in the needs for transpor- tation. The cost per pupil to Foxborough, the largest town in the less than 5000 group, was $78.03.
The average cost per pupil for the 79 towns was $81.21. For the towns of less than 5000 population, which maintained high schools, the average was $79.08. With $80 as a fair average, if the appropriation of this town had been at that rate for 1929 the amount would have been $143,000 instead of $129,000, and yet have been reasonable. During the year 1930 Franklin received nearly $21,000 in receipts by reason of its schools, which sum was available for expenditures and did not have to be met by local taxation.
These figures have been given in order that the citi- zens may know just where Franklin stands as to the cost of its schools compared with the other towns of the state. With the cost per pupil more than $10 below the average, and ranking near the bottom of the list in that respect, the taxpayers should realize that the critics are not justified in their complaints concerning the amount expended. Your Committee could have reasonably spent a larger amount during the past two years than has been available. The average of our teacher's salaries is low. Some of our most valued teachers are entitled to and ought to be receiving a larger salary than your Com- mittee has been able to grant them. Their sacrifice con- tributes in no small way to the high standing which our schools maintain.
Although our schools offer many advantages, there are some desirable features which we do not have, notably Kindergartens for children between the ages of 4 and 6. There are constant demands for a swimming pool and also for better school grounds. Your Committee realizes that the present is not a suitable time to advocate any
12
improvements which are not considered absolutely ne- cessary. However, this town is not badly off financially. Of the 79 towns in Group II of the State Report, Frank- lin's rank is 55 in the rate of total tax per $1000 valuation for the support of schools.
During the past year the Selectmen have co-operated again with the Committee in the care and improvement of school grounds and the athletic field, whereby greater value has been received from the money available for these purposes, and some aid given to the employment situation.
The interest of parents and friends in the work of the schools, shown by the large attendance at the public exhibitions, is very gratifying to your Committee.
Many interesting details in regard to our schools will be found in the reports which follow.
Respectfully submitted, LEE C. ABBOTT, JOHN M. RILEY, DR. CARL E. RICHARDSON, School Committee of Franklin.
13
THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1930.
To the School Committee and Citizens of Franklin :
My thirteenth annual report as Superintendent of your schools is submitted herewith, together with re- ports of my colleagues and statistical data for your con- sideration.
The past year has witnessed an acute economic and industrial depression throughout the civilized world. The depression has lasted already more than fifteen months. Relief Committees have been organized through- out the land to lessen the distress and suffering of millions of unemployed and their dependents during the winter months. Many persons in our own town, who have had steady employment for over a quarter of a century, are now out of work.
The uneasiness and anxiety which business depression creates in the home is reflected to a considerable degree by the children in the schools. More than ever they need the sympathy and guidance of teachers who have a vision of the great opportunities that are theirs for developing in the minds of their pupils high ideals of conduct and service toward public institutions, and who have the experience, personality, and wisdom to make the vision a reality.
The times need the stabilizing influence of confidence, courage, and good faith, both in business and education. Citizens, school officials, teachers and pupils should work together with sincerity of purpose to enable our schools to do their utmost for our girls and boys. The closest
14
co-operation of all interested in the development of the greatest and most far reaching of all our social insti- tutions - the public schools - is needed.
School Enrollment
The work of the schools increases in periods of busi- ness depression. Large numbers of boys and girls, be- yond the compulsory school age, who usually drop out of school to work, remain in school. Others who are un- employed return to school. To give these persons the type of education best adapted to their needs and ability is always a difficult problem in a small school system.
The table below gives the number of Educational and Employment Certificates issued to persons between 14 and 21 years of age during 1929 and 1930:
1929
1930
Educational Certificates
(issued to persons 16 to 21 years of age)
197
87
Employment Certificates (issued to persons 14 to 16 years of age)
33
12
-
Total
230
99
Seven of the Employment Certificates issued each year were to persons working only when schools were not in session.
The above table shows that 131 less working certi- ficates were issued in 1930 than in 1929. Some of these who returned to school account for part of our large enrollment in the upper grades the past fall.
Large High School Enrollment
Since June 1925, the last year the Horace Mann Build- ing was used to house the High School, our enrollment in the High School has increased from 297 to 447 pupils, an increase of 150 pupils or 50.5 percent. During this time the number of tuition pupils from Bellingham has increased from 23 to 61, an increase of 38 pupils or 165 percent.
15
In this same period the eight grades below the High School have increased from 1245 to 1264 pupils, an in- crease of 19 or 1.5 percent. Thus it is evident that since 1925 our grade school enrollment has remained nearly stationary and our high school has increased 150 pupils. an average increase of 25 a year. During this same period the graduating class at Junior High School has averaged 141 pupils a year and the Freshmen class in the Senior High School 137 pupils, of which number 16 have come from Bellingham.
The table that follows gives the enrollment by grades in the Junior and Senior High Schools for the past six years, and the average number in each grade for the six year period.
Grade 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 Average
Junior High School VII VIII
139 145
131
136
145 152 145 121
142 145 146 157 137
Senior High School IX 121
X 90
94
115
103
126 104
XI
76
XII
60 62 6
70 51 7
77 63
95 62
94 69 82
64
7
82 64 3 1 154 142 141
3 5 Post Graduates
The last column in the above table shows that from an average enrollment of 137 Freshmen in Senior High School, 33 pupils or 24 percent do not remain to become Sophomores ; 28 more or 20 percent do not remain to become Juniors ; and 12 more or 9 percent do not become Seniors. In other words only 47 percent of the pupils entering High School in the last six years became Sen- iors. This is 12 percent more than for the previous six years in the Horace Mann building. There 33 pupils or 35 percent of an average number of 95 Freshmen re- mained to be Seniors.
It is evident from the above data that during the past six years :
1. Our enrollment in Grades I-VIII has in- creased 3 a year.
2. The enrollment in High School has increased 25 pupils a year.
152
147
147
130
16
3. 12 percent more of those entering High School remain to graduate.
School Accommodations
When our High School Building was erected, we were assured that it would accommodate a maximum of 420 pupils. This past fall with an enrollment of 447 pupils we have passed that maximum.
In order to accommodate this increased number it has. been necessary to use the sewing room and physics lab- oratory as well as the library to a greater extent than before for home rooms and classes for which they are not adapted.
If our High School enrollment continues to increase it will be necessary to provide more room. This can be done by adding more rooms to our present High School Building or by remodeling the Horace Mann Building into an eight-room building. If the latter is done, the four more class rooms provided could be used in con- junction with either the High School that is nearby or the grades or both.
The following passages taken from the report of the High School Investigating Committee, printed in 1924, will give their ideas in regard to remodeling the Horace Mann or old High School Building :
"We have a most practical use to recommend for the present High School Building which we believe will ap- peal to the citizens as the proper solution of this ques- tion; namely, to change it into an eight-room grade school."
"It is proposed that the third floor could be taken away, the building changed to a two-story structure, that by removing the third story the expense of fire- proofing exits, re-inforcing floors, etc. would be greatly reduced and that after completion the operating cost of the building made more reasonable."
17
"While no actual estimates are available, your in- vestigating committee is advised that these complete changes could probably be made for a sum close to $35,000."
If the Horace Mann Building was remodeled so that four more classrooms were available the third and fourth grades now housed at the Theron Metcalf Building could occupy two of them, thus relieving the congestion that has existed in that building, and the other two could be used to relieve the present High School building.
School Costs
The table below gives the cost per pupil in all schools and in the high school for the 24 towns in this state with an average membership between 1400 and 1800 pupils for the year ending June 30. 1930, according to the An- nual Report of the Massachusetts Department of Edu- cation :
Town
Average Membership
in all schools
Per pupil cost Per pupil cost in High School
1. Southbridge
1.785
$ 74.00
$ 92.80
2. Middleborough
1,778
80.62
101.38
3. Ludlow
1,774
88.71
125.90
4.
Walpole
1,735
90.28
128.26
5.
Maynard
1.715
62.50
77.83
6.
Montague
1,712
92.11
115.47
7.
Clinton
1,712
95.07
112.85
8.
Agawam
1.637
87.64
132.95
9.
Easthampton
1,621
86.61
102.03
10.
Swampscott
1.606
102.83
148.62
11. Franklin
1,600
83.24
114.72
12.
Stoneham
1,591
105.07
164.69
13. Northbridge
1.586
88.50
112.80
14.
Bridgewater
1.545
78.47
109.58
15.
Whitman
1,536
85.57
107.11
16.
Marblehead
1,449
94.13
141.73
17.
Ipswich
1,441
70.46
80.59
18.
Andover
1.427
104.34
128.81
19.
Rockland
1.426
90.08
172.58
20.
Shrewsbury
1.416
92.13
136.28
18
Town
Average Membership
Per pupil cost Per pupil cost in all schools in High School
21. Randolph
1,416
59.62
119.49
22. Chelmsford
1,415
73.35
97.10
23. South Hadley
1,406
80.67
104.93
24. Barnstable
1,402
111.56
237.68
This table shows that in only eight of the 24 towns is the cost per pupil in net average membership in all schools less than in Franklin and in 15 the cost is more. In the High School the cost in ten is less and in thirteen it is more than in Franklin.
Average Per Pupil Cost for All Schools
39 Cities of the State
$103.61
79 Towns over 5,000 population 91.91
112 Towns under 5,000 population Franklin
97.40
83.24
Average Per Pupil Cost in Elementary Schools
39 Cities of the State $86.91
79 Towns over 5,000 population 72.90
112 Towns under 5,000 population Franklin
80.56
62.78
Average Per Pupil Cost in Junior High Schools
39 Cities of the State $105.91
79 Towns over 5,000 population 99.26
112 Towns under 5,000 population 103.10
Franklin 77.27
Average Per Pupil Cost in High Schools
39 Cities of the State 128.18
79 Towns over 5,000 population 126.82
149.27
112 Towns under 5,000 population Franklin 114.72
From the above statistics we see that the schools in Franklin are costing much less than the average in other
19
cities and towns of the state per pupil in average men- bership.
School Work
As a result of the study of the newer reading systems by the teachers in the elementary grades last year, a new system of reading was introduced in the elementary grades this fall to replace the one in use for several years. The new system emphasizes the children's in- terests and activities and is based on their experiences. From the interest manifested both by the teachers and children in the reading periods it is evident that the change has been beneficial.
The following taken from the school report of 1868 shows that we have progressed in our aims in this im- portant subject :
"We recommend and shall expect all the teachers from Primary to High School to devote a portion of the time allotted to the exercise of reading, to acquiring a prac- tical knowledge of the principles which form the basis of good reading. Among these may be named Articu- lation of the elementary sounds, Accent, Emphasis, In- flection, Modulation, Personation, and Pauses; and though these exercises may at first seem tedious to pupils who have never been taught properly, the true teacher will soon invest these topics with new interest and the pupils find the drill both pleasant and profitable."
From the above it is evident that oral reading with good expression was desired and that little attention was given to taking in the ideas, sentiments, and thoughts of the author. Today oral reading is considered secondary to silent reading and the ability to think the thoughts of the printed page is considered more useful than the ability to pronounce words.
Much of a child's success in school depends on his ability to get quickly the thought from the printed page. From tests given the past fall it was found that children in the first divisions of the sixth and seventh grades
20
could master twice as many paragraphs in the same length of time in the Burgess Silent Reading Tests as pupils in the fourth divisions.
Pupil interpretation of thought units on the printed page is being stressed in our reading classes along with effective oral interpretation.
During the past fall Diagnostic language tests were given to the pupils in Grades 4, 5, and 6. These tests were divided into four parts as follows: Language Usage, Capitalization, Pronounciation, and Punctuation. On the first three our pupils compared favorably with the standard scores, but were weak in punctuation. Remedial work in punctuation is being given to strength- en the pupils in this respect and individual attention is given to those whom the tests found weak in any par- ticular part.
Safety Education
Considerable emphasis has been placed on teaching safety in the schools during the past year, especially in the elementary grades. Patrolman McAndrews of Gov- ernor Allen's Safety Commission has addressed the chil- dren in the schools in regard to safety on the highways and given them their S. O. S. of Safety, "Stay on Side- walks," "Stay off Streets," and their A, B, C's, "Always Be Careful." The teachers have also given safety talks to the children and at the close of the school sessions, the children have been given suggestions in regard to their conduct on the streets. The Course of Study issued by the State Department of Education on Safety form the basis of the work. We also use the lesson material and posters sent monthly to the schools by the Co- ordinating Committee on Safety Education. These leaflets contain definite suggestions in regard to teaching safety and each one treats a different phase of the subject. One of the recent leaflets considered "Winter Safety" with the object of preparing boys and girls to enjoy the pleas- ures of snow and ice with safety. Some of the topics considered were Coasting. Skating, Snowballing, and Walks.
21
A sense of individual responsibility and initiative needs to be developed in our boys and girls in order that they may be ready to assume the larger responsibilities of life. Numerous opportunities occur daily, not only in the school but also in the home, for improving their attitudes and character. Let us all take advantage of these oppor- tunities and do our utmost to improve the attitude and character of our children in order that they may be more useful members of the family and community.
Recommendations
1. Additional accommodations for the High School.
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