USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1958 > Part 10
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Within sixty days after the date of the birth of any child born in the commonwealth with visible congenital deformities, or any condition apparently acquired at birth which may lead to crippling, the physician in attendance upon said births shall prepare upon a form provided by the state department of public health and file with the clerk of the town where such birth occurred a report setting forth such visible congenital deformity, or any condition apparently acquired at birth which may lead to crippling.
Said clerk shall transmit forthwith to said department such supple. mentary report of such birth. The contents of such report shall be solely for the use of said department in connection with its functions relative to crippled children, and such report shall not be open to public inspection or constitute a public record.
General Laws, Chap. 46, Sec. 6
Parents within forty days after the birth of a child, and every householder, within forty days after a birth in his home, shall cause notice thereof to be given to the clerk of the town where such child is born.
General Laws, Chapter 111
Section 110 and 111, require physicians, registered hospital medical officers, nurses or other attendants to report at once to the local board of health, every child one or both of whose eyes becomes inflamed, swollen and red and show an unnatural discharge within two weeks after birth.
109
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN - 1958
At a meeting held on March 10, 1958, the Board organized as follows:
Lawrence Drew, Chairman James E. Calvin, Secretary Rudolf Sussmann
The year 1958 proved to be one of the most vigorous years in the history of the Town of Reading. Listed below are the major activities which kept your Board of Selectmen busy during the past twelve months.
I. Complete review and revision of the Town By-laws.
This necessitated several special meetings with the By-law Commit- tee which was composed of the Moderator, Town Counsel, and Board of Selectmen.
II. Odors emanating from out of town.
The Board, together with Town Counsel Amon and Health Agent Shaw, visited several manufacturing plants and piggeries in a nearby community to track down the source of the odors which have permeated Reading for many months. We took samples of water from swamps, streams, and ponds which we submitted in a public hearing held last May in the State House by the State Department of Public Health. There was much testimony given, and we were assured the odors would be cleaned up no later than July 1, 1958.
We feel that we have made reasonably good progress in this direc- tion.
III. New Parking Area.
After much study, investigation, and leg work, we sponsored a mo- tion for an appropriation to construct two new parking areas. The first, located between the Municipal Building and the Christian Science Church, will take care of 47 cars, and the second, in front of the Community Center, will accommodate 27 cars. The construction of these areas has taken the pressure off Municipal Area No. 1, for we moved the all day parkers in the main downtown area to the newly constructed parking lot.
IV. Perambulated Town Bounds.
As required by law, your Board of Selectmen set up several dates with the Boards of Selectmen of the towns of Wilmington, North Read- ing, Lynnfield, and Wakefield, also with the City Engineer from Wo- burn, to perambulate the bounds of the several towns.
After several vigorous Saturday mornings, we completed perambu- lating all of our town bounds. We found them all in good order.
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Significant Data
The Board held five major fuel storage hearings and granted licenses to 19 new enterprises and denied five for various reasons.
We drew for jury duty 25 jurors for service in the Civil Court at Low- ell and Superior Court in Cambridge.
We had 78 conferences with citizens of Reading and held 39 formal meetings.
New Rescue Wagon
The Town of Reading voted to purchase a new rescue truck at the Special Town Meeting held December 8 at a cost of $6,750.00 to us under the matching funds program of Civilian Defense. This unit will relieve our ladder truck and other pieces of equipment for fire fighting and protection.
Relocated Precinct 3 Polling Place
On September 29, the Board voted to move Precinct 3 polling place from the Joshua Eaton School to the Community Center. This will afford more central voting in this precinct. The polling places for the town are as follows: Precinct I, Pearl Street School; Precinct II, Joshua Eaton School; Precinct III, Community Center; Precinct IV, Reading Memorial High School.
Redistricting of Voting Precincts
As is required by the statutes, it is necessary every five years to study the voting precincts within our town. An increase and shift in our population over the past ten years has put our precinct population in unbalance. The law states that there shall not be a differential of 275 voters in any one precinct. Precincts 1 and 4 far exceed the amount allowed; hence a redistribution.
As the town continues to grow, our problems become many and more complex, not only for the Board of Selectmen, but also for all other servants of our community. We would be much amiss in our duties if we did not express the thanks of the citizens of Reading to the members of all elected Town Boards, to the Fire and Police Depart- ments, and to the unsung heroes who serve diligently and unselfishly as members of the Personnel Board and Finance Committee. To the civic-minded citizens who have rallied to our calls, many, many thanks.
Sincerely,
JAMES E. CALVIN, Secretary
111
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
Honorable Board of Selectmen
Municipal Building
Reading, Mass.
Gentlemen:
The report of the Police Department for 1958 is hereby submitted. Personnel of the Department consists of 21 Patrolmen, 4 Sergeants, 1 Lieutenant and Chief. We employ 9 Special Police Officers for School Traffic.
Following are the arrests and other services performed:
Arrests 109
Motor Vehicles violations 242
Juvenile cases in Court
8
Juvenile cases investigated
58
Other Services
Ambulance Trips 261
Automobile Accidents investigated 136
Teletype messages sent 217
Fees Collected and Turned Over to the Town Treasurer
Ambulance Fees
$ 1,207.00
Bicycle Plate Fees 83.50
Revolver License Fees
198.00
Automotive Equipment
1 Cadillac Ambulance (1956)
1 Plymouth Sedan (1957)
2 Ford Sedans (1958)
1 Ford Sedan (1955)
The Reading Police Reserves served the Town on many occasions to the extent of 2158 hours of duty during the year. This group of 30 uni- formed and trained men continue to be a credit to the Department and the community.
In closing I wish to thank the Honorable Board and the members of this Department for their continued co-operation. Thanks also to all the other Town Officials and their men who assisted us in serving the townspeople throughout the year.
Respectfully submitted,
ROLAND E. ELLIS
Chief of Police
112
ANNUAL REPORT of THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE of
The Town of Reading, Massachusetts
for the year ending December 31, 1958
IN MEMORIAM
CLARA A. ANDERSON, B.S.Ed.
TEACHER OF GRADE III, JOSHUA EATON SCHOOL
Appointed September 6, 1944
Died December 25, 1958
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
Paul R. Bergholtz, 20 Puritan Road
Mrs. Barbara E. Winkler, 52 Pearl Street
Robert E. Turner, Chairman, 78 Middlesex Avenue William E. Burpee, 178 Wakefield Street
"
1960
Newell H. Morton, 198 Woburn Street
"
1959
Philip R. White, 189 Summer Avenue
1959
School Committee Office
High School Building
62 Oakland Road
RE 2-0180 and RE 2-2384
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During summer vacation 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Superintendent of Schools
Robert F. Perry
22 Dudley Street
Secretary to the Superintendent
Mae A. Tanner
26 Mineral Street
Clerks in School Committee Office
Irene E. Reichardt 90 Vine Street
Norma C. Walsh
10 Temple Street
School Physician
Dr. Robert W. Wakeling - 60 Lowell Street
Supervisor of Maintenance
Roderick E. Macdonald
11 John Carver Road
Supervisor of Cafeterias
Lois C. Piper
268 Franklin Street
115
Term expires 1961
" 1961
1960
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Reading:
The School Committee herewith submits its annual report.
Progress in any area is not observed primarily in large, sensational changes but rather in bits and pieces here and there. So it is with our school system; it is dealing with children and cannot be turned upside down for every new educational theory that suddenly appears over the publicity horizon. Any changes our school system undertakes come only after thoughtful review of all the facts in the light of the best interests of all the children. These changes should be gradual and should reflect the desires of the citizens of Reading. Reading will have the kind of schools its citizens want. The citizens of the Town must accept the responsibility of informing themselves in order to understand the issues and problems and so make intelligent decisions as to what they want their schools to accomplish.
Reading has a school population of over 3600 children and an annual budget of over a million dollars. This makes schools in Read- ing big business. The individual reports of the administrative per- sonnel and the financial report will furnish the townspeople with specific facts and figures.
The School Committee has two continuing major problems: build- ings and salaries. Until this year we have been able to keep just ahead of the increasing school population in providing classroom space. Next year, however, the growing population will catch up with us so that the seventh grades will have to be put on double sessions. The School Committee is not happy about this, but there are just not enough classrooms to go around. If the Town sees fit to build another junior high school to open in the fall of 1960, the pressure should be eased for some time on the seventh, eighth and ninth grades and even, if necessary, to a certain extent on some elementary grades.
The other major problem area, that of teachers' salaries, shows little hope of a long-range solution as long as the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to raise the legal minimum for teachers' salaries without providing funds to implement the legis- lation. Since Reading has a policy of keeping the salaries of its in- service teachers on a par with those of beginning teachers, these annual increases of $300 apply to all teachers, not just to new ones. When this amount is multiplied by upwards of one hundred fifty teachers, the impact on the annual budget is so great that very little can be contemplated in the way of additional salary changes. Where this spiral is taking us we have no way of knowing but as long as decisions for such large salary changes are arbitrarily taken out of the hands of local School Committees, there will be little development of a new and different long-range salary plan.
These, then, are the two major problems of the Reading School Committee. They are also the two major problems of the citizens of
116
Reading. We repeat, Reading will have the kind of schools it wants - and is willing to pay for.
Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT E. TURNER, Chairman
PAUL R. BERGHOLTZ
WILLIAM E. BURPEE
NEWELL H. MORTON PHILIP R. WHITE BARBARA E. WINKLER
SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUDGET - 1958
Appropriations, Transfers & Refunds 1958
Expended 1958
$
50,690.66
Supt., Clerks and Enf. of Law
$ 48,874.10
36,299.96
Directors
38,446.57
1,700.00
Misc. Salaries of Instruction
1,869.35
44,783.32
Principals
45,966.08
656,334.28
Teachers
657,411.24
89,308.50
Custodians and Matrons
87,783.22
11,529.33
Health
11,320.70
$ 890,646.05
$ 891,671.26
MAINTENANCE:
$ 1,000.00
Supt. Office Expenses
$ 769.30
350.00
Research and Prof. Study
350.00
575.00
Printing
588.00
500.00
Travel Expense
226.57
800.00
Prin. Office Expenses
774.14
3,300.00
Telephone
3,246.93
150.00
Travel Expense - Enf. of Law
90.00
$ 6,675.00
Total General Control
$ 6,044.94
INSTRUCTION:
Travel Exp. Directors and Prin.
$
787.28
14,150.00
Textbooks and Supplementary Books
13,189.39
13,400.00
Supplies - School
10,767.50
2,500.00
Supplies - Shop
2,388.57
1,000.00
Supplies - Dom. Science
722.20
1,960.35
Audio-visual
1,060.24
850.00
Educational T V
874.75
1,400.00
Physical Ed Equipment
1,312.85
1,500.00
Tests
1,611.73
5,566.00
Instructional Apparatus
4,897.89
150.00
Express Charges
61.86
$ 43,676.35 .
Total Instruction
$ 37,674.26
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$ 1,200.00
SALARIES:
OPERATION OF PLANT:
$ 29,000.00 2,000.00
Fuel
$ 27,569.17 1,821.28
19,500.00
Electricity
20,428.69
550.00
Gas
431.87
400.00
Laundry and Summer Cleaning
79.93
500.00
Ash Removal
353.75
400.00
Exp. of Supr. of Bldgs. and Grounds
527.62
7,000.00
Janitors' Supplies
6,249.66
$
59,350.00
Total Operation of Plant
$ 57,461.97
MAINTENANCE OF PLANT:
$ 4,160.00
Grounds
$ 8,212.56
6,250.00
Buildings
7,405.33
660.00
Service System
596.31
4,310.00
Plumbing and Heating
6,147.51
Furniture Repair and Replacement
647.84
$ 15,380.00
Total Maintenance of Plant
$ 23,009.55
AUXILIARY AGENCIES:
$
2,900.00
Library
$ 2,617.40
650.00
Health Expenses
473.43
450.00
Commencement
358.25
$ 4,000.00
Total Auxiliary Agencies
$ 3,449.08
CAPITAL OUTLAY:
$ 904.68
New Equipment and Furniture ....
$ 940.68
$ 129,986.03
Total General Maintenance
1,400.00
Transferred to Salaries
128,586.03 890,646.05
Total Salaries
1,400.00
Transferred from Gen'l Maintenance
892,046.05 $1,020,632.08
Grand Total
$1,020,251.74
31,040.00
Transportation
1,000.00
Transferred to Vocational Tuition
30,040.00
29,324.40
4,000.00
Vocational Tuition
1,000.00
Transferred from Transportation
5,000.00
4,970.29
9,200.00
Athletic Account
9,200.00
2,150.00
Adult Education
1,828.75
1,565.10
New Station Wagon
1,495.00
1,500.00
New Pick-up Truck
1,500.00
20,000.00
Lowell Street School Renovations
20,000.00 .
118
$ 128,580.48
891,671.26
Water and Sewer
READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE - 1959 Receipts not from Tax Levy - Showing Net Cost to Town January 2, 1959
Estimate 1959 Appropriation Credits $1,120,018.13
1958
GENERAL ACCOUNT
Total Expenditures (less transportation)
$1,020,251.74
$ 138,877.00
State Reimbursement
$ 144,034.36
3,000.00
Tuition - State Wards
3,335.07
4,000.00
Mentally Retarded
2,382.35
4,500.00
Reim. on salary of Youth Counselor
4,500.00
151,377.00
1,000.00
Sundry
1,278.57
155,530.35
$ 968,641.13
Net Cost to Town
$ 864,721.39
VOCATIONAL TUITION
$
5,000.00
Total Expenditures
$ 4,970.29
Receipts:
State Reimbursement
1,162.49
$
3,500.00
Net Cost to Town
CA 3,807.80
TRANSPORTATION
$
31,505.00
Total Expenditures
$ 29,324.40
Receipts:
1,075.00
State Reimbursement
1,072.25
$ 30,430.00
Net Cost to Town
$ 28,252.15
1,500.00
Receipts:
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee and Citizens of Reading:
I herewith submit the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year ending December 31, 1958, it being the sixty-sixth in a series of such annual reports.
Enrollment
The enrollment of the public schools as of October 1, 1958, was 3679, an increase of 180 pupils, or 5.14% over the total enrollment of a year ago. This increase was distributed as follows: 46 Elementary; 98 Junior High; 30 Senior High; and 6 pupils in Special Education. The new school districts established a year ago, following the opening of the Birch Meadow School, remained approximately unchanged and pupils were distributed to the various buildings as follows:
School
Grades
Rooms
Enrollment
Lowell
1-4
4
97
Prospect
1-4
4
113
Pearl
1-6
16
441
Highland
1-6
13
397
Eaton
1-6
18
523
Birch Meadow
1-6
17
487
Junior High
7-8
19
591
Senior High
9-12
42
1030
Staff
During the year it was necessary for the administrative staff to recruit a total of 27 teachers; 12 elementary and 15 secondary school teachers. Of the 27 new teachers, 14 were without experience; 13 had previous experience in other school systems. Four additional teachers were added to the staff, and 23 teachers were hired to fill vacancies due to resignations for the following reasons:
To accept positions in other school systems
In state
4
Out of state
5
Left teaching for various reasons
10
To Military Service
1
To universities for advanced study
3
Acting on the recommendation of a special committee appointed by the School Committee to study the program of physical education and athletics, a new position was created, designated as Director of Athletics for the Reading school system. Effective September 1, 1958, Mr. Walter Hawkes, who has served for the past 25 years as a success- ful teacher of physical education at the Junior High School, assumed the duties of the Director of Athletics.
During the year 97 teachers and administrators were enrolled in two special in-service training courses, one course in the teaching of science in the elementary schools taught by Miss Martha Ryder, a member of the staff of the Birch Meadow School; the other course being
120
a workshop in Mental Health under the direction of Dr. Libbie Bower and staff of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health. In ad- dition, many of our teachers were enrolled in summer school courses in various universities for the purpose of professional improvement. For those who are familiar with the work of the Reading schools, there is considerable pride and satisfaction in the high quality of instruction taking place in most of the classrooms of our various schools. Good teaching accounts in a large measure for the over-all excellent scholastic achievement of our boys and girls throughout the school system.
Instruction
The year 1957-58 may prove to be the end of one era, and the be- ginning of another for education as a whole in America. It is now an accepted fact that all the children of all the people should have the opportunity to complete twelve years of education at public expense. This fact has resulted in the phenomenal increase of enrollment in our Secondary Schools during the past quarter of a century. We have made great efforts and substantial achievement in meeting the quan- tative problems of housing and providing a comprehensive program of studies to meet the needs of all the children who crowd our high schools. There seems now to be a growing public interest in the quality of our program of education, and a genuine desire to improve and strengthen all aspects of our school system.
During the year important projects have been undertaken on the national level. Dr. Conant's study of the comprehensive American high school, with its concern for educating the able student properly; the M.I.T. physics project, which involves the development of an up-to-date physics curriculum for secondary schools; the Rockefeller Fund report on education, with its emphasis on "excellence"; these are but three examples of the kind of thoughtful appraisal and constructive effort that is under way.
At the local level, there has been considerable effort and progress made in the task of up-grading the quality of our instructional program. Reference is made in some detail in the separate reports of our admin- istrative staff to the following items:
1. Effective in September 1957 all elementary schools were equipped to take full advantage of educational television programs.
2. The program in physical education and intramural and inter- scholastic athletics has been strengthened through the addition of a director of physical education and a director of athletics.
3. The Rinehart Functional Handwriting System was re-introduced after a lapse of three years to aid all those teachers who need special help in connection with the course outline in penmanship.
4. In February 1958 a class in special education for children of primary school age was opened at the Birch Meadow School.
5. During last July and August the School Department, with the cooperation of the Reading Parent-Teacher Council, operated a 6-week summer school program for 130 elementary and Junior High School pupils who needed remedial instruction.
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6. In the Secondary Schools several enriched and accelerated courses were organized in the subject areas of foreign language, social studies, and mathematics. For many years children have been grouped according to ability in the Junior High School to facilitate instruction. It is now generally accepted that every effort should be made to identify the bright child at an early age and provide him with a challenging program of instruction that is commensurate with his ability.
7. Special school exhibits and programs were presented throughout the year for the purpose of acquainting parents and citizens with the work of the schools. On March 26th the Senior High School held an all day Exhibit and Science Fair. In June special concerts were pre- sented by choral and instrumental music groups at all grade levels. Under the direction of Mrs. Lyster and Miss Hagman an unusual music and art program was presented at the Joshua Eaton School in connection with the May meeting of the Parent-Teacher Association.
8. The overall testing program in the Reading schools continues to be excellent and second only to a very few other communities in the Commonwealth. In 1958 the Reading Memorial High School served as a center for the administration of the College Board Examinations.
9. During the year the staff of the Senior High School has been at work in preparation for the special evaluation program now sched- uled for April 1960 and to be conducted by the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
10. At present nearly every high school in the state conducts a course in Driver Education. This program requires 30 hours of class- room instruction plus at least six hours of actual behind-the-wheel driving. Each year 150 to 160 pupils receive this instruction carried on during the school day as well as after school and Saturday classes in driving training. This is a costly program of instruction but one that is demanded by the general public.
School Plant
Due to the hard work and conscientious effort of Mr. Macdonald and our custodial staff, all of the schools are in excellent condition. During the year all the items that were planned for in the budget were completed. These items included several major projects, as follows:
1. On January 2, the Highland School reopened ten months after a fire that made necessary major repairs and alterations that now make this school, built in 1896, a thoroughly satisfactory and attractive ele- mentary school.
2. During the summer the Lowell Street School was completely renovated and remodeled. The work was done by Mr. Macdonald as- sisted by Mr. MacMillan, Mr. Serrentino and Mr. Petroni of our cus- todial staff. Local contractors were employed to provide new lighting, plumbing, metal and masonry work.
3. After numerous difficulties, a new play field and football prac- tice area were finally made available, late in October, for use by Senior High School students.
122
4. Additional bleachers were purchased and installed at the Birch Meadow football field bringing the seating capacity to 2500 for home football games.
5. At the Junior High School, brickwork, checks and arches in the fire boxes of all three boilers were replaced.
6. Fire alarm and automatic detector systems were installed in the Prospect Street and Pearl Street Schools.
7. Additional hottop was provided for play areas at Joshua Eaton and Pearl Street Schools.
8. New floors were installed in rooms 206 and 207 at the Pearl Street School, and the basement classroom remodeled and repainted.
In addition, a long list of items of general maintenance of an unforseen nature were completed. We are getting to the point where we are doing something about preventative maintenance. It is our aim to make greater progress along this line in the future. We have an excellent staff of custodians and matrons who are conscientious about keeping their buildings in good condition. They are a credit to the School Department and the Town.
On January 26, 1959, the special committee appointed by the Town to provide additional Junior High School facilities will make its report to the Town Meeting members. This committee, under Mr. Lawrence Partelow as chairman, has spent many hours investigating all phases of the problem. After thorough study, this committee voted unani- mously to recommend the building of a new junior high school on a site located off Birch Meadow Drive.
Reading schools continue to receive the generous support of the parents and citizens of the community. Those of us who have the privilege of working with the fine group of boys and girls in our schools believe that these children deserve this moral and financial support. A society that is unwilling to invest in the future of its young people will not survive in today's world, and is probably not worth saving anyway.
ROBERT F. PERRY,
Superintendent of Schools
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL READING MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
I. Enrollment - September 1958 - 1031
Last year at this time our total enrollment was 1006. Studies of our projected high school enrollment, which have been most accurate thus far, indicate that our future enrollment in 1959-1960 will be 1068; in 1960-61 it will be 1160. By 1961-62 our high school enrollment will increase to 1248. Since the capacity of our school is 1125, it can be readily seen that we shall be overcrowded by the school year 1960-61 unless additional school facilities are provided in the meantime for our growing secondary-school population.
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