USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1963-1967 > Part 20
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ARTICLE 43. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to install various street lights; or act in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 44. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from avail- able funds a certain sum to be deducted by the Assessors under the pro- visions of Section 23 of Chapter 59 of the General Laws, as most recently amended, from the amount required to be assessed by them; or act in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 44A. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sufficient sum of money for the purchase of a material-spreader for the Highway Department; or act in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 45. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sufficient sum of money for the purchase of a used street-sweeper for the highway department; or act in relation thereto.
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ARTICLE 46. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sufficient sum of money for the purchase and installation of a new alarm system and for the purchase and installation of a 750 g.p.m. pump for the Fire Department; or act in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 47. To see if the Town will vote to approve the Two Million Six Hundred Thousand ($2,600,000.00) Dollars indebtedness authorized by the Nashoba Valley Technical High School District Committee on February 15, 1966 for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing, originally equipping and furnishing the Nashoba Valley Technical High School; or act in relation thereto.
And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting up true and attested copies thereof at the Town Hall and at each Post Office in said Westford, seven days at least before the time of holding said meeting.
HEREOF FAIL NOT, and make return of this Warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at the time and place of holding the first meeting aforesaid.
Given under our hands this eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord, 1966.
George S. Fletcher, Chairman
Horace F. Wyman
John J. Kavanagh Selectmen of Westford
113
Annual Report
OF THE
School Committee
OF THE
TOWN OF WESTFORD
W
OF
S
RD
1729. €
ORPORATED
SEP
For the Year Ending December 31 1965
114
ORGANIZATION - SCHOOL COMMITTEE
John E. Leggat
Term expires 1966
Harry V. Smith
Term expires 1966
Maurice Huckins, Jr., M. D., Chairman
Term expires 1967
Mary R. Lambert
Term expires 1967
Raymond D. LaPan
Term expires 1967
Francis Courchaine
Term expires 1968
Robert M. Welch, Secretary
Term expires 1968
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
WESTFORD ACADEMY
Lloyd G. Blanchard, Superintendent
Telephone 692-6561
H. William Snell, Administrative Assistant
Vera E. Bettencourt, General Secretary
Rita M. Tousignant, Financial Secretary
SCHOOL TELEPHONES
Westford Academy 692-6771
Frost School
692-6230
North Middle School
692-6391
Nabnasset School
692-6233
Cameron School
692-6542
Sargent School
692-6553
Guidance Department
692-8825
Music & Physical Education 692-4031
SCHOOL PHYS ICIAN
Medical Associates 199 Chelmsford St., Chelmsford, Mass.
Telephone - 256-6511
SCHOOL NURSES
Ruth N. Hall, R. N., Westford, Mass.
Dorothy Healy, R. N., Westford, Mass.
Office Tel. 692-8431 - Academy
115
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF WESTFORD, your School Committee respectfully submits its report for the year ending December 31, 1965.
This report reviews the events of the past year in terms of major areas of interest such as School Plant, Finance, Program, etc. The final section is devoted to a presentation of the 1966 Budget in terms of pupil services.
SCHOOL HOURS 1965-66
Academy Intermediate
Grades 9-12
8:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Grades 6-8
8:45 A.M .. to. 3:00 P.M.
Elementary
Grades 1-6 8:15 A.M. to 2:15 P.M.
SCHOOL VISITS
You are welcome in your Schools to talk with the School Principal and staff whether or not you have children in the Schools. However, you are urged (1) to check in with the Principal before visiting a class, and (2) to make an appointment if you wish to discuss your child's progress with the teacher. Otherwise, the class is interrupted and valuable learning time is lost.
SCHOOL ADMISSION
A child is eligible for enrollment in Grade 1 if he reaches his sixth birthday prior to November 1 of the school enrollment year. Birth certificate and evidence of successful vaccination are necessary for registration of any child new in Westford. Those transferring from other schools should present transfer cards.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The School Committee meets in regular session the second Monday of each month at 7:30 P.M. in the Academy Cafeteria. On the fourth Monday of the month there is usually a Special School Committee Meet- ing. Meeting and agenda are published. Public is welcome.
SCHOOL CALENDAR 1965-66
Fall Term
September 7 - December 23
Winter Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
January 3 - February 18 February 28 - April 15 April 25 - June 15
Total School Days - 180
Days Omitted:
Columbus Day
October 12
Veterans' Day
November 11
Thanksgiving Recess
Nov. 25 & 26
Good Friday April 8
Memorial Day
May 30
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REMARKS :
It is the policy of the School Department to keep schools in ses- sion on all days during which it is safe for buses to be operated. The widely varying conditions in the several parts of Westford make it difficult to reach decisions equally fair to all.
ON DAYS WHEN THE WEATHER CONDITION IS QUESTIONABLE, PARENTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE THEIR OWN JUDGMENT AS TO THE WISDOM OF SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS Westford, Mass.
1965 IN REVIEW
THE SCHOOL PLANT
The New North Middle School opened January 18, following a dis- appointing two week delay for final clean up, and a near disastrous one day delay because of power failure. The changeover was smooth due to the preplanning of Principal Hayes and the logistical preparations of Administrative Assistant Snell. Roudenbush and Old Nab were temporarily closed and step two of the School Planning Committee's long range plan was achieved, thanks to the dedication and persistance of Building Committee, Chairman Dr. Benjamin DeF. Lambert, and members Arthur Abbood, Philip Hall, Harold Harrington and Richard Tuttle. To these men the Town should feel a deep sense of gratitude for a job very well done.
However, step three of the long range school plant plan, the con- struction of a new high school and the conversion of Westford Academy to a middle school, was derailed, first by the refusal of the emergency town meeting in December 1964 to approve a construction appropriation before the January 1 reduction of Westford's state reimbursement eligibility from 50% to 40%, and second by the obvious reluctance of the Town to undertake a high school building program as evidenced by the scant six votes by which the $8000 preliminary funds were approved.
The Westford Independent Citizens Council (WICC) played an active role in opposition to any consideration of new high school facilities before the mid 1970's when the Westford Academy bonds shall be retired. In support of the delay in high school construction WICC questioned the School Planning Committee's pupil enrollment forecast figures, submitting an alternate set suggesting a more conservative town growth. Also WICC questioned any school organization which departed from the more con- ventional six year elementary grouping. The WICC forecast may well prove more accurate than the Planning Committee's figures which were based on average five year growth ratios; but then again it may not. There are questionable assumptions as well as one significant computational inacuracy in the WICC population projection.
The opposition to any modification of the organizational pattern is a little more difficult to understand, except from the point of view of cost. As long as the elementary school facilities are limited to standard self-contained classroom units, then the Town saves money by holding pupils as long as possible at the elementary level and expanding the elementary facilities. Some communities provide a more varied
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program at the elementary level, a program which is similar to our Middle School program. Such schools cost as much as our Middle School, but the more expensive features serve mainly the older elementary children. So in recent years there has been active interest in the "middle school" organization, a plan that discourages the removal of grade nine from its proper grouping with grades ten through twelve, and that provides the basic facilities for that group formerly class- ified as older elementary pupils. According to a recent report from Educational Facilities Laboratory, Middle Schools are under consider- ation in all sections of the country and many have already been built. Basically the reason for this trend is that the middle school organizational plan is educationally sound. Children age 10-14 have mostly outgrown total teacher dependency so characteristic of the elementary school; yet are not ready for the self discipline of the high school. The middle school plant and program is especially de- signed to meet this need without incurring the additional cost of the more diversified elective junior high school program.
WICC met with School Committee and with School Planning Com- mittee during the spring, but there have been no further meetings since July 29 when the Town approved A Master Plan for Westford. In response to a fall meeting invitation from WICC, the School Committee chairman responded, "Consensus of the School Committee was that the voting of the Town Master Plan precluded any action in regard to school building until the result of the survey is published and recommendations made. Therefore it seems in the best interest of the Town for the School Committee to have public hearings when this information is available.
The engineering firm of Metcalf and Eddy has been engaged to pre- pare Westford's Master Plan, and school administrators have provided data as requested, but no formal preliminary report has as yet been received. It is understood that population projections will constitute the first phase of the Master Plan project. In the meanwhile the School Planning Committee is considering additional elementary school facilities, since a new high school by 1968 to relieve total school system overload by then now appears out of the question.
The long awaited Willis Report was released in summary in December 1964. Of special significance to school plant planning are two rec- ommendations: 1) "School districts shall provide a half day of kinder- garten for 185 days between September 1 and June 30, with attendance permissive." 2) "A statewide building program should be developed to provide for the replacement of the school facilities erected prior to 1900." The cost to Westford of replacing Frost, Cameron and Sargent, and of providing "permissive" kindergarten spaces would require construction of two elementary schools similar to the new Nabnasset School, complete with addition. And such a program would provide no additional grade 1-5 space for our growing enrollments. The legislative implementation schedule for the Willis recommendation is of course in doubt, and will remain uncertain until positive action is taken at the state level to provide more education money. But the replacement of our old buildings, and provision for kindergartens should certainly be taken into consideration in any long range school building plan, or Master Plan, for Westford.
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In the meanwhile the School Committee has sought to hold our elementary pupils in the best of our school facilities, avoiding Roudenbush and Old Nabnasset and placing the overflow grade 5 pupils in the new North Middle School. Transfers of pupils to "out of dis- trict" schools are of course necessary in order to take fullest ad- vantage of our limited space. Currently one grade 5 group from Nab- nasset is housed in the North Middle School and there are some Frost district grade 1 pupils in Sargent and grade 2 and 4 pupils in Cam- eron. Next year there will be one Frost, one Cameron, and two Nab- nasset grade 5 groups in the North Middle School, some Frost district grade 1 and 2 pupils in Sargent and grade 3 pupils in Cameron. It is unlikely that the North Middle School will be able to absorb more than one group the following year, 1967-68. Without additional school construction by then, organizational plans for our pupils enrollment will become quite complex. The following year, 1968-69, it is doubtful that either the North Middle School or the Academy will have adequate space for their own anticipated enrollments.
The Roudenbush School was rented to Tyngsborough this school year and will also be available for rental in 1966-67 according to the present plan. Old Nabnasset will remain closed unless Nabnasset growth exceeds expectations, and in view of the continued building in this section of Town such an eventuality is not remote.
The expansion of the school plant to replace obsolete buildings and accommodate growing enrollments will continue to be a thorny problem for the foreseeable future.
FINANCE
(See also the 1963 Annual Report of the School Committee)
School costs have been spiraling for the past fifteen years and no plateau is yet in sight. The cost of education is increasing because 1) there are more children, 2) teacher salaries are rising in response to competition and legislation, 3) materials and contract services are more expensive, and 4) the increasing interest in education and the demand for quality has stimulated a reduction in class size and an in- crease in the number of specialists and supervisors to supplement and to guide the expanding curriculum. If teachers are to be most effective they must be freed from administrative and clerical chores. If programs are to be developed intelligently, then there is a need for coordination and guidance. And if new teachers are to fit effectively into the evolv- ing instructional program, then there is a need for supervision.
The increasing availability of Federal Funds is a blessing and a source of anxiety. Federal legislation on behalf of the nation's schools is designed to stimulate rather than to compensate. Federal funds become available to communities, and regions, as services are in- creased. In some cases federal monies are matching funds, in other cases outright grants, but in all cases much time must be devoted to analyzing needs, researching programs, and preparing projects which might or might not be acceptable. Some communities have added spec- ialists in federal school legislation in order to take full advantage of available federal money. But it cannot be overemphasized that federal funds for education are not to be made available to communities
119
on the basis of need or past performances, but rather to underwrite extensions of the present program.
Westford school personnel have been attending conferences on federal aid, have participated in the Lowell Community Teamwork, Inc. meetings, have held two administrative meetings on federal aid, and to date have drafted two proposals, one by Mr. Desmond, Academy principal, "A Work Study Proposal," and the other by Mr. Hayes, Middle School principal, "A Proposal to establish an effective educational program for pupils with a history of poor academic achievement." In the mean- time the Town of Westford had identified a Community Action Advisory Committee, whose membership includes Mr. Noy, Nabnasset School principal, who has been much interested in federal legislation from the start and hopes to see introduced into Westford a "Headstart" program for pre- school children age 3-5 years whose limited experiences might jeopardize their grade 1 and later progress.
But much planning and paper work must be accomplished before Westford might benefit from any of the newer federal school legislation.
On the other hand Westford has received substantial funds under Public Law 874 on behalf of pupils whose parents are employed in federal installations. And each year Westford has submitted projects under the National Defense Education Act, PL 864 Title III, successful projects which have returned matching funds for budget offset. During the past year one Academy science project returned $1100, and two North Middle School projects returned to the Building "Committee $5848. Currently projects in math, science, history, geography and civics totaling $6375 are awaiting state department action.
Under Title V of the same law Westford has received substantial assistance for the extension of secondary school guidance services over the years. In the past three years direct reimbursements have amounted to about $5000 of which $3800 went directly to the Middle School Building Committee.
State aid for education includes general aid under chapter 70, determined by the Town's equalized valuation and by the number of children age 7-16 counted in the annual census. It also includes so- called categorical aid, i.e., aid for transportation, handicapped, state wards, etc. The Willis Report, cited earlier, suggests the need for a greatly expanded state aid to education program. It is probable that the state will turn to a percentage formula when additional funds might become available. This formula would compare a town's equalized valuation per school attending child with the average valuation of the state. The resulting per cent applied to the town's expenditures for education would be that town's reimbursement. So it is understandable that much time was devoted over the past year to gaining for Westford a more reasonable equalized valuation. The value originally assigned would have made Westford eligible for minimum 25% reimbursement. Westford now stands at about 40%, average for the state. The difference between the potential reimbursements, when and if the new formula is adopted, would amount to $150,000 on a million dollar school expenditure.
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PROGRAM
Westford's history - geography - civics curriculum grades 1-12 came under staff review and evaluation this past spring, and a selected committee under the direction of Mrs. Bette Hook, Academy department chairman, worked well into the summer to develop a new guide. Social studies is a very broad area. There was evidence that, lacking a formal guide, the program had become discoordinated. The guide established a sequence to serve as a broad frame of reference, suggesting units and offering a bibliography and supplementary resource materials for each grade level. Available materials were pooled and supplementary materials ordered during the summer so that the new program could be fully implemented in the fall. The curriculum committee then followed up with a long range plan for the strengthening of the history-geography-civics programs over a five year period, a plan which has been accepted by the state department under the extension of the National Defense Education Act. The first project, the procurement of maps, charts and globes, has been budgeted by the School Committee and, if accepted by the state de- partment, will make Westford eligible for 50% reimbursement.
Nabnasset School, under the guidance of Mr. Noy, principal, has developed a long range plan for the continued strengthening of the arithmetic program, and hopefully this project too may prove acceptable for federal matching funds. And the Academy Science department has again submitted an NDEA project for state department action. These pro- jects are developed only after thorough research and evaluation, and represent a great deal of extra staff time. Financial saving to the community because of the matching federal funds provided is considerable, but of even greater value is the improvement of the curriculum and the in-service training provided the staff.
New federal legislation, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, with its many sub titles, encourages on all out community effort to improve the educational opportunities of all pupils. The act is aimed especially at financial barriers to educational opportunity and involves outright grants rather than matching funds. The establishment of eligibility and the preparation of projects will prove very time consum- ing, but also may prove very beneficial to Westford.
A pilot project in reading was inaugurated this past fall, "programmed reading." Mrs. Catherine Lewicke, reading supervisor, had observed the program in another school system, investigated its ad- vantages and complications, and recommended a trial approach in two first grade groups, two transition groups grade 2 and 3, and in the remedial reading program. "Programmed reading" involves independent pupil progress at a speed suitable to the individual pupil. Group instruction is at a minimum; pupil evaluation by teacher is continuous. Organizational problems of course developed, but the eagerness of the pupils more than compensated. By December the program was running quite well and pupil achievement appeared remarkably high. It is yet too early to evaluate, but "programmed reading" holds great promise for elementary pupils of all abilities.
The Career Seminars program under the direction of Mr. Sullivan, guidance counselor at Westford Academy, is in its second year of oper- ation. Selected high school students, following a program setup by local industrial leaders, learn first hand the skills and the education
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requirements of various positions in local industry. Participating local concerns are C. G. Sargent's & Sons, Fletcher Granite, Murray Printing, Norman Day, Inc. This program provides a very worthwhile opportunity for our boys to talk directly with men on the job and to receive first hand answers to their questions.
Since School Adjustment Counselor Mrs. Lucille Teno joined the staff a year ago problems of pupil adjustment to school have become more appreciated as emotional rather than behavior problems, and help for these pupils has been sought. Pupil emotional problems are complex; facilities are limited; correction is slow. The State Department under- writes the entire cost of out-of-town treatment and half the cost of local correction, after the required forms have been completed and the psychiatric evaluation approved. Westford has pupils receiving out of town treatment as well as local tutoring and other special help. It seems likely that this program will expand.
Home instruction both by home teacher and home to school telephone has continued this past year in an attempt to enable pupils to continue successfully with their class group following extended absence. This program too receives state aid on a matching basis, following the usual application and medical report.
The special class program for our elementary school age slow learners will continue, but it is felt that our older slow learners can be absorbed in regular program groupings at the secondary level where emphasis shifts from skills to content and where there is a wider diversity of program and grouping opportunities. Moreover, it is felt that continued isolation of these children at the secondary level does more harm than good. Programs will be adjusted to special needs within the total curriculum.
Speech therapy at the elementary level will be extended to a full time program under Mrs. Agnes Shipp in September 1966, and speech instruction at the secondary level will also be extended to a full time position.
Our total program is constantly under staff evaluation, reorganiz- ing and broadening in some areas and becoming more concentrated in others. Pupil needs determine the program, and the ability of our staff to identify and provide for these needs is the measure of staff competence.
PERSONNEL, POLICY AND PUBLIC INFORMATION
The staff turnover rate is still too high; little progress has been made in the development of written policy; and the public seems no better informed on school problems and accomplishments than in prev- ious years. It is disappointing that greater progress has not been made in these three vital areas.
Staff salaries have been moving forward at what appears to be a rapid pace. The average teacher salary in Westford has increased from about $4500 in 1960 to about $6300 for 1966; yet area salary schedules for the most part will start a hundred dollars or more higher than Westford's 5000 beginning salary for September 1966, and the legislature no doubt will be debating a $5500 beginning schedule this next session.
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Westford's schedule is competitive above the early steps. It is becom- ing increasingly difficult to control budget increases and at the same time develop salary policies which will discourage teacher turnover.
The adopted salary scale for 1966-67 as compared with the 1965-66 schedule follows. Advanced degree columns were revised.
1965-66
1966-67
STEP
BACHELORS
MASTERS
M+30
BACHELORS
MASTERS
M+30
1
5000
5300
5600
5000
5500
6000
2
5250
5565
5880
5250
5775
6300
3
5500
5830
6160
5500
6050
6600
6 HOURS
3 HOURS
6 HOURS
3 HOURS
4
5750
6095
6440
5750
6325
6900
5
6000
6360
6720
6000
6600
7200
6
6250
6625
7000
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