USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Wilbraham annual report 1924-1931 > Part 2
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23.19
W. F. Berry, electric blubs, etc.,
3.91
G. A. Authier & Son, painting exteri- or of building, 388.89
C. S. Stacy, repairs air valve,
1.90
Central Mass. Elec. Co., current,
33.41
The Cutler Co., water rental, 18.00
The Cutler Co., fertilizer and nails, 5.50
Mrs. J. T. Abbott. services librarian, 100.00
Mrs. L. E. Bosworth, Wilbraham Branch, 15.00
Mrs. Chas. Hitchcock, Stony Hill Branch, 5.00
$1,389.40
Balance on hand December 31, 1924,
205.37
$1,594.77
34
Besides the foregoing, the Librarian has received from fines during the year $27.98, which was paid out as follows : Transportation of school boxes, $ 2.50
George West, cleaning and repairs,
10.25
Four electric bulbs,
1.08
Whitewashing and painting shed,
5.55
Express and postage,
2.23
- Sundry supplies, 1.25
Paid into General Library Treasury,
5.12
$ 27.98
See Auditor's Report for statement of Henry Cutler Legacy. Abner Bell Fund. Morton L. Day Fund. Respectfully Submitted,
ESTELLE P. WHITE, A. L. DAMON, H. W. CUTLER,
Trustees.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR COUNTY AID TO AGRICULTURE
To the Voters of Wilbraham :-
Wilbraham has more Junior Club projects than any town in the county. In 1924 Mrs. G. R. Files, as local Club leader, directed dairy, baby beef, bee, canning, garden, poultry, sewing, and small fruit clubs, with an enrollment of 86. The profit made by boys and girls was over $1,000.
Other features of 1924 work in Wilbraham included 30 meetings arranged or attended by staff workers with an attendance of ?21; women's study groups in clothing, mil- linery, and nutrition in Wilbraham, North Wilbraham, and Glendale; the formation of a poultry management group of men which meets periodically ; and much direct service to all types of farmers. Wilbraham farmers also took part in county torus and field days for dairymen and poul- try ; while Wilbraham women were enrolled in the county kitchen improvement contest and in a training school for canning leaders.
Mrs. E. C. Clark and Mrs. Files were leaders of the advanced study group in clothing, while the general direc- tion of women's work in the town was in the hands of Mrs. Files, Mrs. G. Dickinson, Mrs. J. K. Barber, and Mrs. Hen- ry Warren. For 1925 our director for North Wilbraham is F. A. Warren, and for Wilbraham is Mrs. Files.
The Trustees have appreciated the annual town ap- propriation of $150, which is devoted to the local expense of Boy and Girl Club work, and urge the continuance of the same amount for 1925.
Very truly yours, ROSCOE C. EDLUND,
Managing Director.
REPORT OF PINES SCHOOLHOUSE BUILDING COMMITTEE
Appropriation, $48,608.09
Amount Expended
A. C. Brodeur, electrical contract,
$
859.08
Frank Brodeur, janitor, 43.00
W. S. Champlin, nurses' cabinet, 15.00
Commissioner of Public Safety, inspec-
tion, 2.00
Cutler Grain and Coal Co., coal, 22.50
Cutler Co., 2 Fire Extinguishers, 30.00
Daily News Publishing Co., advertising bids, 16.80
John A. Dennison, legal advice, 25.00
E. C. & G. C. Gardner, architects, 500.00
Charles Hardie, window shades, 202.00
E. E. Hobson, legal advice, 60.00
Charles Kittredge, sewer manhole, 17.00
The Theodor Kundtz Co., seats and desks, 1,288.11
Ludlow Mfg. Associates, sewer man- hole, 51.68
F. C. McClean, heating contract, 4,160.00
Wm. H. McGuire, coal, 56.87
Massachusetts Reformatory, desks and chairs, 173.00
E. J. Pinney, Inc., general contract, 32,937.85
Smith & Annable, plans and specifica- tions, 349.26
City of Springfield, water connection,
105.76
Springfield Republican, advertising bids,
65.36
37
Springfield Union, advertising bids, Wyckoff & Lloyd, plumbing contract,
30.60
1,871.98 $42,882.85
Balance unexpended,
$ 5,725.15
Unpaid on contracts and equipment,
5,190.44
Balance available for grading, etc., $ 534.71
E. O. BEEBE,
A. C. BRODEUR,
T. S. BOWER, H. W. CUTLER,
-
SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S REPORT
To the Citizens of Wilbraham :-
Your School Committee respectfully submits the fo !- lowing report for the year 1924.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR 1924
Appropriation for School Support, $44,840.00
Interest, Warriner Fund, 29.18
Interest, School Lot Fund, 30.30
Total available for School Support, $44,899.48
Total expenditures, itemized statement
follows, $45,281.03
Less --
Car tickets sold, $ 402.29
Tuitions refunded, 154.50
Damage to books, .41
557.20
Net expenditures, $44,723.83
Less than total available,
$
175.65
COST OF SCHOOLS TO THE TOWN IN 1924 FOR SUPPORT Net expenditures above, $44,723.83
Credits
General School Fund Law, Part I,
$2,984.40
Reimbursement on Ludlow Continua- tion School tuition, 383.40
Reimbursement on
Superintendent's
salary,
580.00
39
Tuition of State wards, 347.93
Tuition of Arbelle and Arlean Comeau, 47.00
Interest, Warriner Fund, 29.18
Interest, School Lot Fund,
30.30 $ 4,402.21
Amount paid from local taxation for School Support,
$40,321.62
ITEMIZED STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES
School Committee
Evanore O. Beebe, salary, $ 50.00
Thomas S. Bower, salary,
50.00
H. W. Cutler, salary, 50.00
$ 150.00
School Committee's Expenses
Charles S. Stacy, advice and time, $ 6.56
Superintendent of Schools and Enforcement of Law
F. A. Wheeler, salary, $1,035.00
F. A. Wheeler, travelling allowance, 150.00
F. A. Wheeler, incidentals, 2.18
Emily O. Cormier, clerical services, 311.25
Mrs. Jennie T. Abbott, care of tickets, 25.00
Charles A. Harris, outlining course in testing, 6.00
Berthelemi Hebert, attendance officer, 125.00
Mrs. Fannie R. Pease, labor certificates, 8.40
Mrs. Alice H. Warren, labor certificates, 7.40
Sackett's Typewriter Exch., letters, .93
$1,671.16
40
Supervisors' Salaries
Helen P. Bartlett, $ 431.08
Mrs. Ethel C. Morse,
385.00
$ 816.0S
Teachers' Salaries
Mrs. E. V. Barnes,
$ 5.75
Mrs. Ellen M. Burroughs,
1,200.00
Mildred E. Connelly,
1,120.00
Elizaeth F. Cronin,
1,120.00
Edith S. Feustel,
1,150.00
Mrs. Millicent G. Green,
1,120.00
Mrs. Nellie W. Hinchcliffe,
420.00
Marion L. Holland,
1,070.00
Susie R. McCorrison,
1,070.00
Loretta K. McDonald,
400.00
Ruth M. Mason,
1,120.00
Alice N. May,
950.00
Mrs. Fannie R. Pease,
1,170.00
Mrs. Minnie M. Sanderson,
1,120.00
Florence I. Schweppe,
165.00
Eleanor D. Shea,
1,070.00
Mary E. R. Sullivan,
1,020.00
Mrs. Stella M. Warriner,
630.00
Mrs. Mabel E. Welch,
1,120.00
Eleanor A. Whelan,
1,00.00
Mrs. Hope E. Williams,
472.50
$18,583.25
Textbooks
American Book Company, $ 66.97
Arlo Publishing Company, 2.35
E. E. Babb & Co.,
1.51
5.84
The Cable Co., D. A. Frazer, 8.00
41
Ginn and Company,
101.43
Houghton-Mifflin Co.,
18.26
The Macmillan Co., 45.79
Newson & Company,
47.00
The A. N. Palmer Co.,
22.71
Benjamin H. Sanborn Co.,
26.18
$
351.04
Stationery, Supplies and Miscellaneous
E. E. Babb & Co., penholders, eras-
ers, etc., $ 22.70
Helen P. Bartlett, drawing supplies, 1.55
Blodgett's Music Store, pitch pipes, 2.70
Boston & Albany Railroad, freight on supplies, 15.90
Milton Bradley Co., paint, paper, number builders, 431.77
Mrs. Ellen M. Burroughs, Palmer penmanship cert., 8.75
Charles E. Burt, report cards,
8.00
The Carter's Ink Co., ink,
2.50
Edith S. Feustel, Palmer penman- ship material, 7.18
Forbes & Wallace, ribbon,
5.33
A. L. Fredette, cards, 6.50
J. L. Hammett Co., pencils, 75.00
Holden Patent Book Co., book covers, 6.23
Johnson's Bookstore, printing outfit, seat charts, 14.00
King Paper Co., composition paper, 36.00
\V. A. Leison Co., cards, 4.25
William Mehers, carting supplies,
1.50
Newsón & Co., Aldine charts, etc.,
8.54
The A. N. Palmer Co., pens, 11.07
Public School Publishing Co., tests, 3.82
Sackett's Typewriter Exch., cards,
2.80
42
Shaw-Walker Co., A.D.P. cards, 5.49
R. L. Studor, lettering certificates, 8.00
Teachers' College, Columbia Uni- versity, tests, 1.80
Joseph Ventura, carting supplies,
5.00
F. A. Wheeler, postage, paper, type- writer ribbon, 42.68
Wright & Potter Printing Co., ac- counting blanks,
4.06
$ *43.82
Janitors' Wages
Frank Brodeur,
$ 571.95
A. J. Bryant,
10.50
J. P. Buckingham,
87.00
Mrs. J. H. Farr,
36.00
Robert McClelland,
184.80
Mrs. Robert McClelland,
128.00
Edward E. Mallette,
100.00
Elsie M. Samble,
8.50
Mrs. Minnie M. Sanderson,
24.00
G. F. Schrade,
3.00
Mrs. Harriet Swetland,
294.00
John Ventura,
15.00
Joseph Ventura,
3.50
C. W. Vinton,
90.00
Mrs. B. W. Wilbur,
60.00
$1.616.25
Fuel
Frank Brodeur, kindling wood,
$ 2.75
The Burr Co., coal,
16.50
B. B. Green, wood,
144.00
E. C. Hall, wood,
12.00
Wm. H. McGuire, coal,
1,182.95
.
43
J. F. Powers, sawing wood, 36.50
Arvid J. Sager, wood,
228.00
N. J. Samble, wood,
272.00
G. F. Shrade, kindling wood,
.50
C. W. Vinton, wood,
34.00
$1,929.20
Miscellaneous Operating Expenses
E. E. Babb & Co., Kaustine Chemical, $ 15.81
W. F. Berry, floor oil, 3.60
Thomas S. Bower, paid for cleaning toilets, 12.00
Frank Brodeur, telephone charges, .70
Mrs. Ellen M. Burroughs, shovel, soap, broom, etc., 3.69
H. W. Carter Paper Co., paper towels, cabinets, 96.10
Central Mass. Electric Co., lighting,
45.90
R. E. Faulkner, material for cesspool, 2.88
Forbes & Wallace ,floor brushes, chair seat, etc., 10.08
Green & Thomas, soap,
.18
Elsie Samble, janitors' supplies,
.90
City of Springfield, water,
22.50
T. M. Walker Co., floor dressing, 18.75
F. A. Wheeler, telephone charges,
15.73
$ 248.82
Repairs
Edward F. Allen, setting glass, labor, carfare, $21.05
P. Bracci & Bros., repairs at No. 2, 38.50
Thomas Brindley, setting seats and desks, 1.50 A. C. Brodeur, labor, moving seats, 45.00
Frank Brodeur, glass & labor, 4.80
44
Channon-Emery Stove Co., box stove for No. 1, 22.25
H. W. Cutler, paid for belt for motor, 2.33
A. L. Farr, piping cesspool, 10.00
R. E. Faulkner, rope, pulley, etc., 10.09
Forbes & Wallace, clocks, etc., 14.15
Green and Thomas, lawn mower, 15.00
S. J. Hickey, trucking seats & desks, 20.00
James Jaffery, trucking & freight, 2.73
Keenan Structural Slate Co., blackboard,
5.52
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins, inkwells, chair desks, 236.08
The Theodor Kundtz Co., seats & desks, 703.68 Robert McClelland, setting seats & desks, 1.50
Ed. G. MacDowell, carpenter's labor, 20.62
C. A. Rogers, repairing water & sew- er pipes, 11.90
Peter Rossi, repairing chimney,
21.00
G. F. Schrade, labor at No. 3, 2.20
C. E. Seymour, labor, replacing light, etc., 9.45
Charles S. Stacy, repairs at No. 8 & No. 4, 15.66
H. Tupper, repairs at No. 3, 12.50
R. Tupper, labor at No. 5 and No. 6, 37.00
United Electric Service Co., fuse, plugs, labor, 14.30
T. M. Walker Co., ? lights glass, 1.80
Wm. N. Wallace, freight on stove, 3.62
J. Ventura, carting seats & desks, 6.50
C. W. Vinton, door, paint, labor,
16.10
$ 1,326.83
Health
A. L. Damon, school physician, $ 481.25
Signe L. Polson, schoool nurse, $68.85
45
H. & J. Brewer Co., supplies, 23.26
Mrs. George A. Clark, Schick test, 4.00
Mrs. Ruth Heim, Schick test, 1.50
Sackett's Typewriter Exch., cards, 5.00
C. P. Thompson Co., tongue depres- sors, etc., 2.70
$ 1,291.56
High School Transportation
Springfield Street Railway Co.,
$ 2,511.39
Gideon Dickinson,
Josephine Allyn,
2,2-12.00 27.60
E. O. Beebe,
4.65
Edith Hardy,
34.00
Maxine Hardy,
50.40
Samuel Heineman,
10.20
Emerson Hooker,
21.60
Annie Nietupski,
7.97
Anthony Nietupski,
30.77
John Nordin,
9.25
Clement Smith,
26.81
Dorothy Tupper,
25.40
$ 5,002.04
Elementary School Transportation
Town of East Longmeadow, $ 65.00
High School Tuition
Town of Ludlow,
$
360.01
City of Springfield, 9,797.82
$10,157.83
Elementary and Continuation School Tuition Town of East Longmeadow, $ 35.00 Town of Ludlow, 440.96
46
City of Springfield,
54.08
$ 530.04 .
Miscellaneous
William F. Logan, insurance, $ 502.50
New Equipment
W. S. Champlin, cabinets, $ 30.00
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins, seats and desks, 135.83
James B. Logan, cartage on desks, 2.00
Charles S. Stacy, work at No. 4, 121.22
289.05 $
Total expenditures for school support in 1924, $15,281.03
Toilets at No. 4 Schoolhouse
Appropriation, $ 3,500.00
Amount Expended American Sanitary Products Co., in- stalling tank, $ 982.00
F. A. Bodurtha, contract, material & labor, 900.00
Charles S. Stacy, plumbing and heat-
ing, 1,650.00
H. F. Swetland, painting, 136.25
$ 3,668.25 $ 168.25
More than appropriation,
APPROPRIATIONS NEEDED FOR 1925
General Expenses : School Committee, salaries, $ 150.00
Expenses, 20.00
School Superintendent and Enforcement of Law : Salary, 1,050.00
Other expenses, 200.000
47
Expenses of Instruction :
Supervisors' salaries,
875.00
Teachers' salaries,
20,000.00
Textbooks,
600.00
Supplies,
800.00
Operating Expenses :
Janitors,
2,500.00
Fuel,
2,500.00
Miscellaneous,
250.00
Repairs,
1,500.00
Health,
1,400.00
Tuition,
11,500.00
Transportation,
6,000.00
Insurance,
200.00
$50,545.00
ESTIMATE OF CREDITS ON ACCOUNT OF EDUCATION FOR 1925
General School Fund, Part II, $6.593.15
General School Fund, Part I, 3,024.40
Superintendent's salary, 580.00
Tuition of State children, 150.00
Continuation School tuition reimburse-
ment, 220.00
$10,567.55
Note: A 1924 amendment raised the maximum valuation of towns participating in the grants from the state treasury in accordance with the General School Fund Law, Part II, from $2,500,000.00 to $3,000,000.00. As shown above we estimate that Wilbraham in accordance with this amend- ment will receive $6,593.13 in 1925.
Respectfully submitted, EVANORE O. BEEBE, THOMAS S. BOWER, H. W. CUTLER, School Committee of Wilbraham.
48
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee of Wilbraham :-
Herewith is submitted my report as Superintendent of Schools for the year ending December 31st, 1924. The New Pines Schoolhouse
The outstanding event of the year has been the erec- tion of a modern six-room building at The Pines. The Pines community is away from the center of the town and populated chiefly by immigrants who work out of town, It has been hard for Wilbraham citizens to appreciate the rapid growth in school population or to visualize the need there. They could scarcely believe that over half of the Wilbraham children of school age are now in a corner of the town where a few years ago two teachers could easily care for all. For these reasons citizens were reluctant to vote the substantial amount required for the building. It is very much to their credit that, when the need was finally realized, the appropriation was made.
The new building is now occupied and a bad situation has been overcome. The additional six classrooms have made it possible to do away with the four part-time classes that were being held at The Pines, and also to relieve the crowding which had become so great as to embarrass the school work at the North Wilbraham schoolhouse. The congestion at the North Wilbraham schoolhouse was caused by the increase in the number of pupils attending there from the Mountain View section, but these pupils, about 30 in number, have now been transferred to The Pines. An additional teacher has been placed at The Pines, thus providing for eight classes, and bringing into use the full capacity of both the old building and the new. Both at North Wilbraham and at The Pines the teachers have worked devotedly under discouraging circumstances. With the bettered conditions there should be immediate improve-
49
ment in the quality of the school work being done in both districts.
The Empty Portables
What is to be done with the vacated portables? These empty buildings are of very light construction, will be an invitation to all sorts of mischief day and night if left on The Pines schoolhouse yard, and will go to pieces rapidly. Not only that, but they are much in the way. As long as they are kept, they will be a source of expense for insur- ance, repairs, and policing; and the longer they are held, the less the town is likely to get out of them. Still, it is quite possible that another teacher will be needed either at The Pines or at North Wilbraham within a year or two. To provide for this contingency, at least one of the porta- bles should be kept. The last one bought is the best of the three, and is the least in the way where it is now placed on The Pines schoolhouse lot. It is so located that at slight expense a covered way might be made to connect it with the main building, so that the children using it would have access to the toilets of the main building without going outdoors. If it is kept, the windows and doors of this portable should be boarded over.
Alterations and Improvements
At Wilbraham Street, as provided for by special ap- propriation, water closets have been installed. This is an improvement in every way. Discipline is easier. The health of the pupils is better safeguarded. The playground is improved by the removal of the old open vault privies. The plans for the toilets made possible a nurse's room at one end of the corridor, which will greatly facilitate the health work of the schools.
New seats and desks have been installed at the old Pines schoolhouse and at Glendale. For Glendale movable
50
chair desks were bought. These give the school more flexi- bility, and seem well adapted to the needs of the one-teach- er school. In passing, a word of praise should be given Mrs. Sanderson for the wholesome interest she has developed among her pupils at Glendale in extra curriculum activities.
A Junior High School?
The sentiment in town in favor of a junior high school prompts a short discussion of the proposition in this report. What would such a school mean for Wilbraham?
1. A new school building. The usual type of junior high school found in Massachusetts consists of pupils in grades ?, 8, and 9. The town of Wilbraham has at present 100 pupils in these grades and the number is likely to in- crease considerably during the next few years. If a junior high school should be established, the logical location would be North Wilbraham. A building should be put up planned for the work of such a school and equipped with a gymna- sium and assembly hall, facilities for teaching general sci- ence, household arts, and for shop work. In my opinion there would be little gain in establishing a junior high school unless provision were made for carrying out the junior high school program.
2. Transportation. If a junior high school should be established, all the pupils of junior high school grade in town should attend it. At present 30 of these are enrolled in the junior high schools of Springfield. The remaining 70 are found, 26 at The Pines, 14 at Wilbraham Street, one in the Mountain school, 5 at Glendale, and 24 at North Wilbraham. They are scattered all over town. Two auto bus routes should be established, one running through the Stony Hill, Edward F. Powers, and Wilbraham Street dis- tricts, and the other through the Glendale and Mountain districts. Either auto bus or the trolleys should be used
..
51
to bring pupils in from East Wilbraham and The Pines districts.
3. Semi-Consoldiation. If pupils from grades 7 and 8 should be taken out of our present school buildings, it would leave small and expensive schools, especially in the rural districts. The busses that transported the junior high school pupils might, without great additional expense, bring in also the primary grade children to Wilbraham Street and North Wilbraham, thus closing the Stony Hill, Edward F. Powers, Mountain, Glendale, and East Wil- braham schoolhouses.
4. A More Adequate Course of Study. The teachers of Wilbraham in the upper grades do wonderfully well, but it cannot be expected that our pupils will be sent on to Springfield to the Junior III class prepared in all the sub- jects given in the Junior I and II classes in the Springfield schools. There departmental teaching is carried on. Here the room teacher must handle every subject. There a choice of courses is offered. Here every pupil must take the one prescribed course. Subjects given in the Spring- field junior high schools taught by special teachers, which we cannot give, include general science, Latin, French, cooking, mechanical drawing, shop, and gymnasium.
Citizens may well inquire regarding the cost of a junior high school. In the first place there would be an initial outlay of possibly $80,000 for a schoolhouse lot and school building. When this is secured, the new expenditures caused by the school and their offsets. would be somewhat · as follows :
:
New Expenditures
Salaries of principal and six teachers, $8,000.00 Operating expenses, janitor, fuel, etc., 2,500.00
Textbooks and supplies, 1,000.00
Transportation as indicated above, possibly 5,000.00
Total,
$16,500.00
52
Offsets
Transportation and tuition of 30 pupils
now enrolled in Springfield, $5,400.00
Salaries of 5 teachers, schools closed, 5,400.00
Janitors, fuel, etc., schools closed, 1,000.00
Saving of one teacher at The Pines,
1,100.00
Total, $12,900.00
Additional cost of schools because of junior high
high school, $ 3,600.00
I believe that the above statement does not underes- timate the additional cost to the town of establishing a junior high school. There may be some other offsets. For instance, all money spent for local transportation may be included in computing the assured minimum. But the status of Wilbraham with regard to the assured minimum provision of the State law is so uncertain that I have not tried to estimate the reimbursement that might be received.
It is my opinion that the establishing of a junior high school should wait till the pressure of the school population of Wilbraham on its present school accommodations make necessary the putting up of another building. The unusu- ally rapid growth in school enrollment which the town has experienced in the last six years seems to be about over. It is to be expected that from now on there will be a steady but slow increase. Such being the case, the schoolhouses which the town already has will serve for housing its school children for some years to come. But in all probability in the course of time more school room will be needed, espec- ially at The Pines and at North Wilbraham.
Whether a junior high school or a new graded school building is provided, in either case the town should have a new schoolhouse lot. The purchase of a lot should not wait on the necessities of the schools. It is sound business
53
policy for a town to anticipate its needs in this particular, select, purchase, and hold land for the schoolhouses, while suitable tracts in the neighborhood where the schools will be needed are still unoccupied.
If a junior high school building should be put up, it should be planned, like The Pines building, to permit en- largement with minimum expense for changes in the part already constructed. Any building that the town puts up at first is likely to be outgrown. Further, as time passes, the town may wish to establish a senior-junior high school like the very satisfactory one at Agawam and like the one planned for the new building now being put up at Monson.
In closing this discussion I wish to call attention to two matters in connection with the present school organ- ization on which the committee might well ask for an ex- pression of opinion on the part of the voters in the coming town meeting. Many parents are now sending their chil- dren in from the outlying districts to the Wilbraham Street and North Wilbraham schools for the upper grade work. Undoubtedly this is a good thing both for the children left in the one-teacher schools and for the children who go to the centers. But in many instances the distance these children go is so great that they ought not to be expected to walk. The school department has been requested by parents and urged by the State Department to furnish transportation. To do so would be to adopt a new policy involving a considerable expenditure. In my opinion it would be well to find out how the voters feel on this mat- ter by submitting a request for an appropriation for the transportation of these children. If the appropriation is granted, the committee will then know that the citizens favor transportation. If it is refused, they will then not feel justified in arranging for transportation.
In 1923 the law relative to high school transportation in towns of less than 500 families was amended so as to make the maximum rate of reimbursement from the State
54
treasury 80 cents instead of 40 cents per day. The purpose of this law is to aid pupils who must travel three or more miles to reach high school in some manner other than by steam or electric railroad or other public conveyance. Wilbraham is one of the few towns in the State not main- taining a high school to which this law does not apply, because it is one of that small group of towns having more than 500 families, but exempt by the State Department from maintaining a high school. I have no thought ·but that if the attention of the Department of Education were called to the situation with reference to the transportation of several of our high school pupils in the Glendale district, it would make as a condition of exemption from maintain- ing a high school that the town of Wilbraham contribute more liberally toward the expense of getting these pupils to high school. I suggest that in this matter also the school committee get an expression of opinion from the voters by asking for an additional appropriation which would make possible the reimbursement of these pupils on the basis of 80 cents a day.
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