USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Rutland > Annual report, City of Rutland, Vermont, 1913 > Part 9
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Ground rent 18 00
Sale of High School text books
828 95
Rent of Hall and Incidentals
227 33
Fire Insurance rebate
15 00
City appropriation
53,353 05
$60,639 31
EXPENDITURES.
Salaries $45,369 88
Printing and advertising 71 67
Insurance
978 01
Repairs
1,413 42
Supplies
2,166 09
Fuel and lights
6,654 51
Rent
135 00
Text books
2,323 22
Sundries
1,018 57
$60,130 37
Balance unexpended Dec. 31, 1913 $508 94 CHARLES H. LANDON, MARVELLE C. WEBBER, GEORGE F. LEONARD. Finance Committee.
Report of the Superintendent of Public Schools
To the Board of School Commissioners and City Coun- cil of the City of Rutland :
In accordance with the regulations of your hon- orable board, and the requirements of the City Charter, I herewith present my eighth annual report of the . schools of this city.
POPULATION AND VALUATION.
Population of the city, 1913 (estimated) 15,000
Grand list of the city, 1913 $106,706 10
Value of school property (estimated) 260,000 00
Children between the ages of 5 and 18, June 30, 1913:
Males 1,541
Females 1,648
Total 2,189
Children between 5 and 8 years, June 30, 1913. . 804
Children between 8 and 16 years, June 30, 1913 .. 1,851
Children between 16 and 18 years, June 30, 1913. . 534
Total 3,189
ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE SINCE SEPT. 1, 1913.
Number enrolled in public schools 2,284
Average membership in public schools 2,092.7
Average daily attendance in public schools 1,981.8
Enrollment in parochial schools 665 Enrollment in other private schools 106
Enrollment in public and private schools
3,055
Less pupils enrolled twice 6
Net total enrollment
3,049
SCHOOL CENSUS OF CHILDREN. Between the Ages of Five and Eighteen Years. June 30th, 1913.
Ward
Males
Females
Totals
1
109
135
244
2
162
176
338
3.
113
103
216
4.
52
52
104
5
103
142
245
6
187
229
416
7
205
205
410
8.
182
152
334
9
139
165
304
10
149
138
287
11.
140
151
291
Totals, 1913
1541
1648
3189
Totals, 1912
1539
1574
3113
Totals, 1911
1558
1584
3142
Totals, 1910
1516
1512
3028
Totals, 1909
1483
1497
2980
Totals, 1908
1463
1432
2895
TABLE OF ATTENDANCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1913, TO FEBRUARY 1, 1914.
Schools
Teachers
Enrollment
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
Per Cent of
Attendance
Membership
High School
16
438
420.
406.
96.7
Dana. .
6
299
277.7
261.2
94.1
Gilrain Avenue.
1
22
19.
17.8
93.7
Madison Street
4
184
167.7
155.
92.4
Longfellow
8
359
321.2
309.6
96.4
Kingsley
5
232
207.
194.1
93.8
School Street
4
128
109.6
102.8
93.8
Lincoln .
6
282
252.
237.
94.1
Watkins Avenue.
4
174
160.9
151.8
94.3
Park Street .
4
166
157.6
146.5
93.
Special Teachers.
6
Totals, 1913-14.
64
2284
2092.7
1981.8
94.7
Totals, 1912-13.
63
2251
2053.4
1949.2
94.9
Totals, 1911-12.
64
2172
2003.8
1901.7
94.9
Totals, 1910-11
64
2191
1972.3
1870.
94.8
Totals, 1909-10
64
2148
1988.9
1870.6
94.1
Totals, 1908-9
62
2185
2011.6
1915.6
95.7
Totals, 1907-8.
60
2137
1939.
1792.
92.5
to
177
CITY OF RUTLAND
ENROLLMENT, MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE FOR THE NATURAL SCHOOL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1913
Schools
Teachers
Enrollment
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
Per Cent of
Attendance
to
Membership
High School.
15
439
399.
379.3
95.
Dana. .
6
288
263.7
249.2
94.5
Gilrain Avenue.
1
22
20.2
18.6
92.1
Madison Street.
4
172
157.7
144.7
91.6
Longfellow .
8
349
314.5
298.5
94.9
Kingsley
5
218
194.9
181.
92.9
School Street
4
140
115.5
107.7
93.2
Lincoln .
6
261
239.7
228.
95.1
Watkins Avenue.
4
180
163.8
156.9
95.7
Park Street .
4
154
134.1
125.
93.2
Special Teachers.
6
Totals, 1912-13.
63
2223
2003.1
1888.9
94.2
Totals, 1911-12.
63
2147
1989.3
1872.3
94.1
Totals, 1910-11.
64
2158
1948.6
1825.2
93.7
Totals, 1909-10.
64
2259
1952.7
1827.6
93.5
General Average of the State, 1911-12.
92.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
For the Natural School Year Ending June 30, 1913. Total exenditures for all the schools $56,234 74
Total expenditures on High School (less book re- bate)
17,812 49
Total expenditures on Grade Schools
38,422 25
Average cost per pupil based on membership
28 07
Average cost per High School pupil based on mem- bership
44 64
Average cost per grade pupil based on membership
23 95
Expense for free text books and supplies less re- bates
3,097 00
Expense per pupil based on average membership ..
1 55
The above statistics are based upon the latest re- turns to the City Clerk and to the State Superintendent of Education. Compared with those of last year they (12)
178
ANNUAL REPORT
show that during the natural school year ending June 30, 1913 the enrollment, membership and attendance each made substantial gains and that for the first half of the current school year the enrollment, membership and attendance each increased more than thirty over corresponding data of the preceding year. The per- centage of attendance to the membership continues to show a general average above 94%, which is above the average both in this State and throughout New Eng- land.
FINANCES.
The normal resources for the schools during the fiscal year ending December 31st, 1913 were $60,- 639.31 and the expenditures were $60,130.37, leaving an unexpended balance of $508.94. This is the first vear in the history of the city that the receipts and ex- penditures for the schools have each exceeded sixty thousand dollars. This increase in the school revenues has enabled the School Board to meet all outstanding bills, to purchase to a large extent the fuel and supplies for the entire current year at a great saving to the city and to carry over a substantial surplus to next year.
The proceeds of the $15,000 bond issue have pro- vided a four room addition to the Lincoln school build- ing and will leave about $1,000 for improvements on the furnaces in the Longfellow and Kingsley school buildings.
The large revenue for the schools in 1913 was due almost entirely to an increase of more than a million dollars in the taxable property of the city resulting from the last quadrennial appraisal and from the law abolishing offsets. The rebates from the State have continually decreased of late being at present only
179
CITY OF RUTLAND
about one-half the amount received from the State four years ago, and the amount at present received is likely to be still further reduced by recent State enactments. It is also probable that the taxable per- sonal property of the city may be decreased rather than increased in 1914. It must, therefore, be borne in mind that the normal revenues for the schools, not- withstanding their continual growth, are not likely to be further increased before the next quadrennial appraisal of city property, since the yearly increase in the grand list due to building operations is likely to be offset by diminished personal lists and by smaller re- bates from the State. Hence larger school expenses would mean a deficit in the School Department or a higher rate of taxation for school purposes, neither of which under our City Charter would be legal with- out a special vote of the citizens authorizing the same.
THE SCHOOL PLANT.
The school plant of Rutland consists of nine school buildings erected and owned by the city and a one- room school house rented by the Educational Depart- ment. Upon the construction, enlargement, and equip- ment of this plant more than a quarter of a million of dollars has already been expended and to maintain this property and its equipment in a first class condition adequate to the present day demands of society and of the State at least two per cent of the original in- vestment should be annually expended upon its upkeep. In other words, the School Board should on an' aver- age annually expend $5,000 of its school funds to keep this valuable property from deteriorating. This does not include the cost of carrying about $100,000 insur- ance on the property as protection against losses.
180
ANNUAL REPORT
Speaking in general terms, the school plant in this city is in good condition and compares very favorably with that in other cities and towns in New England of wealth and population equal to those of Rutland; but the plant demands constant attention; buildings must be painted and repaired, rooms re-decorated, heat- ing plants renewed, ventilation systems improved, and many appliances for the greater safety, comfort and advancement of pupils must be provided. To meet these constantly recurring and increasing demands the School Board should expend annually, at least for sev- eral years, five thousand dollars, and this expense should, in my opinion, come out of the ordinary rev- enues for running the schools.
A WIDER USE OF THE SCHOOL PLANT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF RUTLAND.
Inasmuch as your City Charter requires the Sup- erintendent of Schools to make his report jointly to the City Council and to the Board of School. Commis- sioners, I trust I may be pardoned if in discussing this topic I digress somewhat from the ordinary form of school reports.
The public school is the child of the State created and nourished for the development and improvement of its citizenship. This institution is absolutely neces- sary under a republican form of government for with- out an intelligent, honest citizenship no republic can long exist. In view of this fact, our State is distribut- ing annually for the support of schools more than half a million dollars and she is encouraging and directing the towns and cities to raise and expend locally each year at least three times the amount of the State's contribution. It should be remembered also that all
181
CITY OF RUTLAND
these expenditures are met ultimately by the tax- payers of the towns and cities. In fact, during the past year this city has been required by law to con- tribute to the State directly and indirectly for edu- cational purposes at least $5,000 more than she has so received from the State.
It is evident, therefore, that the citizens and tax- payers of this city of a right own and maintain its school plant and should direct and control the plant and the schools for the greatest benefit of all her people.
The City Council and the School Board, therefore, should work together in harmony in securing the great- est possible benefits that can be derived from the annual expenditure of a large sum of money in conducting its system of schools.
If this spirit of harmony can prevail I see no rea- son why some or all of the improvements I am about to suggest may not be brought about.
The High School Building has become over- crowded, and in order to carry on the work which the school is now attempting, additional accommodations are needed and cannot long be unheeded. The Manual Training Department with an enrollment of two hun- dred boys is housed in the basement; the Domestic Science Department with an enrollment of eighty girls, in the attic; the Art Department with an enrollment of ninety pupils, in the Assembly Hall; the Teacher Training Course with an enrollment of fifteen pupils, in the Dana building; the Principal's office, also used as a recitation room, is located in the Library; the School Board's and Superintendent's office occupies a former vestibule ten by twenty-three feet; the book and clerk's room with its book shelves, desk, type-
182
ANNUAL REPORT
writer and adding machine is crowded into a room eight by sixteen feet, and no separate rest room and toilet are provided for seventeen women teachers working in the school.
Moreover, there is no available space in the build- ing for enlarging the work that should be done by the school; additional space should be provided for the Commercial Department, and classes in sewing, milli- nery, and household economics, also for classes in agriculture, and in wood and iron working. This needed space might be secured in either of two ways ; by an addition of suitable dimensions to the High School Building, or by transferring the offices of the School Board, Superintendent and Clerk to the City Hall where the other city officers are housed, assigning the rooms thus vacated to the use of the Principal and turning over to the School Department Fire Station No. 2 for Manual Training and Agricultural courses. The propriety of the transfer of this Fire Station to the uses of the school is more apparent when we con- sider its location upon school ground, its proximity to a school of over four hundred pupils, and the result- ing distraction from work and danger to lives of pupils in case of fire alarms at hours of dismissal.
In return for these concessions by the City Council, the school plant should be available for the fullest development of the social and civic life of the city; the school house should become the "social center" of the neighborhood; Playground Associations should be encouraged; Vacation Schools for the needy should be opened; Evening and Continuation Schools for adults should be maintained; and I see no impropriety in granting the use of one room in each school building for city polling purposes, especially as the number of
183
CITY OF RUTLAND
women-voters now exceeds one thousand and at pres- ent many of the polling places are unsuitable and not in keeping with the dignity and good name of the city.
I quote briefly from my report of 1910: "Within the last decade sentiment in regard to the uses of the school plant has radically changed. Instead of such school property being used a scant seven hours daily for one hundred eighty days during the year, less than one-half of the usuable period, it is becoming more and more the policy to put such property to the greatest possible use for the benefit of the citizens of the city.
At the same time the school plant already belongs to the people and it is proper to employ it for their. social activities.
We can no longer restrict the word education to the few fundamental operations so often characterized as the three R's. The newer idea does not limit its application to the schooling of children but extends to the intellectual progress of all who would follow the paths of learning.
'Every school house, as far as possible, should be- come a center of community life.'-Superintendent Gordy of Springfield, Mass.
'As President Eliot has pointed out, there can be no waste of money in public school administration comparable to the waste involved in permitting millions of dollars worth of property to remain unutilized ex- cept during the hours when school is kept.'-Super- intendent Maxwell of New York City.
'The National Education Association heartily en- dorses the use of school buildings and all school equip- ment for community interests. and social betterment.' -Declaration of 1909."
184
ANNUAL REPORT
TEACHING FORCE.
The policy of filling vacancies in the teaching force with trained and experienced teachers only and of paying the salary that such teachers and positions command has been strictly adhered to during the past year. Eight vacancies have been filled as follows : five by college graduates, one by a normal school grad- uate, one by a specially trained teacher, one by a teacher of fifteen years' experience and a holder of a life certificate, and one new teacher, a college gradu- ate, has been added to the High School faculty.
The teaching force is now exceptionally strong and the work of the schools continues upon a high plane of efficiency.
Twenty-four teachers now hold life certificates which show that the holders have taught in this State in excess of five hundred weeks. The present teach- ing force consists of the following :
High School teachers
16
Grade teachers
42
Special teachers
6
Total 64
The teachers prepared for their professional duties as follows :
1909
1914
College-bred
7
14
Normal-trained
6
12
Pupil teachers
15
13
Academies and High Schools
24
21
Special training
10
4
Total 62
64
185
CITY OF RUTLAND
PENSION FOR TEACHERS.
Vermont has gone on record as favoring teachers' pensions by allowing towns and cities to pay out of moneys raised for school purposes pensions to teach- ers who have taught thirty or more years in the public schools in this State. The State also has by law agreed to duplicate with State money every dollar, not ex- ceeding $10,000 annually, raised for a retirement fund for pensioning teachers.
The State Teachers' Association and the State Women Teachers' Club of Vermont strongly indorse these laws and through the efforts of the Rutland teachers and their friends $1,200 has been raised in this city and turned over to the State Retirement Fund.
This Retirement Fund now exceeds $17,000 and it is expected that on account of the great interest mani- fested everywhere in the State in the success of the enterprise this amount will be more than doubled next year.
One of our teachers has already taught in the pub- lic schools in this State in excess of thirty-two years, two other teachers, in excess of twenty-nine years, and twenty-one other teachers in excess of five hundred weeks, which entitles such teachers to life certificates. It is believed that this record of continued service is excelled by no other town or city in Vermont.
EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF VERMONT.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching after an expert and critical examination for nine months of the Educational System of the State has made its report including its conclusions and recom- mendations to the Vermont Educational Commission.
186
ANNUAL REPORT
This impartial and exhaustive report by expert investigators of national reputation should be care- fully studied by every citizen since it cannot fail to in- fluence State legislation and to some extent revolution- ize the methods of instruction and subject matter taught in the schools of this and other states.
It is not my intention to analyze and discuss the report in detail but to call attention to certain defects which the report finds in our present Educational Sys- tem and the remedies suggested.
"There must be adopted in the elementary school, and later in the high school, a course of study related to the life of the child; it is clear that the domination of the college and of preparation for college has had an undue effect upon the courses of study and the methods of instruction even in the elementary schools, ninety-five per cent of whose children are never to enter college."
"As a minimum the school should do at least three things for the child-teach him self-discipline, teach him to think, and strengthen his relations to the social and industrial interests of his community."
"The purpose of the public elementary school cannot be other than assistance in developing character and making good citizens. On this ground alone can, the expenditure of public money for schools be justi- fied."
"The course of study at present arranged for the grades aims to prepare for the high school. In a few particulars only does it attempt to meet the child's present needs."
"So far as English in the elementary schools is concerned, little attention is given to adapting the sub- ject to the child's needs or interests. The course is based on a supposition that the child will enter the
187
CITY OF RUTLAND
high school, and that the work given is that which is best calculated to prepare for that end. The fact that only a few of these boys and girls will enter high school is constantly ignored."
"For the sound development of secondary educa- tion in the future the curriculum must be freed from college control. The college should indeed dominate the secondary school, but its domination should be exerted through the teachers. What the secondary school needs is not primarily a curriculum-least of all a college-made and college-guarded curriculum-but good teaching. The present subordination of the teacher to the curriculum must be reversed and the curriculum be subordinated to the teacher, if there is to be real progress."
"The existing emphasis upon the curriculum with its 'points' and 'credits' and pages to be 'covered,' its arbitrary standards and its logical balance of studies has gone far to obscure the real meaning of educa- tion as a process of choosing and applying those things that will secure the strongest and most profit- able reaction in a child."
"Less than ten per cent of the pupils in Vermont high schools go to college, but the studies that the col- leges require of them crowd out from the curriculum all forms of instruction, aside from commercial branches, that might make the other nine-tenths of the students happier and more efficient in their future occupations, whether they be farming or business, teach- ing or home-making. "
"It is clear that the secondary school should be organized so as to deal with every normal child; that its courses should include and treat with intensive thoroughness, those fields in which the youth of the
188
ANNUAL REPORT
community are likely to find their permanent careers ; and in the arrangement of curriculum and program, in the ordering of general school activities, in the training and spirit of the teaching staff, the central purposes should be to establish the child in the noblest mental and spiritual relations with life."
"An avowed shift of emphasis in education should be made from the curriculum to the child, involving the intimate and continuous study of each individual child to determine what his characteristics and needs are."
"Even the continuity of a course involving extra- vagant expenses-for one or two pupils-might well be sacrificed if the teacher's time or salary could be invested elsewhere to greater advantage."
"The school problem in Vermont, as in all other states, lies in the question how best to utilize the time of children from six to eighteen years old, so that these shall contribute in the most direct way both to citizen- ship and to economic efficiency."
"A wise program in the formation of vocational schools would seem to be the reform of the public. school system so that the youth of Vermont may be educated toward the occupations of the communities in which they live."
The suggestions and recommendations quoted from this report are directed against the public school system of the State rather than against any particular school or locality. It is doubtful, however, if the schools in any town or city in the State can plead "not guilty" to the indictment.
The public schools of Rutland are no exception to this general rule. The colleges dictate to the High School; the High School dietates to the grades, and
1
189
CITY OF RUTLAND
under this scheme of fitting for college the pupil too often is turned away from the studies that would best fit him for his home and community duties or else he drops out of school altogether since the school offers little or no training for his life's work.
In speaking thus I do not wish to be understood as underestimating the value of preparing for college in our High School. I simply wish to emphasize the fact that the great majority of the pupils in this city never expect to go to college.
Again, little or no special attention is given to the training of pupils who must of necessity fail to com- plete a course. In general one-half of the pupils of the fourth grade in our city never complete the ninth grade work; one out of every four pupils entering the ninth grade never enters the High School; one out of every five in the "D" Class in the High School never enters the "C" Class (more than ten per cent of the "D" Class have already dropped out) ; less than half of the pupils who enter the High School ever graduate, and statistics show that throughout the State only about five per cent of the public school pupils ever enter col- lege. .
At present this city is expending approximately $60,000 annually in running the schools. Of this amount, $20,000 is being spent upon the High School with an average membership of about four hundred pupils; the remaining $40,000 is expended upon the elementary schools with an average membership of about sixteen hundred pupils.
In some of the more favored communities of New England the average membership in the grades is lim- ited to twenty-five pupils to a room, but in Rutland, with the exception of the Gilrain Avenue and the four
190
ANNUAL REPORT
small rooms in the School Street Building, each graded school in October had an average membership of forty- two pupils, while at the same time in the High School each week there were twenty-seven recitations with five or less pupils in the class and one hundred fifty periods entirely vacant with no recitation. Here is an unjust distribution of money and teaching force, and calls either for a larger amount of school funds and teaching force devoted to the grades or a re-adjustment of the present funds and teaching force. It should be our aim to reduce the average membership in our grades to at least thirty-five pupils to a room, which with our present membership, would require the opening of six or seven additional rooms.
The Carnegie Report emphasizes the need of utili- tarian and vocational training and suggests that this work be commenced in the grammar grades. If the conclusion deduced in the report is correct that public funds for public schools can be defended only on the ground of improving citizenship and securing greater efficiency for life's work, then, it is at least implied that school funds can with propriety be expended upon those enterprises which make for the general intelligence and efficiency of a people whether under or above compul- sory school age.
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