Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-08

writing in addition to the elementary
subjects have been offered ~ usual
Our present system Of loose grading Is
not productive Of the greatest amount
Of good, but satisfactory grading can
not be effected without q considerable
increase in the number Of teachers.
think, however. an improvement may
be made and at the beginning Of the
sessions next year / shall give this
phase Of the work special attention"
Tables Of the eye and ear test and
dental inspection test follow. A state
ment Of deposits by the various schools
in the school savings bank shows q
total depot of $156S7 II.
Teacher Salaries
Good teachers and good textbooks
are the two most essential factors for
q good school system. but the most
essential is good teachers, for a good
teacher will get good results from a
poor textbook. Good teachers. however,
cannot be secured without paying fair
salaries. The maximum salary for
grade teachers was $525. nine years
ago. and is the same at the present
| time while in the same length Of time
| the cost of living has greatly in
creased.
Il have recently made an investiga-
ton of salaries paid grade teachers in
II cities and towns in this State, and
find the following to be true. Salaries
range from $500 per year to $500 per
year. OF these II cities and towns,
three pay less than Augusta, one pays
the same, and 10 pay more. The aver
age Is 1851. 1t would appear from
these figures that Augusta in compe-
ition with these other cities and towns
for the services Of a good teacher is
greatly handicapped. and the only rea-
son why we are able to secure satis-
factory teachers at so low a wage is
because we are centrally located, we
have desirable community in which
to live. and the prospect Of promotion
from the Augusta school system to a
more lucrative position in Massachu-
sets Is greater than it would be in
many other cities and towns.
In justice to our teachers immedi-
ate steps should be taken by this city
to increase the maximum salary from
$525 to 5000 per year. If this were
done in many cases better teachers
could be secured and the system would
be able to retain their services for a
greater length Of time.
THE same condition Of low salaries
obtains in our High school teaching
force as in the grades. Salaries here
In my opinion should be raised from
$500 to $500 year.
School Expenses
| THE total amount of money ex-
pended by the Board Of Education for
school purposes for the fiscal year
April 1, 1915March 81, 1916, has been
s6s,101.10. OF this amount $65,561.3O
has been expended for day schools,
and the remainder, $3539.8O, has been
expended for evening schools. or the
amount expended for day school pur-
poses s1,149.77 has been expended for
unpaid bills which came over from
the fiscal year 1914-15, leaving the net
amount which should be charged to
day schools $64,411.53. OF this amount
$16,3S0.11 has been expended for Cony
High schools, leaving the amount s48,-
OS1.42. which has been expended for
elementary day schools. Since there
have been 1889 pupils enrolled in the
elementary day schools the total cost
per pupil has been $26.14. The total
cost per pupil based on average at
tendance has been $3.50 In the High
school the cost per pupil based on to-
tai enrolment has heen $45.23. based
on average attendance It has been
$49.33. In the High school. based on
average attendance. textbooks have
| cost $500 per pupil, end stationery and
supplies s1,4S per pupil. In the ele-
mentary schools books have cost s.s7
per pupil, stationery and supplies $50
per pupil. All bills are paid and a
small balance remains unexpended."