Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-10
SCHOOL BUDGET
OF $119,210.94
AUGUSTA, 1921
Estimate of Board at
Citizens Meeting on
Tuesday Night
One Year of kindergarten In
stead of Two as at Present
Recommended by Board
$4,000 for Improvement of
Williams Athletic Field

year 1922 which was the amount
estimated by the Board of Education
as necessary TO be raised. and the APP
propriating of a total sum of $1,000
for putting the Reuel Williams ath-
letic field into proper shape for
athletics were the outstanding feat
ures of the annual school meeting of
the citizens of Augusta held on Mon
day evening at City hall. These and
other school matters were given
broad discussion at the session
which proved full of life and inter-
est throughout. There was a fine
representative attendance, the large
auditorium being we'll filled with
people interested in all that pertains
10 the city schools. and nearly half
of the gathering was composed of
ladies.
The meeting was called to order
by superintendent of Schools Her
man Fl. Stuart in the absence Of DR..
w. S. Thompson, chairman of the
Board Of Education. Mr.. Stuart
read the warrant for the meeting,
the first article of which called for
the election of a moderator. Upon
Randall, Mayor Sanford L. Fogg was
unanimously elected as moderator.
Frank +. Southland was elected as
secretary of the meeting. having been
nominated by Mr.. Stuart. Both were
sworn to perform their duties.
The 18th annual report of the
Board Of Education for the year
1920-21 was then presented by Supt.
of Schools Stuart, in the absence of
DR.. Thompson. AS the report was
distributed i'll printed form at the
meeting, Mr.. Stuart omitted its read
ing. However. he stated that If
there were any questions, he would
be glad to answer them as far as he
was able. After he had answered u
number of questions regarding the
report, especially the financial state
ment. the question was put by the
m moderator on the acceptance of the
report, and it was voted unanimously
to accept it.
Money Appropriated for Schools
Article of the warrant for the
meeting was the matter of raising by
vote for the support of the public
y
ing on the first day of April 1922,
such sum, not less than the amount
required by the general laws of the
State, as may be deemed necessary
for the purposes. This amount as
estimated by the Board of Education
was S119,210.94.
Pro and Con of One-Year Kinder
uarten Plan
That there was some opposition
on the part of the ladies to the plan
of the Board of Education to abolish
the second year of the kindergarten,
Immediately became apparent when
Miss Mabel Conner stated that some
of the mothers had asked her to say
a few words for them for the re-
tanning Of the second year Of the
kindergarten. She said that il
seemed that the two years work was
necessary for preparing the young
folks for the more serious work of
the grades. that the city was relieved
Of the care Of about 600 pupils by
the parochial schools, and that there
was no better way to expend money
than on education.
get, Supt. Of Schools Stuart explained
that the Board of Education had
been very earnest in its effort to re-
duce the amount of money to be
asked for at this meeting, to u mini
mum. He pointed out that owing to
the fact that the salaries last year
were about $4,000 more than esti-
mated. it was necessary for the board
to hold back about $500 worth of
unpaid bills. which were all book and
supply bills, al lof the local bills hay
ing been paid. He said that a suffi-
cient amount to take care of these
bills was included in the budget esti-
mate, but it did not provide for two
years of kindergarten. He then gave
the reasons for not having two years
of kindergarten in the city schools
He showed. first, that it was quite
garten, and it was his opinion that
Augusta is the only city in the state
10 have two years kindergarten. The
general practice in Massachusetts was
to have one year. He stated that the
Augusta Board of Education feels, and
he agreed withthem, that for an or
binary normal child who has the
usual home environments. one year
was sufficient to prepare him for the
first grade. He thought that there are
certain abnormal children who need
two years Of kindergarten. He stated
that the expenditure of money for the
second year of kindergarten. estimated
at S43 each for the SO children there.
that it would be hardly worth while
in view of the fact that leading edu-
Gators have agreed that one year of
the kindergarten would prepare the
average child for the first grade He
further pointed out that under this
plan or the board of education children
will be admitted TO the Kindergarten
at the age of five rather than at the
age of four. as it now is. And he stat
ed that the action of the meeting
would not be necessarily binding on
the board of education for the direc-
ton of education is by law placed in
the hands OF that board and the SUPER
intendent Of schools.
In answer to question by Miss
Mabel Connor. Mr.. Stuart stated that
II was the custom in Massachusetts
for a child to enter, the kindergarten
at FIVE years Of age and Grade l at
six years.
The question was asked by. sturgis
Randall what was included in the esti-
mate OF S1700 for t.,,,iccal,aunx ,,,.,,