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EDUCATION FOR BOXBOROUGH

1783 – 2013

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JOHN FALLON

PRESENTATION

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

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Thanks to �

• Lucie Hager “Boxborough: a New England Town and its People” 1891
• Elizabeth West, et al. “Boxborough: A Portrait of a Town” 1983
• Shirley Warren et al. “History of the Schools in Boxborough: 1783-1974” 1974
• Liz Markiewicz : 230 years of Town reports
• Belle Choate: Acton Historical Society
• Google (but be careful)

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New Friends I would like to meet�

• Jennie Littlefield: Boxborough’s Superintendent of Schools 1895 to 1902
• Francis S. Brick: Superintendent Maynard, Stow, Boxborough District 1913
• Frank C. Johnson: Superintendent Ayer-Shirley-Boxborough District 1920 to1944
• Arthur Blanchard 1864-1953
• Webster Blanchard 1897-1953

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OVERVIEW�

• 1630 to 1660
• 1783 to 1890: One room school houses
• Schooling for Boxborough: 1913
• 1890 to 1949: One room school houses
• 1949 to 2013: Blanchard Memorial School
• High School education
• Growth and ABRSD: 1955

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1630 to 1660

• The leaders of the Puritan migration to Boston starting in 1630 saw education as a religious imperative

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• 1635: Boston Latin founded as a grammar (Latin and Greek; university preparation) school

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• 1636: Harvard University founded to train ministers

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1630 to 1660

• 1642: Act empowering Selectmen; parent and masters responsible for literacy.
• 1647: “Old Deluder Satan” act

--every 50 family town must have a school

--every 100 family town must have a grammar (university preparation) school

• 1648, 1660, further acts requiring schooling
• By 1659 all of the “100 family” and 1/3 of “50 family” towns had complied

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February 25, 1783

• A “Sartain Society” purchased the old Harvard meeting house in February 1775; re-erected in Boxborough in early 1776
• On February 25,1783 John Hancock signed a bill making Boxborough an independent district (town) with a population of about 400
• Boxborough inherited responsibility from Stow, Harvard, and Littleton for educating students
• No indication that Boxborough inherited any school buildings

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September 22, 1783

• Special Town Meeting article “to see what the town will do about Providing School this present year”
• Vote to have 4 months of schooling for both boys and girls
• Sum of 24 pounds voted to pay town debts and schooling
• Selectmen in charge of schools

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1783 to early 1800’s

• Selectmen in charge 1783 to effectively 1820
• School Committee appointed in 1794 but did not appear to wield much authority until 1820
• In 1787 15 pounds appropriated to hire a school master for 6 months to provide 4 month of man’s and 4 months of woman’s schooling
• Committee elected in 1790 divided Town into 4 districts.
• Districts were quasi-independent being responsible for buildings and curriculum

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One Room Schoolhouses

• Schoolhouse #1: 45 Hill Road
• “New” Schoolhouse #2: 339 Picnic Street
• “Old” Schoolhouse #2: 799 Hill Road
• Schoolhouse #3: 630 Liberty Square Road
• Schoolhouse #4: 179 Burroughs Road

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Schoolhouse #1

• 45 Hill Road
• Built for $60 in 1790/1791
• Rebuilt 1852
• Sold in 1949 as a private residence and remodeled

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“New” Schoolhouse #2

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Photo courtesy of Frank Sibley

“New” Schoolhouse #2”

• 339 Picnic Street (corner Hill Road)
• Built in 1857
• Sold in 1949 to Wallace Robinson for the purposes of preservation
• Used as Town Library from 1953 to 1966
• George Robinson bought from his mother in 1967 and restored it as a museum
• Now owned by his daughters

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“Old” Schoolhouse #2”

• 799 Hill Road (“Sally Draper House”)
• Built and burned in 1807 at 339 Picnic
• Rebuilt 1808
• Sold as a private residence in 1856 and moved north on Hill Road and remodeled

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Schoolhouse # 3

• 630 Liberty Square Road (corner of Depot)
• Built in 1842; rebuilt in 1870
• Original schoolhouse #3 was further north on Liberty Square Road
• Sold in 1949 as a private residence and extensively remodeled

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Schoolhouse # 4

• 179 Burroughs Road
• Built in 1868 at a cost of $1,619 by Charles Burroughs
• Original schoolhouse # 4 was about in same location.
• Sold in 1949 as a private residence and extensively remodeled

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Compulsory Education Act 1852�

• Massachusetts was the first state to pass a Compulsory education law
• Children 8 to 14
• 12 weeks a year; at least 6 consecutive weeks
• Fine to parents no greater than $20
• 1873: age dropped to 12; time expanded to 20 weeks; truant officers authorized
• By 1900 Boxborough had 30 weeks divided into 4 sessions grades 1 to 8

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School Management 1800’s�

• Boxborough Superintendent 1820 to 1902

--usually member of the School Committee

• Districts had great deal of autonomy over both buildings and curriculum (SC liaisons)
• District system was abolished in 1867 following 1866 state law: Town-wide Superintendent
• SC resigned as a group in 1892 and 1895
• Women first on School Committee in 1895; 3 of 6 members

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Jennie Littlefield�

• Moved from Framingham to teach in Acton; met Albert Littlefield and married
• Superintendent from 1895 to 1902
• Worked to standardize curriculum: provided each teacher with State Course of Study for Ungraded Schools & training
• Strong voice for improved education, new textbooks, parent involvement, high school

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School Management 1902 onward�

• 1902 to1920: State law required all small towns to join a union with a professional superintendent: Union with Maynard and Stow; superintendent in Maynard

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• 1920 to 1983: Union with Ayer and Shirley; superintendent in Ayer (District #42)

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• 1983 to 2013 separate school district with own Superintendent

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Boxborough Schools: 1913

• Report of Francis S. Brick Superintendent for Maynard, Stow and Boxborough (10% of his time)
• 4 “ungraded” schools in operation; 8^th grade together
• 36 weeks of school divided into 4 terms
• Budget $3,628.64; 60% paid by State
• 77 total pupils; 70.5 average
• He found average attendance 89.9% and 293 instances of tardiness “Somewhat appalling”
• “(Tardiness) is a loss in dollars and cents to taxpayers…(and engenders) general slackness”

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Superintendent’s Philosophy: 1913

• “It should be evident that to teach children to read, write and cipher is not enough….

The rural schools of today ought to do more.

They should furnish (the child) with the tools of life by teaching him thorough knowledge,

they ought to give him power in mental growth and equipment,

they ought to furnish him with a constantly growing fund of general information through which his interest in life may be quickened….

The best education of the past is not enough.”

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School Issues: 1913

• Deplorable lack of interest on behalf of public/parents
• Better attendance
• “Industrial” (practical) education to teach life skills and engage student interest
• Turnover in teachers due to low pay
• Sanitation and other building conditions

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A Stern Warning: 1913

• “The State holds the Superintendent directly responsible for the standing of all people entering (high) schools.”

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• “The Superintendent has no choice …except to refuse to certify those pupils whom he does not deem fitted to maintain a standard in the (high) school selected.”

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High School 1913

• Concord tuition: $679
• Maynard tuition: $ 50
• Littleton tuition: $108
• Transportation: $466 (paid to 16 people)
• State aid: $425

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“New” School House #2

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Photo courtesy of Frank Sibley

One Room Schoolhouses: Issues

• “State of the Art” in 1850 did not translate well in the 1890’s and beyond
• Constant complaints by School Committee and superintendents
• Issues included

--learning environment/teacher retention

--building repair and heat

--water (“wells useless”) and sanitation

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1890 Replacement Attempts

• March 1892 ATM vote to build a new (central) school; May 1892 rescinded vote; entire School Committee resigned
• SC 1894 proposal to build school defeated
• SC 1895 proposal to build school defeated; entire SC resigned again
• Union District Superintendent urged upgrade/new building in 1903/1904

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Frank C. Johnson 1920-44

• Superintendent reports continuously stressing shortcomings of the schools
• In 1943 he let loose

--Diphtheria outbreak

--No water in wells in fall (again)

--Outhouses

--Heating and lighting problems

--Difficulty hiring teachers

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Population 1790 to 1940

Acton Boxborough Ratio

1790. 853 412 2.1
1850. 1,685 395 4.3
1900. 2,120 316 6.7

1930 2,482 312 8.0

1940. 2,701 376 7.2

No demographic push for Boxborough to build schools!

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Schoolhouses: 1943-1945

• Electricity only came to #3 and #4 in 1933 and #1 and #2 in 1938
• January 44: Superintendent’s 1943 report
• February 44: Committee appointed

to study new school

• February 45: report accepted; vote to build school defeated; committee continued
• February 46: Along came Arthur!!

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The Blanchard Family

• Calvin Blanchard 1754-1799 (brother of Luther)

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• Simon Blanchard 1784-1867

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• Luke Blanchard 1826-1901

--Married Jerusha Vose 1858-1909

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• Arthur Blanchard 1864-1953
• Webster Blanchard 1896-1953

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Blanchard School: 1947

• Arthur Blanchard pledged $50,000 ($500,000 today) to construct the building
• Grange gave 23 acres of land

--originally belonged to Luke Blanchard

• Town was to provide foundation for school

--ran out of money; Arthur covered deficit

• First class project all the way

--Arthur paid the contractor directly

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Blanchard School: 1948

• May 7, 1948 low bid for foundation and construction was $117,182.

--”Mr. Blanchard has instructed the architect to provide for the best of everything”

• Final total cost about $150,000 ($1.5 mil)

--Arthur paid $140,000 in cash/services

--Town paid $9,730.87

--State reimbursed $5,026.06

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Blanchard School 1949

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Scan Courtesy of Alan Rohwer

Blanchard School Dedication

• September 10, 1949
• Dedicated in memory of Luke and Jerusha Vose Blanchard
• Most modern school in the State
• “Hurdled an entire century” in one day
• Webster Blanchard announced Blanchard Memorial Scholarship fund for college: $100,000 ($1 million)

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Blanchard School

• Grades 1-8 initially
• Grade 8 moved to AHS in 1951
• Grade 7 moved to AHS in 1952
• Baby boom hits Boxborough

--33 K-6 students in 1947; 76 in 1952

• Kindergarten added in 1972

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Boxborough Kindergarten

• Blanchard School did not offer kindergarten until 1972
• Berda Treyz opened a kindergarten in her home on Hill Road in 1956, moving to Fellowship Hall in 1963 and then back to a new building next to her house in 1965.

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High School

• Jennie Littlefield struggled to get parents to send children in late 1890’s
• Tuition students at a variety of towns, mostly Concord, up until 1927
• Most students attended Acton High School as tuition students after it opened in 1926.
• Frank Johnson was proud of the Boxborough student performance

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1945 to 1955

• Post-war baby boom starts
• Migration to the suburbs
• Route 2 was the “old 495”
• “two-platoon” system at AJHS in 1954
• State pushed Regional High Schools

--higher construction aid (55% versus 35%)

--transportation aid

--special regional aid (chapter 71)

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Population 1930 to 1960

Acton Boxborough Ratio

1930 2,482 312 8.0

1940. 2,701 376 7.2
1950. 3,510 439 8.0
1960. 7,238 744 9.7

Need to do something about JHS/SHS!

Note: Littleton 2,349 in 1950; 5,109 in 1960

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Nashoba Regional: 1950/1

• Proposed for Acton, Bolton, Boxborough, Harvard, Lancaster and Stow in 1950
• High School was to be in Bolton
• Acton (33% of the district) felt it was too far to travel; Boxborough agreed
• Nashoba Regional School District established in 1951 with Bolton, Lancaster and Stow

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Nagog Regional: 1953/4

• Arthur Blanchard pledged $150,000 ($1.2 million) for HS Auditorium/gymnasium
• Acton and Littleton formed the Nagog Regional School system in early 1953
• Regional High School was to be in Acton; plans were far advanced in May 1954
• Littleton voted down bond issue and to withdraw from Region October 4 1954.

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Acton Boxborough: 1955

• Acton STM February 7, 1955

--accepted Littleton withdrawal

--Planning Committee with Boxborough

--action deadline of March 21, 1955

• Boxborough STM’s: February 7 study authorized; February 23 report accepted and Planning Committee set up
• March 21: Both towns approve ABRSD

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AB Rationale: 1955

• Acton needed a partner to maintain progress towards a new school and receive enhanced state aid
• Boxborough:

--students were already attending AHS

--joining Region guaranteed seats

--costs were relatively the same

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ABRJSHS

• Construction funds of $1.2 million were voted May 9, 1955
• Bids came in high; $0.3 million voted October 10, 1955
• School opened September 1957
• Region used Acton High School in double sessions 1955 & 1956

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The Tsunami Hits!!

• ABRJSHS opened in 1957 for capacity of 625 students versus actual of 384 in 1955
• Actual September 1960 enrollment of 740!
• Actual September 1961 enrollment of 840!
• 15 new classrooms Jan1962;capacity1000
• Actual September 1962 enrollment 915!!

--projected enrollment 1,632 in 1967!!

• New JHS for 850 pupils built in 1966

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Population 1950 to 2010

Acton Boxborough Ratio

1950 3,510 439 8.0

1960 7,238 744 9.7

1970 14,770 1,451 10.2

1980. 17,544 3,126 5.6

1990 17,872 3,443 5.3

2000. 20,331 4,868 4.2

2010 21,924 4,996 4.4

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School Expansion

• Blanchard expansions in 1959, 1967, 1973 and 1995/6
• New AB Junior High School (current HS) built in 1966; expansion to SHS in 1973; major expansion in 2004
• Original 1957 JSHS expanded in 1961; became JHS; major expansion in 2002.

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Blanchard School today

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Photo courtesy of Frank Sibley