A look back at the 1950 Ipswich Town Report

With the recurring subject of the school budget override in mind, I decided to look back to the annual report for the year I was born, condensed below:

IPSWICH SCHOOL REPORT
The School Budget for 1950

The budget here presented for 1950 requires the expenditure of $181,524.42. Of this total $137,212.00 will be required for salaries. The remainder $44,312.42 is required for coal, electricity, repairs and outlay, books and supplies, transportation and such items.

In 1949 the schools cost in local property taxes $132,376.00 or about $16.25 on your tax rate. Ipswich expended 36.3% of its tax dollar for schools in 1949. For the year ending December 31, 1948 (latest available figures) the average per-pupil expenditure for education in Massachusetts towns with population over five thousand was $180.60. For the same period, the Ipswich per pupil cost was $166.90. For the school year 1948-1949 Ipswich ranked in the lowest twenty percent among towns of five thousand to nine thousand population with respect to average staff salaries.

On the basis of the following estimate of expenditures, the School Committee will request that the Annual Town Meeting appropriate the sum of $181,524.42 for the support of education in Ipswich in 1950.

In closing, I wish also to commend to you all those who are serving in various capacities in our schools at the present time. It has seemed to me that in its enactment of policy, the School Committee has been mainly influenced by answers to one constantly recurring question: “In consideration of our financial ability and in justice to all who are affected, how will the adoption of this policy affect the total growth and development of boys and girls?” An educational program which is continually evaluated in that spirit can move in no direction except forward.

Respectfully submitted,
HARRY S. MERSON
Superintendent of Schools

Read archived Ipswich Annual Town Reports online