MAINE SCHOOL REPORT – 1911

The various departments of our state government have published reports to the Legislature. Mildred Holst and Elizabeth McVicar made this report available to A-CHS and the material in it gives a broad view of education in Maine and allows us to compare our small town(s) to the county and the entire state. The ALEXANDER SCHOOLS' article gives specific information about our town.

CHARACTER OF SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL PROPERTY FOR YEAR ENDING APRIL 1, 1911

Alexander had 4 one-room school buildings, each with a flag, and 3 in good condition. They were valued at $1700.

Baileyville had 5 school buildings, only 2 in good condition, and only one with a flag. One was a rural one-room building and four were graded village schools. One school used a course of study. The value was $1700.

Cooper had 4 one-room school buildings, 3 had flags and were being used. The value was $2000.

Crawford had 2 one-room school buildings, only one with a flag. The value was $3500.

Princeton had 6 school buildings, two with flags. Three of these were one-room rural schools. All schools had libraries. The value was $15000.

Wesley had 4 one-room school buildings, 3 with flags. The value was $2500.

Washington County had 250 school buildings, 187 with flags. 51 schools had libraries. One school had been built within the year; that was the Woodland School Building at a cost of $1600. Value of all school buildings was $288,450.

State of Maine has 3780 school buildings valued at $7,638,057.

TEACHERS HIRED AND THEIR PAY AT COMMON SCHOOLS

Alexander hired 2 male teachers at $47.50 per month and 8 female teachers at $6.60 per week. Teacher pay accounted for 60% of the school budget.

Baileyville hired 8 female teachers at $11.11 per week, which was 87% of the school budget.

Cooper hired 2 male teachers at $35.33 per month and 3 female teachers at $7.50 per week. Teacher pay was 100% of the school budget.

Crawford hired 1 female teacher at $7.00 per week. This was 100% of the school budget.

Princeton hired 4 male teachers at $52.50 per month and 11 female teachers at $9.50 per week. Teacher pay represented 86% of the school budget.

Wesley hired 3 male teachers at $43.00 per month and 2 female teachers at $7.00 per week, which was 100% of the school budget.

Washington County had 72 male teachers averaging $41.96 per month and 420 female teachers averaging $8.40 per week. 80% of school funds in the county were spent on teacher salaries.

State of Maine had 601 male teachers with average monthly pay of $44.43 and 6331 female teachers with average weekly pay of $8.57. Statewide, 82% of school funds were salaries.

LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS AND STATE FUNDS FOR COMMON SCHOOL EDUCATION

At this time towns had to provide not less than 80 cents per resident for the common schools.

Alexander spent $1100 for education in 1910 – 11 and received $830 from the state.

Baileyville spent $2911 of which $2470 came from the state.

Cooper spent $747 and received $416 from the state.

Crawford expended $391 of which $215 came from the state.

Princeton spent $3202, but got only $2172 from the state.

Wesley spent $826 and received $431 from the state.

Washington County towns got from the state $88,899 and spent $109,983.

The State of Maine supplied $1,949,416 of the $2,009,481 spent on education that year.

NUMBER PUPILS IN COMMON SCHOOLS

Alexander had 40 boys and 57 girls in ungraded schools

Baileyville had 8 boys and 6 girls in an ungraded school and 194 pupils in grades 1 through 10.

Cooper had 22 boys and 30 girls in ungraded schools.

Crawford had 8 boys and 18 girls in its ungraded school.

Princeton had 41 boys and 38 girls in ungraded schools and 178 pupils in a graded school.

Wesley had 27 boys and 28 girls in ungraded schools.

In all Washington County there were 1534 boys and 1543 girls in ungraded schools. Jonesport and Milbridge were the only schools with kindergarten. A total of 6178 pupils were enrolled in graded schools in the county.

This Maine School Report has a financial report from the University of Maine and reports on the Normal Schools. Their names were Farmington Norman School, Eastern State Normal School (Castine), Western State Normal School (Gorham), Aroostook State Normal School (Presque Isle), Washington State Normal School (Machias), and Madawaska Training School (Fort Kent).

WSNS opened on September 6, 1910 with 33 pupils in attendance. WSNS used Libby Hall and the Machias High School building during the first semester. On December 25, 1910 the new building (now called Powers Hall) was complete. The second semester started the first Monday of January with 44 students in attendance and with 150 pupils in the model school. These 150 pupils were Machias children whose classrooms were in the west half of Powers Hall. Teachers at WSNS were William L Powers, Principal, Frank Smith, Ella B. Quinn, M. R. Keyes, Annie Putnam, Dora Owen, Alice Black, Martha Toby and Emma Hinckley.

Summer school was available for teachers. From July 10^th to the 21^st 63 adults enrolled at Machias to learn about School Management, Primary Methods, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Grammar, Vocal Music and Geology.

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