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MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 256 



crowding increases the cost per pupil both because of the building cost and the 

 increased teaching staff. Apparently school buildings in many cities and towns 

 reached the limit of their capacity during the war years when building was 

 curtailed. The increase in number of pupils is shown in Table 22. The total 

 membership of all public day schools increased .39 per cent, while the enroll- 

 ment in high schools doubled. 



Table 22. — Average Membership in Massachusetts Public Schools, 



1910-1925. 



Year All Public Hu/h Elementary 



Day Schools Schools Schools 



,1910 479,069 59,068 420,001 



1915 541,088 76,396 465,692 



1920 563,693 88,628 475,065 



1925 666,817 118,125 548,692 



Growth of High Schools 



Increased high school attendance has made necessary more buildings and 

 teachers. In 1920, high schools took 19.5 per cent of the total expenditures for 

 school maintenance; in 1925 this percentage was 25.5. The increase in high 

 school enrollment has increased school expenses more than would a similar 

 growth in grade schools. Salaries in high schools are higher than in grade 

 schools, classes are smaller, and the building and equipment requirements per 

 pupil are greater. 



Nezv Buildings and Equipment 



The value of school property increased from .^119,000,000 in 1920 to nearly 

 $184,000,000 in 1925, or 54 per cent. During the same period the value of school 

 buildings increased from $93,000,000 to $150,000,000, or 61 per cent. High school 

 building values practically doubled, while elementary schools increased only 43 

 per cent. A comparison of these figures with the increase in school enrollment 

 indicates the probability that on the average, present building facilities are 

 fairly adequate. 



Increase in Teachers' Salaries. 



The average salary paid Massachusetts school teachers has more than 

 doubled during the past ten years, which is about the same rate of increase as 

 in other occupations. Salaries in towns under 5,000 population have increa.sed 

 much more than in cities, but salaries in cities are still 50 per cent higher than 



Group 



Table 23. — Average Salaries of Teachers. 



1915 



Cities $983 



Towns over 5,000 



with high schools 698 



Towns under 5,000: 



with high schools | 



without high schools f 



State average 836 



