A look back at Dracut High’s first year
DRACUT » I was reading the 1936 Dracut
Town Report the other day (who doesn’t do this?), and I was intrigued by the report written by the Superintendent of Schools, Charles Randall. In 1936, Randall was in his 23rd year serving as the superintendent of schools and this particular report was probably one of his significant reports. Why? Well, he was reporting on the first time Dracut High had a school year with four classes in the building (grades 9-12). The building had originally been built as an elementary school in 1928 and then the town decided to convert it to a high school. Before this, Dracut students attended Lowell High School if they wanted to pursue a high school diploma.
While today having a high school is the norm, in 1935 the idea of a community like Dracut having its own high school was still relatively new. At the dedication of Dracut High School, in June 1935, state Commissioner of Education Payson Smith talked about the reasons why a community should have a high school and why it benefited students. He applauded Dracut for the foresight in establishing a four-year comprehensive high school.
So, what did Superintendent Randall report out at the end of the first year for Dracut High School?
Enrollment increased at the high school and several new staff were added. Among them was Paul Phaneuf who headed the French Department (he would later on become superintendent himself). The school also offered Latin taught by Gilbert Houle. Albert Daigle was promoted from part-time Manual Arts to full-time. This was a woodworking class though Randall suggested that other Manual Arts would be added. For the girls, there was a Household Arts course taught by Pauline Varnum. Randall said of this course, “The Household Arts course has been ably managed by Miss Pauline Varnum, I feel that this department will prove a great blessing to those girls who take the course.” Typing was also offered at Dracut High School.
He also talked about teacher salaries not just for the high school, but in general. According to Randall, “cuts” had been made to teachers’ salaries previously (and in other cities and towns as well). He goes on to say that the cuts in salaries had been restored by most every other city or town except a few; Dracut being one of them. Requests had been made by him and the School
Committee, to the town, to increase teachers’ salaries, but the requests were not acted upon. He writes in his report, “Prices of living have increased within the past year. Each year several of our excellent teachers are leaving Dracut for Lowell. You may readily say, ‘There are plenty of teachers.’ True—but there are not plenty of superior teachers, and it will be but a short time before your schools will feel this drain very seriously.”
Randall reported that attendance was also a concern; especially among the high schoolers age 14-16. In 1936, the law required that children be in school until they were 14. If they chose to stop working after grade 8 (age 14), then they were required to be gainfully employed. He reported that many families just stopped sending their child after grade 8. The attendance supervisor was busy checking up on these non-attending students.
The first graduating class at Dracut High School had 52 students. Cost per student in 1936 was $76.98.
Charles Randall retired in 1937. The high school auditorium was dedicated to him. He and his wife moved back to their hometown of Belchertown.
I wonder what future generations think of Dracut High School when they read our current town reports in the future?