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COMPENDIUM OF THE SCHOOL LAWS.

The following codification of the substance of the school laws, has been made in order to bring together under the several appropriate heads the various provisions of the laws relating to those heads.

Our school laws are the growths of many successive years. To the original body of laws, a multitude of supplementary additions and amendments have been appended, by successive Legislatures, and thus it happens that provisions belonging to the same subject are often found widely scattered, and difficult of reference to inexperienced persons.

To aid the thousands of school officers in ascertaining their legal powers and duties, and in more easily understanding the laws they are to act under, or administer, this work has been attempted, and performed as well as our over-crowded time would permit.

The numbers of the sections are given, that the reader may readily refer to the law itself for the full statemont of the several provisions. Officers should not fail to make such reference both to the law itself, and the notes accompanying and explaining it.

ORGANIZATION AND POWERS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

1.. Each organized township must be divided by the school inspectors into as many school districts as may from time to time be found necessary; but no primary districts may contain more than nine sections of land. School Laws, section 71.

Every duly organized school district is a body corporate, and possesses all the usual powers of a corporation for public

purposes, by the name and style of "School District Number of township," or "townships," and in that name may sue, and be sued, purchase, hold and sell such personal and real estate as the law allows. Section 8.

2. Whenever a new district shall be formed by the inspectors, the town clerk must notify a taxable inhabitant of such district of its formation and boundaries, and of the time and place appointed by the inspectors for the first meeting (section 1); and said inhabitant is required to notify every qualified voter in such district, either personally or by written notices left at their residences, at least five days before the time of the meeting, of the time and place appointed. Section 2. He must also make a return to the chairman of the first meeting, of the list of voters notified and of the dates of the several notices endorsed thereon. Section 3.

3. The first meeting, when assembled, is to be organized by the election of a chairman and clerk, and the legal voters present, including all white male residents of twenty-one years of age and over, liable to pay a district tax (section 15) shall proceed, by voice or by ballot, as they shall choose, to elect a district board, consisting of a moderator, elected for three years, a director, elected for two years, and an assessor, elected for one year. The successors of these officers, when elected, hold office three years each. Section 5.

When any two of the officers elected shall have duly filed their acceptances, the district is to be deemed duly organized. Section 6.

In case the inhabitants of a district fail to organize the same, as aforesaid, the town clerk is to give a new notice, when the same proceedings as above are required. Section 7.

In case no election of officers shall then be held in such district, .or if the district fail to elect, the inspectors must appoint them from the resident male tax-payers of twenty-one years of age, or over; and the district is deemed organized when any two of these officers, thus appointed, have filed their acceptance. Sections 146, 147.

Every district that has exercised the functions of a school district for two years, is to be regarded as legally organized, notwithstanding any informality in the organization. Section 10.

4. The school inspectors may regu'ate and alter the boundaries of districts, as circumstances shall render proper; but no primary district shall contain more than nine sections of land, and must be of contiguous territory. Section 71.

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They may, at his request, attach any resident of the township, not in an organized district, to some district; when he is to be considered a resident of such district for all purposes, except taxation for building a school house; and on account of which house he is to be paid nothing when set off to a new district. Section 72.

5. When a portion of a district is detached for the purpose of forming a new district, said portion is entitled to receive from the old district its just proportion of the value of the school house, or other property of the district; the amount to be determined by the inspectors at the time of division, or as soon thereafter as may be, and assessed upon the property of the old district as newly constituted. Sections 75, 76, 77, 78.

6. Districts may be formed of territory in two or more townships, by the action and concurrence of the boards of inspectors of each of the townships; in which case they are to determine which township clerk shall give the required notice thereof to a taxable inhabitant. Such districts are commonly known as "fractional." The joint boards of inspectors may also alter such fractional districts, as they may deem necessary. Such a district reports to, and is to be regarded as being wholly in, the township in which the school-house is situated. Sections 81, 139.

7. A map of the township, with the boundaries and numbers of the districts clearly marked thereon, is to be made by the township clerk and kept in his office. A copy of this map is to be delivered to the supervisor of the township. Whenever the boundaries of any district shall be changed, the clerk is required to make a new map. Sections 102, 103.

ORGANIZATION OF UNION OR GRADED AND HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

1. Any district containing more than one hundred children between the ages of five and twenty years, may resolve itself into a union or graded school district, by a vote of two-thirds of the voters attending any annual meeting: Provided, That the intention to take such vote shall be expressed in the notice of such annual meeting. When such a change is voted, the meeting is immediately to elect from the legal voters, two trustees for one year, two for two years, and two for three years; and annually thereafter, two are to be elected for three years, and until their successors shall have filed their acceptances. Section 148.

2. Within ten days, such trustees must file their acceptances with the director, and elect, annually, from their number, a moderator, director and assessor. If they fail to make these appointments within twenty days after the annual meeting, they are to be made by the school inspectors. Section 149.

3. When two or more contiguous districts, having together more than two hundred children between the ages of five and twenty years, shall severally, by a vote of two-thirds of the qualified voters attending the annual meetings of said districts, determine to unite for the purpose of establishing "graded or high schools," the inspectors of the township, or townships, in which such districts may be situated, shall, on being properly notified of such vote, proceed to unite such districts, and shall, as soon as practicable, appoint a time and place for a meeting of the new district, and shall require notices of the same to be posted in each of the districts so united, at least five days before the time of such meeting; and at such meeting the voters shall proceed to organize the district, by the election of six trustees as in section 148, (paragraph 1, above,) and transact any business that may be done at an annual meeting. Section 152.

4. No alteration shall be made in the boundaries of a union school district, without the written consent of a majority of its district board. Section 165.

5. Any district, having more than 300 children of the legal school ages, may borrow money to build school-houses, and issue the bonds of the district therefor, on a two-thirds vote taken at an annual meeting, or at some special meeting held not less than five days nor more than six months thereafter. Section 166.

DISTRICT MEETINGS AND THEIR POWERS.-ANNUAL MEETINGS.

1. The annual meeting of each school district shall be held on the first Monday of September, and the school year shall commence on that day. Section 11.

The director is required to give six days notice of the place, the day and hour of the annual meeting, by posting notices in three of the most public places in the district; and one of the same is to be upon the door of the school-house, if there is one. Sections 13, 50.

2. At each annual meeting the district is to elect, for three years, a member of the district board in the place of the one whose term expires on that day. Section 5.

3. At the annual meeting, the district may determine the length of time a school shall be taught in the ensuing year, which shall not be less than three months; and whether by male or female teachers, or both; and whether the moneys apportioned for the support of schools therein shall be applied to the winter or summer term, or a certain portion to each. tion 24.

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4. At each annual meeting, the director is required to present an estimate of the expenses necessary to be incurred during the ensuing year for necessary appendages for, and repairs of the school-house, and for payment for the services of any district officer; which amount may be voted and assessed like other district taxes. Sections 48, 49.

5. At each annual meeting, the district board must make a written report of all receipts and disbursements on the part of the district by them, or any one of them, with the items of the same, and of all taxes assessed upon property in the district during the preceding year, with the purposes for which they

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