Orders, how drawn.

question of consolidation. It shall be the duty of the director or secretary of the school board of said districts to draw an order upon the treasurer of his district in favor of the person or persons designated by said township board for the amount to be paid by his school district as determined by said township board, and it shall be the duty of the moderator Majority vote to sign such order and the treasurer to pay the same.

required.

A

majority vote of the qualified school electors present and voting as a unit of all the districts that filed petitions signed by at least fifty per centum of the legal voters shall be necessary to authorize the establishment of a rural agricultural school. Whenever the county commissioner of schools is presented with a petition or petitions requesting him to submit to the legal school electors the question of establishing a rural agricultural school, he, shall refer to the superintendent of public instruction for his opinion as to the advisability of uniting all of said territory into one rural Supt. of pub- agricultural school district. The superintendent of public instruction shall have authority to confirm the action of the several contiguous rural districts in forming the proposed rural agricultural school, or he may require that one or more of such districts be not included in the group to form a rural agricultural school. His action in the matter shall be final:

lic instruction to confirm action.

Proviso, vote Provided, That in voting to form a rural agricultural school

to be

separate.

Board to conduct election.

Result, how certified.

Proviso.

Proviso. annexation.

district in which one or more graded school districts of twelve grades is to be included as a part of the unit, the rural school district or districts, which includes said graded school district or districts, shall vote separately and all other territory to be included in the rural agricultural school district shall vote separately but as one unit. The school board shall conduct the election in the school district containing the graded school district; and the township board designated by the county school commissioner, as herein provided, shall conduct the election for the portion of the territory outside of the rural district or districts which include said graded school district. The election in the school district including the graded school district or districts and the election in that portion of the territory outside of the rural district including said graded school district shall be held on the same day and during the same hours. The result of said elections shall be certified by the election boards conducting the same to the county commissioner of schools herein designated. The affirmative vote of a majority of the legal school electors present and voting of each election unit shall be necessary to authorize the establishment of the rural agricultural school: Provided, Whenever the township school board of a township school district shall proceed to establish a rural agricultural school as provided in this act, the rural agricultural school so established in a township school district shall be a part of the school system of said township district: Provided, Any rural school district adjoining a rural agricultural school district by a majority vote of the qualified school electors

board.

tory annexed.

present and voting in each district affected at any annual or special meeting called for the purpose may be annexed to the said rural agricultural district by the township board or township boards of the township or townships in which said territory lies. Such annexation shall not operate to affect the legal organization of said rural agricultural school district. It shall be the duty of the school board of each district con- Duty of cerned to file within ten days a certified statement of the school affirmative vote for annexation with the township clerk of the township in which the schoolhouse of said rural school district is located. The said township clerk shall, within twenty days after receiving the certified statements from both districts, call a meeting of the township board or boards in the same manner as is provided under the general school laws for the changing of a boundary line of school districts. At said When terrimeeting the township board or boards shall annex the territory of said rural district to the territory of said rural agricultural district: Provided, That the question of establishing a town- Proviso. ship unit district embracing all or a part of the territory in a rural agricultural school district shall not be submitted. until the rural agricultural school district has elected its board of education and the board has qualified and elected its officers: Provided further, That whenever any rural agri- Further cultural school district has been organized as provided in this proviso, disact for a period of five years, or longer, the qualified school electors of said school district shall have the right, by presenting the trustees with a petition signed by a majority of the legal school electors, to disband such school district in the same manner as that provided in section six of chapter ten of act number one hundred sixty-four of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-one, being section five thousand seven hundred thirty-nine of the compiled laws of nineteen hundred fifteen: Provided, That school electors as mentioned Proviso, in this act shall include every citizen of the United States of school the age of twenty-one years, male or female, who are residents of the district, and who shall possess the qualifications required of school electors under the general school laws.

Am. 1921, Act 97; 1923, Act 58.

bandment.

electors.

(561) SEC. 4. Whenever the consolidation of three or District election, when more contiguous rural school districts becomes effective as held. provided in section three, the county commissioner of schools designated in section three shall call a district election for the second Monday in July following by posting notices at least ten days prior thereto, and at least one notice in each district affected, in three of the most public places in the territory which is consolidated: Provided, That the county com- Proviso. missioner of schools may if he deems advisable call such election at any time previous to the annual meeting. The electors at the election called by the county commissioner of schools shall have authority to do all those things that may now be done by the legal school electors at the first meeting

Trustees elected.

Term of office.

Affidavit,

etc., members to file.

President,

etc., election of.

of a school district except such as may be inconsistent with this act. At such election a board of education of five trustees for the rural agricultural school district shall be elected by ballot by the qualified school electors of such rural agricultural district, one trustee for one year, two for two years, and two for three years and annually thereafter a successor or successors to the member or members whose term of office shall expire. The term of office of trustee after the first election shall be three years. The qualifications for office holding shall be the same as those provided in the general school laws for members of the board of primary districts. Within ten days after his election each member shall file with the county commissioner of schools calling the election an acceptance of the office to which he has been elected, accompanied by an affidavit setting forth the fact of eligibility as prescribed in the general school laws. The county commissioner of schools shall file these affidavits and acceptances with the secretary of the board after the organization of the board and its election of a secretary. Thereafter the affidavits and acceptances of office shall be filed with the secretary of the board. The board of education shall annually, and within fifteen days after the annual meeting, or within fifteen days after the organization under this act, elect from its own number a president, a secretary and a treasurer, and for cause may remove the same from such offices and may appoint others of their number in such places, and these officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the general school law for the moderator, director, and treasurer of the district, except as is inconsistent with the provisions of the graded school act Vacancy, how and with the provisions of this act. The board of education shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur in its number until the next annual meeting, and if three vacancies occur at the same time a special meeting of the district shall be called by the county school commissioner of the county in which the schoolhouse is located to elect members of the board to fill such places. Within thirty days after his appointment, the treasurer of the board shall file with the secretary an official bond in such an amount and form as may be determined by said board. Said bond may be either personal or of some surety company authorized to do business in this state, and it shall be given for a sum not less than the greatest amount of money that the treasurer may have in his possession or under his control at any time during his term of office, as near as the same can be determined. When a personal bond is given it shall be signed by not less than two sureties, each of whom shall justify under oath to the full amount of the bond. If a surety bond is required and purchased, it shall be at the expense of the district. Whenever, in any case, the board of education shall fail or neglect to elect the officers of the board named in this section within fifteen days next after the annual meeting, or after the organization of the district, the township board of the township within which the schoolhouse

filled.

Bond of treasurer.

Personal bond.

of said district is located shall appoint the said officers from the members of the board. The board of education shall have Sites, board

nate.

authority to designate such site or sites as it may deem neces- may desigsary to carry out the provisions of this act. The county com- Number, etc. missioner of schools of the county in which the schoolhouse of a rural agricultural school is located shall have authority to number said districts, and upon the request of the board of education of said district he may give such district a name.

Am. 1921, Act 97.

(562)

of funds.

Within ten days after the organization of Disposition the board of education provided for in section four the funds and property of each school district shall be turned over to the board of education of such consolidated district.

Am. 1919, Act 81.

(563) SEC. 6. Any school district formed under the School district subject provisions of this act in township school districts shall be to certain subject to all the provisions of the act under which said provisions. township school district is organized, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act. All other rural agricultural schools Other rural organized under the provisions of this act shall have the agricultural powers and privileges conferred upon graded school districts powers of, by the laws of this state, all the general provisions of which relating to primary schools shall apply and be in force in said district except such as shall be inconsistent with the provisions of this act.

Am. Id.

schools,

etc.

ings, use of,

(564) SEC. 7. Rural agricultural school buildings shall School buildbe community centers and be available to residents of the dis- for meetings. trict or township for meetings after school hours or when school is not in session, and the board of education shall grant the use thereof providing such meetings are not held for political or religious purposes. A janitor shall be engaged for the entire year to care for buildings and grounds during school hours and when public meetings are held.

(565) SEC. 8. Plans for rural agricultural school build- Plans, ings shall be approved by the superintendent of public in- approval of struction. They shall be properly heated and ventilated, have an ample water supply, toilets with proper sewerage, a library and suitable equipment and apparatus for the teaching of agriculture, manual training and home economics.

Am. 1921, Act 97.

(566) SEC. 9. The board of education shall provide a Transportasufficient number of vehicles for the transportation of pupils tion of pupils. from and to their homes and shall designate the routes over which such vehicles are to travel: Provided, That the school Proviso. board shall not be compelled to transport pupils who live within one mile of the consolidated schoolhouse. Such vehicles Capacity, shall be of ample capacity, shall be enclosed to keep out the etc. rain or snow and be provided with robes and foot warmers

Proviso, review of action.

Appeal.

Proviso.

Teachers in

home

during cold weather. In case less than six pupils reside on or near any one route, such pupils may be boarded by consent of the parent or guardian at some convenient place if the cost is less than the cost of transportation: Provided, That the superintendent of public instruction shall have authority upon investigation by himself or some one designated by him, to review, confirm, set aside, or amend the action, order, or decision of the board of education with reference to the routes over which pupils shall be transported, the distance they shall be required to walk, the boarding of the pupils, and the suitability and number of the vehicles and equipment for the transportation of the pupils. Whenever ten or more qualified school electors of any rural agricultural district shall feel themselves aggrieved by any action, order, or decision of the board of education with reference to the transportation or boarding of pupils, to the location of any site or the granting of permission to alter the boundaries of said district as provided in section five thousand seven hundred thirty-seven of the compiled laws of nineteen hundred fifteen, as amended, they may, at any time within ninety days from such action, order or decision of said board of education, appeal to the superintendent of public instruction, and notice of such appeal shall be filed with the secretary of said board of education. The superintendent of public instruction, upon the receipt of such appeal, shall have the power to entertain such appeal. Said superintendent of public instruction may visit the locality, or appoint some one to visit it, and he or his appointee may give a hearing at some place within the county where the schoolhouse of such district is located. After such investigation, and within sixty days after such appeal, the superintendent of public instruction shall have authority to review, confirm, set aside, or amend such action, order, or decision of said board of education. His decision in the matter named in this proviso shall be final: Provided, however, That in districts having a valuation of seven million five hundred thousand dollars or more, if the decision of the superintendent of public instruction is adverse to the action of the board of education, the board may submit the matter in controversy to the qualified electors of the district at the next annual school meeting or at a special school meeting, called according to law, and if at such school meeting the action of the board of education shall be confirmed by a majority vote of all electors voting upon the question, then in that event the original action, order or decision of said board of education shall be and remain in full force and effect.

Am. 1921, Act 97; 1923, Act 322.

(567) SEC. 10. Teachers in home economics shall have economics, teachers' certificates and be graduates of, or have taken a sufqualifications. ficient course in college or normal school, where science in home economics is taught, and be qualified to teach home