Voters may determine Sec. 24. They may also determine, at each annual meetthe length ing, the length of time a School shall be taught in their School shall District during the ensuing year, which shall not be less be taught, than three months; and whether by male or female teach of time a etc. When district board ers, or both; and whether the moneys apportioned for the support of the School therein shall be applied to the win. ter or summer term, or a certain portion of each. Sec. 25. In case any of the matters in the preceding may deter section mentioned are not determined at the annual meeting, the District Board shall have power, and it shall be their duty to determine the same. mine. a useful and important one, as was remarked by a former Superintendent, Hon. F. W. Shearman. A few dollars expended for apparatus will often add largely to the interest and usefulness of a School. It is as poor economy to send the Teacher to the School-house without proper apparatus, as to send a laborer to the fields without tools. Blackboards are as indispensable in a good School as books are. In the hands of skillful Teachers, outline maps are also of great value. So also a globe, and other apparatus, should be provided wherever parents desire to give their children proper facilities for study. (Sections 24 and 25.) 1. It is evidently the intention of the law to limit the power of the District to decide these questions strictly to the annual meeting. If left undecided at the annual meeting, they pass entirely under the control of the District Board. A special meeting, called for that purpose, may pass an advisory vote, but the power to determine will still rest with the District Board. 2. It has been held that a special meeting called for that purpose, may reconsider and repeal the votes of the annual meeting, and should circumstances arise absolutely requiring the repeal of those votes, a special meeting should be called for that purpose. But the power of the special meeting would still be limited to a repeal. The action of the annual meeting being set aside, the determination of the matter rests in the hands of the District may direct Sec. 26. Said qualified voters may also, at any regular When vot'rs meeting, authorize and direct the sale of any School-house, sale of propsite, building or other property belonging to the District, erty. when the same shall no longer be needed for the use of the District. regard to Sec. 27. They may also give such directions, and make Directions in such provision as they shall deem necessary, in relation to suits. the prosecution or defense of any suit or proceeding in which the District may be a party, or interested. Sec. 28. (This section was repealed by the act to amend certain sections of the Primary School Law, approved Feb. 15, 1859.) MODERATOR. powers and Sec. 29. The Moderator shall have power, and it shall Moderator's be his duty, to preside at all meetings of the District, to duties. sign all warrants for the collection of rate bills after they shall have been prepared and signed by the Director, and to countersign all orders upon the Assessor for moneys to be disbursed by the District, and all warrants of the Director upon the Township Treasurer for moneys raised for District purposes, or apportioned to the District by the Township Clerk; but if the Moderator shall be absent from any District meeting, the qualified voters present may elect a suitable person to preside at the meeting. Board, as would have been the case if the annual meeting had not voted. 3. The month in section 24 must be interpreted to mean twenty-six work days. The Saturday afternoons, or every other Saturday usually allowed to teachers, may be included in the count, as also the customary holidays. No District is entitled to a share of the Primary School Moneys unless three months School has been taught therein by a qualified Teacher during the year. See sec. 80. (Section 29.) 1. A variety of practice prevails, in the matter of drawing moneys from the Township Treasurer. In some Districts the warrants are drawn payable directly to the Teacher or his order, and in others they are drawn payable to the Assessor, and then the Teacher is given an order on the Assessor. The latter is the more regular Moderaror to keep or. der, etc. Penalty for disturbing meeting. Assessor to collect and pay over moneys. Sec. 30. If at any District meeting any person shall conduct himself in a disorderly manner, and after notice from the Moderator or person presiding, shall persist therein, the Moderator or person presiding, may order him to withdraw from the meeting, and on his refusal, may order any constable or other person or persons to take him into custody until the meeting shall be adjourned. Sec. 31. Any person who shall refuse to withdraw from such meeting on being so ordered, as provided in the preceding section, or who shall willfully disturb such meeting, shall, for every such offence, forfeit a sum not exceeding twenty dollars. ASSESSOR. Sec. 32. The Assessor shall pay over all moneys in his hands belonging to the District, on the warrant of the Director, countersigned by the Moderator; and shall collect all rate bills for tuition and fuel, in obedience to the command contained in the warrant annexed thereto. Sec. 33. In case any person shall neglect or refuse to pay the amount on such rate bill for which he is liable, on de mode, and seems to be the intention of the law. In this way the Assessor is the sole Treasurer of the District, and his accounts will exhibit the entire expenditures. The Assessor should keep an account with each particular fund belonging to the District: as Primary School Moneys, Building Fund, Incidental Expense Fund, &c. 2. He is not authorized to sign an order on the Assessor for public money to be paid to a Teacher who was not duly "qualified." (Section 31.) The penalty provided in this section may be recovered by a suit brought before a justice of the peace. See Compiled Laws, p. 1351. (Sections 32, 33, 34.) 1. No property is exempted from sale for the payment of a rate bill. 2. The Assessor is entitled to five cents on each dollar of the rate bill for the collection thereof, and such collection must be made within sixty days, unless the time is duly extended by the endorsement of the other officers. pay, Asses mand, the Assessor shall collect the same by distress and On refusal to sale of any goods or chattels of such person, wherever found, sor to colwithin any county in which the District, or any part of it, tress. is situated. lect by dis sale. Sec. 34. The Assessor shall give at least ten days' notice Notice of of such sale, by posting up written notices thereof in three public places in the township where such property shall be sold. make ret'rn Sec. 35. At the expiration of his warrant, the Assessor Assessor to shall make a return thereof, in writing, with the rate bill to Director. attached, to the Director; stating the amount on said rate bill collected, the amount uncollected, and the names of the persons from whom collections have not been made. essor to ap rector. Sec. 36. The Assessor shall appear for and on behalf of When Asthe District in all suits brought by or against the same, pear for Diwhen no other directions shall be given by the qualified voters in District meeting, except in suits in which he is interested adversely to the District, and in all such cases the Director shall appear for such District, if no other direction be given as aforesaid. See Sections 45, 46 and 47. In case the Assessor shall fail to give bonds, or is unable to attend to his duties, the Board may appoint an acting Assessor. See Sec. 67. 3. It is doubtful whether the Assessor's authority to collect rate bills, by distress and sale, extends to the case of non-resident pupils. It will be found safer, therefore, for the District Board to fix a rate of tuition for such pupils, and collect the same, as is usual in the Union Schools, in advance. Authority to fix such rates of tuition is given to the District Board by Section 163. (Section 35.) Should there remain any portion of the rate bill uncollected, after all due efforts on the part of the Assessor, the deficiency should be met by a tax on the taxable property of the District. The law gives no authority to levy a second rate bill to make up such deficiency. (Section 36.) For direction for suits, &c., against School Districts, see Sections 122 to 128. DIRECTOR. be Clerk. Director to Sec. 37. The Director shall be the clerk of the District Board, and of all District meetings when present, but if he shall not be present at any District meeting, the qualified voters present may appoint a clerk of such meeting, who shall certify the proceedings thereof to the Director, to be recorded by him. To record etc. Sec. 38. The Director shall record all the proceedings of proceeding, the District, in a book to be kept for that purpose, and preserve copies of all reports made to the School Inspectors, and safely preserve and keep all books and papers belonging to his office. Contract for whom and Sec. 39. The Director, with the advice and consent of Teacher, by the Moderator and the Assessor, or one of them, or under how made. their direction, if he shall not concur, shall contract with and hire qualified Teachers for and in the name of the District, which contract shall be in writing, and shall have the consent of the Moderator and Assessor, or one of them, endorsed thereon, and shall specify the wages per week or month as agreed by the parties, and a duplicate thereof shall be filed in his office. (Section 39.) 1. This section was amended February 15, 1859, so as to give the authority to employ Teachers to the majority of the District Board, whether the Director was one of that majority or not. The Director is merely the legal agent for making the contract, and has only an equal voice with the other members of the Board in the choice of a Teacher. A Director refusing to make a contract in accordance with the directions of the Moderator and Assessor, is liable to a penalty of ten dollars for each offence. See Section 130. 2. When not otherwise stipulated in the contract, the month must be understood to imply twenty-six work days. A universal and healthful custom has established the usage of allowing the Teacher to dismiss School Saturday afternoons, or every alternate Saturday in lieu thereof, without any loss of time, five and a half days of actual teaching being counted as one week. The District, Board cannot therefore require a Teacher to teach Saturday afternoons, |