special law regulating its schools; and the territorial limits of no independent district hereafter organized shall exceed 6 miles square.

In case a majority of the voters are in favor of creating an independent district, the district shall elect six directors, two to retire each year, who shall collectively be styled the board of education (of the city, town, village, or township), who shall elect a president, clerk, and treasurer, and may also elect a superintendent at such salary as they may fix. The superintendent shall visit the schools of the district, superintend the grading of them and the examinations for promotion, perform such other duties as the board may prescribe, and shall report to the State superintendent through the county superintendent or directly.

The board shall establish such grades of schools, alter, and discontinue the same; provide necessary rooms or buildings for schoolhouses, and grounds about the same; shall, when authorized by the district, purchase or erect one or more schoolhouses, and purchase sites; purchase, sell, and exchange school apparatus, furniture, stoves, and other appendages for schoolhouses, and furnish fuel for the same; take care of the property of the district, and procure insurance, and make ordinary repairs upon the same, or any part thereof, when deemed expedient; contract with, employ, and pay teachers who have received certificates, and discharge the same; shall defray the necessary expenses of the board, pay the compensation of the clerk, treasurer, and superintendent, and for such printing, record books, stationery, and other incidental matters as may be deemed proper; superintend and manage in all respects the schools of said district, and from time to time adopt, alter, modify, and repeal rules for their organization, government, and instruction, for the keeping of registers, for the reception of pupils resident and nonresident within the district, their suspeusion, expulsion, and transfer from one school to another; prescribe text-books and a course of study for the schools, and visit each school in the district not less than once in three months; provide for the prompt payment at maturity of the principal and interest of any indebtedness of the district by voting from time to time taxes upon the taxable property of said district sufficient to meet the same, making allowances for delinquency in paying any part of such taxes; and shall, when authorized by a vote of the district, make, execute, and deliver, for and in behalf of said district, deeds, mortgages, releases, and all other instruments relating to the real property thereof.

2. TEACHERS.

Appointment and duties-Certificates—Preliminary training—Institutes. Appointment and duties.-The board of trustees, at a meeting called for that purpose, shall hire such teachers only as have certificates of qualification, on written contracts, specifying the wages per month and time employed as agreed upon by the parties; but no contract shall be made with any teacher who is related by blood or marriage to any member of the school board, without the concurrence of all the members of the board of trustees by vote duly entered on the clerk's record of proceedings.

The teacher shall keep a register, and shall report to the county superintendent under penalty of having pay withheld.

Certificates. The State superintendent is authorized to issue State certificates of the following grades: A first-grade certificate, valid for five years, and a second-grade certificate, valid for two years. The requirements for first and second grade certificates shall include both scholastic and professional ability, and the regulations governing the examination for such certificates shall be prescribed by the State superintendent. A complete certificate shall certify the scholastic and professional requirements, skill in teaching, and moral character. The written answers for the scholastic examination hereinafter provided for shall be read and marked under the direction of the State superintendent, and the markings for the professional requirements shall be given by the county superintendent, who shall also be the judge of skill in teaching and moral character of the applicant.

A complete first-grade certificate, certifying to scholastic requirements by the State superintendent and to professional requirements, skill in teaching, and moral character by the county superintendent in whose county the examination is held, shall be valid in any county of the State. A complete second-grade certificate for both scholastic and professional requirements, signed by the State superintendent and the county superintendent, shall be valid in the county in

which the examination is held, and may be made valid in any county by the Indorsement of the county superintendent of said county. No teacher shall be entitled to receive a certificate of any grade herein provided for who fails to give proper evidence of possessing a good moral character, and no teacher shall receive a complete first-grade or second-grade certificate who has not had successful experience in teaching for at least eight months for a first-grade and five months for a second-grade, and who shall not be at least 18 years of age; provided, that the county superintendent may issue a limited second-grade certificate, good for one year, to applicants without experience not under 17 years of age who have passed the scholastic examination given by the State department of public instruction. It is further provided that the county superintendent may issue a third-grade certificate upon his own examination for a term of one year, such certificate to designate the district in which it shall be valid, not to be renewable without examination. No teacher shall be entitled to receive a third-grade certificate more than twice in the same county.

The certificate of a State normal school in Minnesota that the holder has completed the three years' certificate course in that school shall, when approved by the State superintendent, entitle the holder to a certificate of the first grade. The State superintendent shall prescribe regulations for renewing first and second grade certificates and for providing a fair review in the case of an appeal from the decision of a county superintendent.

The State superintendent shall cause to be held at least two examinations each year in every county of the State, at such convenient places as may be designated by the county superintendent. The time for such examination shall be uniform throughout the State, and the examination shall be conducted by the county superintendent of the county in which the examination is held, or by persons appointed by him, strictly according to regulations prescribed by the department of public instruction designed to secure uniformity and fairness. An affidavit may be required of such examiner, certifying that the regulations regarding said examination have been fully observed. The examinations shall be public and the teachers desiring to take the same may dismiss their schools for that purpose for a period not exceeding two days in each year without loss of pay. Any county superintendent may, on his own examination, issue a certificate of any grade to applicants who present satisfactory proof that they were unable to be present at the public examination; such certificates to be valid only in a district specified on their face and until the time of the next public examination.

Examinations for all certificates provided for shall be given in spelling, reading, penmanship, arithmetic, grammar, composition, geography, history of the United States, physiology, and the practical facts of hygiene. In addition to the above branches, all applicants for first-grade certificates shall be examined in elementary algebra, plane geometry, physical geography, natural philosophy, and civil government. The State superintendent may, however, designate equivalent subjects that may be taken in lieu of physical geography, natural philosophy, and plane geometry, at the option of the applicant. All subjects in which the applicant passes an examination shall be designated in the certificate. Questions shall be submitted in music and drawing to such applicants as desire to receive a standing in these subjects. The State superintendent may accept State high-school certificates and certificates from the State normal schools in all such subjects in lieu of an examination, under such conditions as he may prescribe, providing that no standing of less than 75 per cent in such highschool certificate shall be received.

Any applicant failing to pass the scholastic examination may, upon appeal to the State superintendent, have his papers reviewed by the instructors in the corresponding branches at the State university.

Complete first and second grade certificates under this law shall be valid in all grades below the high school in any special or independent districts, unless boards of education of such dstricts shall decide otherwise.

The State superintendent may issue certificates of qualification without examinations to persons who have taught in public schools of this State for five or more years upon their written application approved by the board of education or school trustees, together with the city superintendent or county superintendent under which said applicant shall have taught the greater part of five years next preceding the date of application.

Permanent teachers of high character and broad scholarship who have a successful experience may, upon examination by the State superintendent or by a committee of 3 competent teachers appointed by him, receive a professional

State certificate, which shall authorize the holder to teach in any public school in the State without further examination; but no life certificate shall be in force after its holder shall permit a space of three years to lapse without following some educational pursuit, unless said certificate be indorsed by the State superintendent. Graduates of colleges and universities of good standing who have received a certificate of the first grade in this State and who shall have taught in any public school in the State with ability and success for at least one year shall be entitled to a professional certificate from the State superintendent without further examination. The branches required for a professional State certificate shall be the following: Written arithmetic, United States history, reading and elocution, English grammar, common and physical geography with map drawings, mathematical geography and projection, school economy, physiology, algebra, natural philosophy, chemistry, composition and rhetoric, bookkeeping, plane and solid geometry, plane trigonometry, geology, zoology, botany, English literature, general history, political economy, intellectual philosophy, moral philosophy, logic, astronomy, civil government and school laws, history of education, and the theory and art of teaching. There shall be two grades of professional State certificates. All of the subjects above mentioned shall be required for first grade, and 21 of the subjects enumerated shall be required for second grade, the optional subjects to be arranged by the State superintendent or the examining board. But the State superintendent shall be authorized to issue yearly permits to deserving teachers of successful experience, who lack not more than three subjects, and by the employment of such teachers State aid shall not be withheld.

The teachers' university certificate issued by the University of Minnesota to graduates of the department of pedagogy shall be valid as a certificate of the first grade to teach in the public schools of the State for a period of two years. At the expiration of two years of actual teaching the certificate of such graduate may be indorsed by the president of the university and the State superintendent upon satisfactory evidence that such service has been successful, and such indorsement shall make said certificate a permanent certificate of qualification. The diploma from either the elementary or advanced course of study of the State Normal School shall be valid as a certificate of qualification of the first grade to teach in the public schools of the State for a period covering the time of the student's pledge of service, namely, two years from date of graduation. At the expiration of two years of actual teaching service the diploma of such graduate may be indorsed by the president of the normal school from which it was issued, and by the State superintendent, upon satisfactory evidence that such service has been successful and satisfactory to the supervising school authorities under whom it was rendered. Such indorsement shall make the diploma of the elementary course a valid certificate for five years from its date, and the diploma of the advanced course a permanent certificate of qualification. A county or city superintendent may suspend any certificate for good cause shown, subject to appeal to the State superintendent.

Preliminary training. The governor shall nominate, and with the consent of the Senate appoint 8 normal school directors, not more than one residing in the same county, who, together with the State superintendent, shall constitute the State normal school board. The board shall have the general supervision, management, and control of the State normal schools, appoint all professors and teachers, and fix their salaries, but in no case shall the salary of any principal exceed $3,000 per annum.

The State normal school board shall prescribe the courses of study in the normal schools, the conditions of admission, and prepare and confer suitable diplomas upon persons completing the full course of study in the normal department. Such board shall adopt any rules and regulations deemed necessary to the highest efficiency of the schools. It shall be the duty of the board, as a whole or through a committee of their own number, to visit and thoroughly inspect the grounds, buildings, modes of instruction, and the discipline and management of each school at least once during each term. They shall report to the governor, on or before the 1st day of December in each year, through their president, the condition of each school, its receipts and disbursements, its wants and prospects, together with such recommendations for its improvement as they may deem proper and necessary.

The president of each normal school shall annually make a written report to the State superintendent. Such report shall set forth the general statistics of the school, and also a statement of the total number of graduates of such school

who are then engaged in teaching, so far as may be known, with their names, and the name of the district and county in which they are teaching.

The State normal school board shall have power to organize, in connection with each normal school, such model schools as they may deem expedient for the illustration of the best methods of teaching and government: Provided. That no more than one teacher shall be employed in either of the model schools, except at the school at Winona, where, so long as provision is made in the normal school for the education of soldiers' orphans, the board may employ one additional teacher.

There shall be no charge for tuition or for incidental expenses to the students of any normal school who shall have filed with the principal thereof a declaration of intention to engage in the work of teaching in the public schools of this State for not less than two years after his or her connection with said school shall cease. The board may fix such rates of tuition for pupils in the model schools and for students not intending to teach as in their judgment may be equitable and just.

The board shall appoint one teacher for each normal school especially quali fied to give instruction in teachers' institutes.

Institutes.-The State superintendent shall annually hold in the sparsely settled counties as many State teachers' institutes as he shall find practicable, each to continue in session one week at least. He shall give due notice thereof to all teachers and persons proposing to become such, and invite their attendance. He shall attend and have charge of each institute; invite the aid and cooperation of the superintendent of schools for the county; employ suitable instructors and lecturers to give instruction and addresses to aid the teachers in qualifying themselves for a more successful discharge of their duties. The average expense of such institutes shall not exceed $100 a week.

He shall annually, in so many and thickly settled localities as he may deem advisable, organize and, with the aid of others selected by himself, conduct normal-training schools for the benefit of teachers who desire such training but are unable to attend a full course at the State normal schools. Such schools shall be without charge for attendance and entirely practical, their object being to impart normal methods of teaching and conducting schools, particularly common schools. They shall continue at least four and not more than six weeks at each place, and the average cost shall not exceed $100 for each week of the session of a school of 60 persons.

During the time of holding a teachers' institute in any county of this State, it is hereby made the duty of all teachers and persons desiring a teacher's certificate to attend such institute, or present to the county superintendent satisfactory reasons for not so attending, before receiving such certificate, and any school that may be in session in such county shall be closed for one week upon the requirement of the county superintendent, and the teacher shall be allowed to make up the time lost.

3. SCHOOLS.

Attendance-Character of instruction-Text-books-Buildings.

Attendance. All schools supported wholly or in part by State school funds shall be styled "The Public Schools," and admission to them shall be free to all persons between the ages of 5 and 21 years residing in the district. In independent districts schools shall be kept open from twenty to forty-four weeks. No district can receive aid from the State which does not keep school open for five months.

Boards of trustees and boards of education may suspend or expel pupils for insubordination, immorality, or being infectiously diseased.

The board of trustees of any common school district, or the board of education of any independent or special district, may, by a vote of a majority of all the members of said board, at any regular meeting, exclude from the public school in the district all children under 6 years of age; and when such action has been once taken, it shall not be changed before the beginning of the next school year.

Every parent, guardian, or other person in the State having control of any child between the ages of 8 and 16 years shall be required to send such child to a public school, or private school taught by a competent instructor, for a period of at least twelve weeks in each year, at least six weeks of which time shall be consecutive, unless such child is excused from such attendance by the board of the school district or the board of education of the city or independent school

district in which such parent, guardian, or person having control resides, upon its being shown to their satisfaction that such parent or guardian was not able, by reason of poverty, to clothe such child properly, or that such child's bodily or mental condition has been such as to prevent his attendance at school or application to study for the period required, or that such child is taught at home in such branches of study as are usually taught in the public schools and subject to the same examination as other pupils of the district or city in which the child resides, or that he has already acquired the ordinary branches required by law, or that there is no school taught within 2 miles by the nearest traveled road. Any parent, guardian, or other person failing to comply with the provisions of this act shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than $10 nor more than $25 for the first offense, nor less than $25 nor more than $50 for the second and every subsequent offense.

It shall be the duty of any school director or president of the board of education to inquire into all cases of neglect of this duty, and ascertain from the persons neglecting the reasons, if any, therefor, and forthwith to proceed to secure the prosecution of any offense occurring under this act; and any director or president neglecting to secure such prosecution for such offense within ten days after a written notice has been served on him by any taxpayer in said district or city, unless the person so complained of shall be excused by the district or city board or board of education, for reasons hereinbefore stated, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and liable to a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $50. If upon the trial of any offense as charged herein, it shall be determined that such prosecution was malicious, then the cost in such case shall be adjudged against the complainant and collected as fines in other cases.

Character of instruction.-(For subjects upon which teachers are examined, see Teachers-Certificate.) All instruction given and books used shall be in the English language, but teachers that are able to speak a language that is the vernacular of a pupil may use that language to aid in the teaching of English words, and may also give instruction in that language for one hour or less a day, provided the trustees have unanimously agreed to these innovations. In independent districts the board of education prescribes the course of study and grades the schools.

All school officers may introduce as part of daily exercises of each school in their jurisdiction instruction in the elements of social and moral science, including industry, order, economy, patience, cleanliness, honesty, self-reflection, etc. Text-books.-The board of trustees or board of education of each school district is empowered to adopt and contract for text-books for the schools under their charge; they may purchase and loan same free to pupils or sell same at cost. No adoption or contract shall be for a period less than three nor more than five years, during which time the text-books so adopted or contracted for shall not be changed. At an annual meeting after due notice, or whenever 5 or more legal voters of a common school district shall petition the board to do so, a special meeting may be called, and the question of providing free text-books shall be submitted to the voters; if a majority vote be in favor of free textbooks, the board shall provide for same, payment to be made from the school funds of the district.

Publishers desiring to furnish text-books shall file with the State superintendent sample copies of their books and price lists at which they will be offered to trustees, certified copies of which lists shall be furnished by the State superintendent to the clerk of each common school district in the State.

Buildings.-The board of trustees shall have the general charge of the schoolhouses in their district, shall lease or purchase a site, may permit the schoolhouse to be used when not interfering with school purposes, the users giving bond for $100 and paying a reasonable rent, provided the legal voters accede to the use. No district shall in any one year levy a tax exceeding 10 mills on the dollar for the purpose of building a schooolhouse.

In independent school districts, whenever the board of education shall deem it necessary to purchase or erect a schoolhouse or houses or to purchase sites for the same, it shall call a meeting of the voters of the district and act according to their decision.

4. FINANCES.

Funds (permanent or special)—Taration.

Funds (permanent or special).—The proceeds of such lands as are or may hereafter be granted by the United States for the use of schools within each