§ 2. That a board of education, consisting of six members, a majority of which shall be a quorum to do business, shall be elected by the legal voters of said district on the first Friday of April A. D. 1857; two of said board holding their office for the term of one year, two for the term of two years and two for the term of three years, and that two shall be elected annually threafter on the first Friday of April, to hold their office for the term of three years and until their successors are elected and qualified. They shall, when elected severally take an oath faithfully to discharge the duties of their office according to the best of their judgment and ability.

§ 3. The board of education shall cause their clerk to post up notices of the time and place of holding said election in at least five of the most public places in said district. Said notices shall be

posted up at least ten days previous to the day of election. Two of the members of the board of education shall act as judges and one as clerk of said election: Provided, that the trustees of schools shall cause the notice for the first election under this act to be posted up, two of whom shall act as judges and one as clerk of said election.

§ 4. The said board of education when so elected and their successors in office shall be successors of the present board of trustees of schools; they shall be a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of "The board of education of the Lacon Union School District," and may have a common seal and change the same at pleasure, and as such, may contract and be contracted with, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded in and before any tribunal having jurisdiction. Any member of the board having received five days notice that such vote will be taken, may be removed from office for improper conduct by the concurring vote of all the other members of the board. case of a vacancy by such removal or otherwise between the times of election, the same shall be filled by the remaining members of said board by appointment, and the person so appointed shall hold the office until the next election and until his successor is elected and qualified; and he shall have all the powers and shall be required to perform all the duties as if he had been elected to said office at a regular election.

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§ 5. It shall be the duty of the board of education to hold regular meetings once each month during the year, and they may meet by adjournment at such other times and places as they may think proper; and the president of the board, or any two members thereof, may call a special meeting of the board by giving five days notice of the time and place thereof by publication in one of the city papers or by personal service of a similar notice, in writing, upon all the members of the board. Said board shall organize within five days after said election, by appointing one of their number president of the board. Said board shall also appoint a clerk and treasurer, neither of whom shall be required to be members thereof, and said treasurer shall execute to said board such official bond, with such conditions and security as the board of education may require, and said bond shall be at least double the amount of the money that may come into his hands. Said president, treasurer and clerk, shall hold their respect

ive offices for the term of one year, and the latter two until successors shall be elected and qualified. Said clerk and treasurer may, however, be removed from their offices, at any time, by the said board. It shall be the duty of the president, when present, to preside at all meetings of the board; and it shall be the duty of the clerk to be present at said meetings, and to record in a book to be provided for that purpose, all the official proceedings of said board, which record shall be public and open to the inspection of any person interested, and all said proceedings when recorded shall be signed by the president and clerk, and a copy thereof certified by the clerk shall be prima facie evidence of such proceedings in courts and other places. If the president or clerk shall be absent the board may appoint a president and clerk pro tem. The duties of treasurers shall be such as shall be prescribed by said board.

§ 6. It shall be the duty of said board to cause an abstract of the whole number of white persons under the age of twenty-one years in said Lacon Union School District, to be furnished annually to school commissioners or other proper officer on or before the first day of November; and the school commissioner, or other officer as aforesaid, shall annually pay to the treasurer of said board of education the proportion of the school, seminary, college fund and State tax to which said Lacon Union School District would be entitled according to the number of white persons aforesaid under the age of twenty-one years, and shall take duplicate receipts therefor, one of which he shall retain, the other to be filed with the clerk of the board of education; and said board shall also at the same time make a report of the condition of all the schools, the text books used, the number of scholars in attendance, the average daily attendance, all other necessary information that may be required by the general acts of the legislature.

§ 7. Said board of education shall, on or before the 1st day of September in each year, cause to be raised by taxation, in addition to the State and township fund, a sum sufficient for the support of schools in said district the ensuing year; said tax to be levied on all the taxable property in said district and not to exceed one half of 1 per cent on the assessed value of said property; they shall fix upon and determine the rate per cent. for each year; they shall make an order therefor and shall enter the same on the records of said board, and said board shall within ten days thereafter furnish the county clerk with a copy thereof certified by the clerk of said board. Said county clerk shall compute said tax in the same manner and at the same time as the State and county tax, and the same shall be collected as other revenue. When so collected it shall be paid by the collector to the treasurer of said board of education and duplicate receipts taken therefor as aforesaid. (As amended by an Act approved March 24, 1869.

§ 8. For the purpose of erecting school houses, or purchasing school house sites, or for repairing and improving the same, for procuring furniture, fuel and district libraries, the board of education of said district shall have power to levy or have levied tax and collected,

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not to exceed 5 mills on the dollar on all the taxable property of said district. Said board shall also have power, for the erection of school houses and purchasing sites for school houses, to borrow at a rate of interest not to exceed 10 per cent per annum, and issue bonds therefor, in sums not less than $100.00; which bonds shall be executed by the president and clerk of said board: Provided, that the total indebtedness incurred by said district under this section shall not at any time exceed 2 per centum of the assessed value of the real and personal property of said district.

§ 9. The board of education shall transact all the business which may be necessary in relation to the schools of said district.

First-Said board shall establish a sufficient number of schools for the education of all persons over the age of 5 and under the age of 21 years, they shall have power to establish different grades in such schools, and put in such a course of study in said grades as they may think proper.

Second-Said board shall cause suitable lots of ground to be procured, and suitable buildings to be erected, purchased or rented for school houses, and shall supply the same with furniture and fuel, and may cause said buildings and other property to be insured, and shall make all other provisions relative to schools which they may deem proper.

Third-Said board of education may employ a superintendent, who shall, under the direction of the board, have general supervision over all the schools. Said board shall by one or more of their number visit each one of said schools at least once each month, and shall cause the result of said visit to be entered on the records of the board. Fourth-Said board shall have power to appoint all the teachers of said schools, fix the amount of their salaries, and may dismiss them at any time for incompetency, cruelty, negligence or immorality; and said board shall direct what branches of learning shall be taught in each school, and may suspend or expel from the school any pupil found guilty of refractory or incorrigibly bad conduct: Provided, however, that in the selection of assistant teacher the superintendent may be consulted by the board.

Fifth-Said board shall have entire control of the school fund of said district, whether consisting of the portion of the school, college, seminary or township fund, belonging and to belong to said district as aforesaid or raised by taxation as aforesaid or otherwise, to be used and applied by them for the purposes aforesaid, and no money shall be paid out of the treasury of said board, except upon the order of said board therefor.

§ 10. Said board of education shall at the end of each year cause to be prepared a statement exhibiting the condition of schools, which statement shall be substantially as follows, viz:

First-The whole number of schools which have been taught in said year; what number have been taught by males exclusively; what number have been taught by females; what part by males and females.

Second-The whole number of scholars in all the schools, giving the number of males and females in each, and the average daily attendance in each school. And to enable them to do this they shall require the teachers to keep correct schedules of the attendance.

Third-The aggregate number of male and female teachers, the highest, lowest and average monthly compensation paid to teachers. Fourth-The amount of money received from school commissioner or other officer and from taxes, and the amount of all other funds received into the treasury of the board.

Fifth-The amount and kind of unexpended funds on hand at the end of each year.

Sixth-The amount paid for teachers' wages, for school house lots, for building, repairing, renting, purchasing and furnishing school houses, for school apparatus; amount paid as compensation to school officers and for other services; and in every case stating to whom paid and for what purpose.

Seventh-A statement of the total amount received and paid for school purposes.

§ 11. Said board of education may receive any gift, grant, donation, devise, bequest or legacy made for the use of any school or schools or library or other school purpose within their jurisdiction; and they shall be and are hereby invested in their corporate capacity, with the title, care and custody of all school houses, school sites, libraries, apparatus and other property belonging to said school or schools aforesaid or which may be within their jurisdiction, with full power to control the same in such manner as they may think will promote the interests of the schools and the cause of education; and when, in their opinion, any school or school house site has become unnecessary or inconvenient or unsuitable for a school, said board may sell and convey the same in the name of the board; and such conveyance as well as all other conveyances, contracts and assignments of the board, shall be executed by the president and clerk; and the avails of all sales shall be paid to the treasurer of said board, for the benefit of schools.

§ 12. Said board of education may make such by-laws, rules and regulations as may be absolutely necessary to the exercise of the foregoing powers.

§ 13. The annual report of the board of education shall be submitted at the time of the election for members of the board of education. Said election shall be held at such hour and be conducted in such manner as may be prescribed by the board of education: Provided, that the election shall be by ballot.

§ 14. This act shall be deemed a public act and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

APPROVED Feb. 16, 1857.

LA HARPE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AN ACT to incorporate the city of La Harpe.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That the inhabitants of the town of La Harpe, in the county of Hancock, and State of Illinois, be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of "The City of La Harpe;" and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and may have and use a common seal, which they may change and alter at pleasure.

§ 19. The care and superintendence of the common schools within the city of La Harpe, together with the funds and estate, both real and personal, belonging to and which may be conveyed to La Harpe school district, shall devolve upon the city council of the city of La Harpe, and they shall have power to appoint, at their first meeting after their annual election, in each year, a general superintendent of public schools for said city of La Harpe, whose term of office shall be for one year and until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified; and his duties and the amount of his salary shall be defined by the city council of the city of La Harpe: Provided, however, that the said salary shall at no time be paid out of the school fund belonging to said La Harpe school district; and said city council shall have power to make all laws and ordinances necessary and proper for the management of said common schools, not inconsistent with the Constitution of this State.

§ 20. The township funds and estate, real and personal, belonging to township seven North, range five West, shall be divided between the city of La Harpe and the portions of said township lying without the city of La Harpe, as follows: the trustees of schools of township seven North, range five West, shall, within three months from and after the passage of this act, appoint three respectable householders, one from the city of La Harpe, one from township seven North, range five West, residing outside of the city, and one residing in township seven North, range six West, in said Hancock county, who, or a majority of whom, after being duly sworn well and truly to perform their duty, shall ascertain as nearly as may be the number of white persons under the age of twenty years residing within said township seven North, range five West, both within and without the limits of said city of La Harpe, and they shall divide and apportion the aforesaid township funds and estate according to the number of children under the age aforesaid, residing in said township, within and without said city of La Harpe, and shall pay over and deliver to said city the distributive share of the said township funds and estate aforesaid, to which the said La Harpe school district may be entitled, according to the number of white persons under the age aforesaid, residing in said township within and without the limits of said city, respectively; and the said commissioners shall have power to make their deed of partition, and convey to the city of La Harpe its distributive share of the real estate belonging to the school fund of said township aforesaid; and in case