6. To vote a tax not to exceed $25 in any one year for the purchase of school apparatus, such as maps, globes, blackboards, etc., and for the purpose of supplying text-books and other school supplies for the use of the poor scholars of the district.

7. To vote a tax for the establishment, maintenance, support, and increase of a school library, and to purchase a bookcase.

8. To vote a tax to supply a deficiency caused by a failure to collect a former tax, also for the purpose of providing a record book for the district.

9. When district officers have lost or embezzled any of the funds of a district, the annual meeting may vote a tax upon the district to replace such funds.

10. The annual meeting may also vote a tax upon the district to meet the expenses incurred by the district officers in defending suits or appeals in the district's behalf and also in prosecuting suits or appeals in its behalf, when directed.

II. The district may also vote a tax to pay teachers' wages as they become due, and to pay any judgment obtained from a competent court by a teacher for teacher's salaries.

12. An annual meeting may direct the trustees of a district to insure in any insurance company created under the laws of this State, or authorized to do business in the State, the school buildings, furniture, apparatus, etc.

Method of Voting. All questions involving the expenditure of money or the levying of a tax upon a district must be by ballot, or by a vote of the ayes and noes, which must be properly recorded.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Who appoints the first meeting in a new district? When? Who prepares the notice? What should the notice show? What is done with such notice? Who serves it? Who designates the person to serve it? Upon whom must such notice be served? How should such notice be served? How should such notice be served upon persons who are absent from home? When must such notice be served? How should a return of service of notice be made? What should be done with such return? Why? What is the penalty for refusing to serve such notice? What powers does such meeting possess? If the time for holding such meeting has passed and the meeting has not been held, what should be done?

Who usually calls special meetings? When may the district superintendent? Commissioner of Education? of calling special meetings are there? Describe each.

district clerk? The How many methods What is the method

of service of notice of such meeting? What notice is required in a union free-school district? Of the return of service of such notice? What is the penalty for refusing to serve such notice? What is the effect of a wilful failure to notify all qualified voters of such meetings? What if such failure were accidental? What if the presence of those who were not notified would not change the result of the action of a meeting? How should disputes of this kind be settled? What business can be transacted at a special meeting?

What notice of annual meetings must be given in a common-school district? In a union free-school district? Does a failure to give such notice invalidate a meeting? When does the annual meeting occur? At what hour? At what place? May it be held elsewhere? When? If the annual meeting is not held on the date fixed by law, what should be done? What business should be transacted at the meeting when called? For what period do the officers elected at such meeting serve? What notice must be given of a meeting adjourned for more than one month? What is the legislative body of a school district? What power has an annual meeting in relation to selecting a chairman? A clerk pro tempore? District officers? District treasurer? What is the duty of a district meeting in relation to the bond of treasurer or collector? Name the various purposes for which a district meeting may vote a tax? What direction should an annual meeting give trustees in relation to the insurance of property? How must a vote involving expenditure of money be taken?

Note. The qualifications of voters in union free-school districts are the same as those of voters in common-school districts. No distinction is made by law between the qualifications of voters in these two classes of districts or in the penalty for illegal voting. Under the provisions of the Education Law, there are four classes of persons entitled to vote at school district meetings in this State. These classes are clearly defined in a circular letter issued by the Education Department, as follows:

WHO ARE VOTERS.- Four classes of persons are entitled to vote at school district meetings. All voters must have the following general qualifications:

General Qualifications

1. A citizen of the United States.

2. Twenty-one years of age at least.

3. A resident within the district for a period of at least thirty days next preceding the meeting at which he or she offers to vote.

Any person who possesses the above general qualifications and any one of the four special qualifications is entitled to vote:

Special Qualifications

I. One who owns or hires, or is in the possession under a contract of purchase of real property in such district liable to taxation for school purposes.

2. One who is the parent of a child of school age, provided such child shall have attended the district school in the district in which the meeting is held for a period of at least eight weeks within the school year preceding such school meeting.

3. One who, not being the parent, has permanently residing with him or her a child of school age who shall have attended the district school for a period of at least eight weeks within the school year preceding such meeting. 4. One who owns any personal property assessed on the last preceding assessment roll of the town exceeding fifty dollars in value, exclusive of such as is exempt from execution.

Women possessing any of the above qualifications are entitled to vote.

Both parents are entitled to vote when they have a child or children who attended school in the district eight weeks during the year preceding such meeting.

But one such person, however, can vote where the right to vote depends upon their having children not their own residing with them, and that person must be the head of the family.

Residence. A person to become a resident of a school district must actually reside in such district for a period of at least thirty days immediately preceding any annual or special meeting held in such district.

Challenge of Voter.- No person can take part in the transaction of any business of a district meeting who is not a legal voter at such meeting. The right of any person to vote at a school district meeting cannot be questioned or challenged by any person except a duly qualified voter. When a person offering to vote at a district meeting is challenged by a qualified voter, the chairman of such meeting should require the person thus challenged to make the following declaration: "I do declare and affirm that I am and have been for the thirty days last past an actual resident of this school district and that I am qualified to vote at this meeting." Any person who shall make such declaration is entitled to vote upon all propositions which arise at such meeting. A person thus challenged who refuses to make such declaration should not be permitted to vote upon any question before the meeting. Neither the district meeting nor the officers of such meeting have authority to pass upon the qualifi cations of any voter. Even if the officers of such meeting know the declaration made by a person challenged to be false, they cannot refuse to accept his vote. The proper course to pursue is to accept such vote, and proceed against the offender as the law provides.

Penalty for Illegal Voting.—A person who has been challenged at any school district meeting and who willfully makes a false declaration of his or her right to vote at such meeting, is guilty of a misdemeanor which is punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.

A person voting at any school district meeting who has not been challenged and who is not a qualified voter at such meeting, forfeits the sum of ten dollars, which should be sued for by the supervisor of the town for the benefit of the school district.

Under the Penal Law a person not qualified who knowingly votes or offers to vote, or who makes a false declaration when challenged at any school district meeting, is guilty of a misde

meanor.

Decisions of Education Department.- The State Superintendents of Public Instruction and the Commissioner of Education have established the following rulings, which govern questions at the present time involving these points of law:

I. An alien is not a legal voter at a school district meeting, although he may reside in the school district, own lands in the district, or have children of school age residing with him who attend school in the district.

2. The proceedings of a school district meeting carried by illegal votes will be set aside on appeal to the Commissioner of Education.

3. When the illegal votes cast at a school district meeting would not change the result of any of the proceedings of such district meeting, the proceedings will not be set aside.

4. The chairman of a school district meeting is entitled to vote upon all questions coming before the meeting for determina

tion.

5. The chairman of a school district meeting is not entitled to cast the deciding vote in case of a tie, if he has already voted on the question.

6. A man is not entitled to vote on account of the qualifications of his wife, nor is a woman entitled to vote upon the qualifications of her husband.

7. The law does not declare the amount of real estate which a person must own or rent to entitle such person to vote at a school district meeting.

8. The residence of a person must be bona fide to entitle such person to vote at a district meeting.

9. Prima facie, the place where a person lives is deemed his residence.

10. Where a person removes from one place to another with an intention of making the latter his permanent residence, that place immediately becomes his residence.

II. No person can vote upon any proposition before a district meeting who is not a qualified voter.