schools: Provided, In case a public school shall not be taught for four months during the year within 2 miles by the nearest traveled road of the residence of any child within the school district, such child if under 9 years of age shall not be liable to the provisions of this act. No child under 10 years shall be employed in any factory, warehouse, or workshop. No child under 14 years of age shall be employed by any person, company, or corporation to labor in any business, unless such child shall have attended some public or private day school where instruction was given by a teacher qualified to instruct in such branches as are usually taught in primary schools for at least four months of the twelve next preceding the month in which such child shall be so employed. Every parent, guardian, or other person having charge of any child from 8 to 14 years of age who has been temporarily discharged from any business or employment shall send such child to some public or private day school for a period for which such child shall have been discharged, unless such child shall Lave been excused from such attendance by the board of the school district for reasons stated above. Failure to comply with the above provisions is a misdemeanor, subjecting the guilty person to a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $10 for the first and not less than $10 for each subsequent offense; and it shall be the duty of the officers detailed or appointed under the provisions of this act to assist in the enforcement thereof and to institute proceedings. In all cities, villages, and townships in this State maintaining and supporting a graded school the board of education or other authority may establish one or more ungraded schools for the instruction of certain children, and may require such children to attend the school through the city police or village marshal. The following classes of persons, 8 to 16 years, shall be subject to this compulsion: Habitual truants from any school, the incorrigibly turbulent or disobedient, the vicious or immoral, and loiterers on the streets. If parent or guardian shall, after warning, fail to comply with the law, he or she shall be proceeded against before a justice of the peace and subjected to a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $25, or may be required to give bond for $100 that he will comply with the law. But if the offending party plead his inability to cause the child to attend school, then the child shall be sent to one of the State industrial schools, according to its sex. (For transportation of pupils, see Finances—Taxation.) Character of instruction.-The district board shall specify the studies to be pursued in the schools of the district in addition to the branches in which instruction is now required to be given in the public schools. (See TeachersAppointment and qualifications.) Any school district containing more than 100 children between the ages of 5 and 20 years may, by a two-thirds vote of the qualified electors present at any meeting, organize as a graded school district and shall immediately elect a board of trustees, who shall classify and grade the pupils of the district and cause them to be taught in such schools or departments as they may deem expedient, including a high school if that grade of instruction be ordered by the district meeting and may charge fees for any branch of such secondary instruction. Text-books.-The district board may purchase at the expense of the district such text-books as may be necessary for the use of children when parents are not able to furnish the same, and they shall include the amount of such purchase in the report to the township clerk to be levied in like manner as other district taxes. Each school board of the State shall, when authorized by the district, purchase the text-books used by the pupils of the schools in the district in each of the following subjects: Orthography, spelling, writing, reading, geography, arithmetic, grammar (including language lessons), national and State history, civil government, and physiology and hygiene, and all text-books used in any district shall be uniform in any one subject. Text-books so adopted shall not be changed within five years. The text-books to be used for instruction in physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the nature of alcohol and narcotics and their effects upon the human system, shall give at least one-fourth of their space to the consideration of the nature and effects of alcoholic drinks and narcotics, and the books used in the highest grade of graded schools shall contain at least twenty pages of matter relating to this subject, and all text-books used in giving the foregoing instruction shall first be approved by the State board. When the district has authorized the district board to raise by tax a sufficient sum to comply with the foregoing provisions, it shall contract, at a price not greater than the net wholesale price, or through advertisement, for the books selected, to be loaned to the pupils. Any district may take further action at a subsequent annual meeting after it has either adopted or rejected free text-books. Any officer refusing or neglecting to purchase or to provide the money for purchasing the text-books voted shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine of $50 or imprisonment in the county jail for thirty days, or both. But any board may buy its books of local dealers if sold as cheaply as offered in the lowest bid. Buildings. The district board shall have the care and custody of the schoolhouse and other property of the district, except so far as the district shall not have confided the care and custody thereof to the director. It may be opened for public meetings unless determined otherwise. The director shall provide the necessary appendages and keep them in good condition and repair during the time school shall be taught, but he shall not purchase charts or any apparatus to be used in the schoolroom without a vote of the district authorizing him to do so. The district board shall purchase or lease in the corporate name of the district such sites for schoolhouses as shall have been lawfully designated, and shall build, hire, or purchase such schoolhouses as may be necessary out of the fund provided for that purpose and make sale of any site or other property of the district when lawfully directed by the qualified voters; but no district in any case shall build a stone or brick schoolhouse upon any site without having first obtained a title in fee to the same or a lease for ninety-nine years, nor shall any district build a frame schoolhouse on any site for which they have not a title in fee or a lease for fifty years without securing the privilege of removing the said schoolhouse. After schools have been maintained at least eight months in the year, any surplus money arising from the 1-mill tax may be used in purchasing sites, buildings, or furniture, if so ordered by district meeting. 4. FINANCE. Funds (permanent and special)—Taxation. Funds (permanent and special).—The proceeds from the sale of all lands that have been or hereafter may be granted by the United States for educational purposes, and the proceeds of all lands or other property given by individuals or appropriated by the State for like purposes, shall be a perpetual fund, the income of which shall be inviolably appropriated annually to the specific objects of the original gift, grant, or appropriation. All escheated lands shall become a part of the school fund. The State superintendent shall semiannually, in May and November, apportion interest of the primary school fund among the several townships and cities of the State in proportion to the number of children in each between the ages of 5 and 20 years, as shall appear from the reports of the boards of school inspectors made prior to the May apportionment or from the best sources of information at his command, and shall prepare a statement of the amount in the aggregate payable to each county; and on receipt of such statement the auditor-general shall draw his warrant upon the State treasurer in favor of the treasurer of each county to the amount due. The superintendents shall also send written notices to the clerks of the several counties of the aggregate amount to be disbursed in their respective counties and the amount payable to the townships and cities therein, respectively. In case any county, township, city, or district shall fail to receive its share of the interest of the school fund. such deficiency shall be made up in the next apportionment; and whenever any district has had three months' school, but has failed to have the full time of school required by law through no fault of the district or its officers, he may include such district in his apportionment. All money derived from the dog tax remaining after the satisfaction of the claims of sheep owners shall be apportioned among the several school districts, if over $100, in proportion to the number of children of school age. Taxation. It shall be the duty of the supervisor of the township to assess the taxes voted by every school district in his township, and also of all other taxes provided for by the school law chargeable against such district or township, upon the taxable property of the district or township respectively, and to place the same on the township assessment roll in the column for school taxes, and the same shall be collected and returned by the township treasurer in the same manner and for the same compensation as township taxes. He shall also assess 1 mill upon each dollar of taxable property, and all money so raised shall be The apportioned by the township clerk to the district in which it was raised. supervisor on delivery of the warrant for the collection of taxes to the township treasurer, shall also deliver to him a written statement of the amount of school and library taxes, the amount raised for district purposes on the taxable property of each district in the township, the amount belonging to any new district on the division of the former district, the names of all persons having judgments assessed upon the taxable property of any district, with the amount payable, and the amount of the 1-mill tax levied within the bounds of a frac tional school district a part of which is situate within his township, but the returns of which are made to the clerk of another township, and the treasurer shall pay to the township treasurer of such other township the amount of the taxes so levied and certified to him for the use of such fractional school district. The township treasurer shall retain in his hands, out of the moneys collected by him, after deducting the amount of tax for township expenses, the full amount of the school taxes on the assessment roll, and hold the same subject to the warrant of the proper district officers, to the order of the school inspectors or other persons authorized to draw thereon, and give written notice to the township clerk of the amount. Any school district may by a two-thirds vote of its qualified electors present at an annual or called meeting issue bonds to pay for a schoolhouse site and to erect or furnish school buildings as follows: Districts Of less than 30 persons 5 to 20 years may incur not more than___ Indebtedness. Of 125 persons 5 to 20 years and an assessed valuation of property of $150,000 or more may incur not more than......... $300 500 700 1,000 2,000 3,000 5,000 8,000 15, 000 20, 000 25, 000 30,000 But in no case shall the indebtedness of a district extend beyond ten years for money borrowed. And in all proceedings under these provisions the director, treasurer, and one person appointed by the district board shall constitute a board of inspection, who shall cause a poll list to be kept and a suitable ballot box to be used, which shall be kept open for two hours. When the school district shall have voted to borrow any sum of money, the district board shall issue the bonds thereof in sums of not less than $50 and at a rate of interest not greater than 8 per cent, and the district is authorized to provide for the payment of principal and interest by taxation. (See also Schools-Attendance.) Any district may vote a tax for the transportation of pupils to and from school within the district and may use the 1-mill tax for the same purpose. Any rural school district maintaining school for five months may vote a tax to pay the transportation to and tuition in any high school designated by the district board. Any school district may by a two-thirds vote establish a library and vote a tax to sustain the same. When so established, the district is entitled to its share of all library funds apportioned to the township. MINNESOTA. 1. ORGANIZATION OF THE SYSTEM. State superintendent-State high school board-County superintendent-District trustees-City, town, and village boards of education. State superintendent.—A superintendent of public instruction shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the consent of the senate, and shall hold his office for two years. An office shall be provided for him at the seat of government, ED 1904 M -24 in which he shall file all papers, reports, and public documents transmitted to him by county superintendents, county auditors, and from other sources; and he shall keep a fair record of all matters pertaining to his office. He is required to appoint an assistant superintendent, to perform such service in the department as may be assigned to him. He shall meet the county superintendents of each judicial district, or two or more districts combined, if he shall deem it more conducive to the interests of education, at such time and place as he shall appoint, with the object of accumulating valuable facts relative to schools, and in general to listen to all communications and suggestions and enter into all discussions relative to the work of the schools. He shall annually hold in the sparsely settled counties as many State institutes as may be practicable. He shall report to the legislature through the governor biennially, which report shall contain (1) an abstract of the common school reports received by him from the several county superintendents, showing the number of organized school districts in the State, the number of schools taught, and the enrollment and average attendance in the same; (2) a statement of the condition of publie schools and of all other institutions of learning in the State that may report to him; (3) the amount of school moneys collected and expended each year from all sources, specifying the amounts from each source, respectively, and (4) all matters relating to his office, the public schools of the State, and the school fund, the number and character of teachers, and whatsoever else he may deem expedient to communicate. He shall prepare and distribute, through the county superintendents of schools, suitable school registers and blanks for teachers' and clerks' reports to county superintendents. State high school board.-The State superintendent and the president of the University of Minnesota ex officio, and a superintendent or principal of any high school in the State of Minnesota, to be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate, constitute a board of commissioners on graded and preparatory schools for the encouragement of higher education in this State, called the State high school board." The members of said board shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to their actual and necessary expenses. The State high school board is authorized to appoint a suitable person to inspect high schools, who shall be called the "high school inspector;" to visit each high school in the State and make a report thereon, and perform such other duties as may be required by the board. The salary of the high school inspector shall be fixed by the high school board, and he shall also receive necessary traveling expenses. The high school board shall also appoint a suitable person to inspect State graded schools, whose duties shall be similar to those of the high school inspector. The salary of the graded school inspector shall be fixed by the high school board, and he shall also receive necessary traveling expenses. Said board may employ such assistant examiners as shall be found necessary, to be paid not to exceed $3 per day, or 50 cents per hour for services actually performed, and no compensation shall be paid to any person receiving a salary from any State institution. The high school board shall have power to establish any necessary and suitable rules and regulations relating to examinations, reports, acceptances of schools, courses of study, and other proceedings in connection with high and graded schools claiming State aid: Provided, That in all graded and State high schools an optional English or business course of study shall be offered and maintained in addition to the courses of study required to be taken for admission to the State University; the board of education of any graded or State high school may add to or cut out any study or studies in the English or business course as established by said State board. The said board shall keep a careful record of all its proceedings, and shall on or before the 1st day of September in each year make a report to the State superintendent, showing in detail all receipts and disbursements, the names and number of high and graded schools receiving aid, and the number of pupils attending the classes in each, to which report it may add such recommendations as are deemed useful and proper. County superintendent.—In each county of this State there shall be elected biennially a county superintendent of schools, vacancies to be filled by county commissioners. County superintendents may examine and license teachers and annul certificates for causes shown; shall visit and instruct the schools of their counties at least once in each term and give such advice to the teachers as may be requisite and necessary; organize and conduct at least one institute each year for the instruction of teachers, if they deem the same expedient; encourage teachers' associations, introduce to the notice of teachers and the people the best modes of instruction, the most approved plans of building and ventilating schoolhouses, of ornamenting and adapting school grounds to the convenience and healthful exercise of children; stimulate school officers to the proper discharge of their duties; receive the reports of school district clerks and teachers and transmit an abstract of the same to the State superintendent, adding thereto a written statement on the condition and prospects of the schools under their charge, together with such other information and suggestions as they think proper to communicate. To secure uniformity and accuracy in such reports county superintendents may call meetings of district clerks annually. The salary of the county superintendent shall be fixed by the county board of commissioners, but shall not be less than $10 for each organized district in the county. In case of physical inability to visit schools or examine teachers the county superintendent may appoint a deputy for not more than sixty days in any one year. He may also, in counties having 100 or more school districts, appoint, with the consent of the county board of commissioners, an assistant for twenty days of work in visiting schools in the first part of each term, winter and summer, who shall be paid a per diem of $3 and necessary traveling expenses. counties having 175 or more organized districts a permanent assistant may be appointed at a salary of not more than $1,500 per annum. Every failure of the county superintendent to make the reports required by law causes him to forfeit $50 of his salary. In District board of trustees.-School districts shall be classified as common school districts, independent school districts, and special school districts. Districts are made or changed by the county commissioners after hearing of the localities concerned, but any district may contain the entire township in which it is situated, or a tract 6 miles square in different townships. The legal voters of school districts when lawfully assembled, not less than five being present, shall have power, by a majority vote of those present, to elect a director, clerk, and treasurer, which election shall be by ballot; to designate a site for a schoolhouse, which shall not be changed after having been designated unless at least a majority of the legal voters in the district who have resided therein for a period of at least six months prior to such vote, and two-thirds of the voters so qualified who are present and voting, vote in favor of such change (except that whenever a majority of the legal voters of any school district voting thereon shall determine to build a new schoolhouse, or to remove a schoolhouse already built, in such district, and the schoolhouse site therein shall be more than onequarter of a mile from the center of the district, then a majority of the legal voters of such district voting thereon may change the site to a more central location); to vote an amount of money, to be raised by a tax on the taxable property of the district, sufficient to meet the conditions on which apportionments from State school funds are made to districts, and to raise such additional amounts as the district may determine to purchase or lease a site for a schoolhouse, and to build, hire, or purchase such schoolhouse when the same is necessary; to keep in repair and provide the same with the necessary furniture and appendages; to procure fuel; to purchase or increase the library and school apparatus; to appoint a librarian, and to make all rules necessary for the usefulness, preservation, and increase of the library. The director, treasurer, and clerk shall form the board of trustees. They shall serve three years, one retiring each year, any vacancies to be filled by the remaining members. The board of trustees shall have the general charge of the interests of schools and schoolhouses in their district; lease or purchase in the corporate name of the district a site for a schoolhouse designated by the legal voters of the district; build, hire, or purchase a suitable schoolhouse with the funds provided for that purpose, and when directed by the legal voters of the district may sell or exchange any such site or schoolhouse; submit an estimate of the expenses of the district for the coming year; levy a tax if the district neglects to vote it, and contract with and hire teachers. City, town, and village boards of education.-Any city, town, village, township, or school district may be organized into an independent school district in the manner and with the powers hereinafter specified, but this shall not apply to any township or school district containing less than 500 inhabitants unless said school district consists in whole or in part of an incorporated city, town, or village, nor to any city, town, or village, or any part thereof, which now has any |