Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1873 — The Sew School Law. [ARTICLE]

The Sew School Law.

A bill to amend an act entitled “An act to provide for a general system of common schools,, the officers thereof, and their respective powers and duties, aud matters properly connected therewith, and prescribing the fees for certain officers, therein named, and for the establishmentandregulationof township libraries, and to repeal all laws inconsistent therewith, providing penalties therein prescribed,” approved March 6tli, 1865, and adding supplemental section thereto. Approved March Bth, 1873. Sec. 1. Be it enacted in the General Assembly of tlie State of. Indiana, That section 15 of the above entitled act be and the same is hereby repealed.

See. 2. That section 33 of said act be amended to read as follows, to-wit: Section 33, the township trustee of the several townships shall meet at the office of the County Auditor of their respective counties on the first Monday in June, 1873, and biennially thereafter, and appoint a County Superintendent, who shall be a citizen of shell county, whose Official term shall expire as soon as his successor is appointed and qualified, who, before entering upon tho duties of his office shall take and subscribe an oath that lie wifi faithfully perform his duties as such officer according to law, which oath shall be filed with the County Auditor, and shall execute n-'bond with freehold surety, to the approval of the County Auditor, payable to the State of Indiana, in the penaPsiflu of one thousand dollars, conditioned that he will discharge his duties according to law, and faithfully accountfor and pay over to the proper person all money which may come into his hands by reason of such office; and thereupon the County Auditor shall report the name and postoffice address of the person appointed to the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Provided, however, that the Board of County Commissioners shall have power to dismiss any county superintendent for immorality, incompetency or general neglect of 'duty, or for acting aaageut for the sale of auy text book, school furniture or maps; butno county superintendent shall be dismissed without giving him written notice under the hand and seal of the Auditor, ten day’s before the first day of the term of the Court of Comruis-

sionera at which the cause is to be heard, and the said notice shall state the charges preferred against the superintendent, tl»e character of the instrument in which they are preferred whether petition, complaint or other writing, and in the name of those preferring the same. And the duties required.of the school examiner by this act shall hereafter be performed by the county superintendent. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in theoffiee of county superintendent by death, resignation or removal, the said trustees, on the notice of the county auditor, shall assemble at the office of said auditor and fill such vacancy for the unexpired portion ofthe term in the manner hereinafter provided, and the county auditor shall be clerk of such election in all cases, and give thecasting vote in ease of a tie, and shall keep a record of such election in a book kept for that purpose. Sec. 3. That section 37 of said act be amended to read as follows, to-wit: Sec. 37. The County Superintendent

shall bold at least one public examiu-1 alien each month in the year, in luh county, and in no easejjball he grant a license upon a private examination, amt 'all licenses granted by him shall be limited to-Jho county in which they are granted. ... ****** 4 Tli’nt Boettoii go nniit net hff amended to read as follows, to-wit: Beer 3!». Tlie County Superintendent shall have the general superintemienee of the sehoqjs of his county. He shall attend each 'Township Institute at least once in each year, when he shall preside at the same and conduct itwf •eweteiaes. He shall visit each a&Uool of the county at least once in each year, and as much oftener as he may deem it necessary,for thepurpose of increasing their usefulness, and elevate as fur as practicable the poorer schools to the standard of the best.— lie shall encourage Teachers’ Institutes and associations, and shall labor in every practicable way to elevate the standard of teaching, and to im-' prove the conditions of the schools of the county. In all controversies of a general nature , arising under the school laws, the opinion of the County Superintendent shall first be sought, when ce an appeal may be taken to the State Superintendent on a written statement of facts, certified to by the County Superintendent. Provided that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to change or abridge tbe jurisdiction of any court in cases arising trader the school laws, shall not be abridged by the provisions of this act. He shall at all times carry out the orders and instructions of the State Board of Education and'the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and shall constitute tho medium between the State Superintendent and subordinate school officers and the schools; Provided, that city schools having a Superintendent employed by their board may, at the request of said board, be exempt from the*general superintendence authorized in this section. Sec. 5. That section 43 of said act be amended to read as follows, to-wit: Sec. 43. TheCouhty Superintendent' shall receive four dollars for every day actually employed iu the discharge of the duties required by this act. But before the County Commissioners shall Jn—separate items tlie nature and amount of service rendered on each day for which he claims compensation which bill of account shall be verified by affidavit to the effect that the same and each item thereof is just and true. The County Auditor shall draw his warrant on tlieCounty Treasurer for the amount allowed by the Board in favorof said Superintendent, rind the Treasurer shall pay the said warrant out of the ordinary county revenue.. Provided, however, that tlie said Board of Commissioners shall have power to determine the number of days in tlie year in which the County Superintendent may labor in the performance of the duties required of him in visiting schools; anil provided further, the number of days so allowed in each .year for visiting schools shall not .be Less than the whole number of schools in such county, over which such Superintendent has control, and lie shall receive no perquisites whatever. Sec. 0. The County Superintendent shall, at least once in each year, and as much often eras ire may deem proper, fully examine the dockets, records and accounts of theelqEj? of tlie courts, county auditor, county commissioners, justices of the peace, prosecuting attorneys, and mayors Of cities, and see that all fines, forfeitures, unclaimed fees, liquor licenses, ami surplus dog tax, etc., are promptly collected, reported, and paid over to tlie proper fund or revenue. He shall see that the full amount of interest on school funds is paid and apportioned, and when there is a deficit of interest on aiiy school fund, or a loss of any school fund or revenue by the county, that proper warrants arc issued for the reimbursement of the same. Sec. 7. The official dockets, records, and books of account of the Clerk of the Couj£s, County Auditor, County Commissioners, Justices.of the Peace, Prosecuting Attorneys, Mayors of citieswrad township school trustees, shall be open at all times to the inspection of the County Superintendent, and whenever he shall find that any of said officers have neglected or refused to collect aud pay over interests, fines, forfeitures, license or other claims due the school funds and revenues of the State, or have misapplied the school funds or revenues in their possession, he shall he required to institute suit in the name of the State of Indiana for the recovery of the same for the benefit of the school fund or revenues, aud make report of tlie same to the Board of County Commissioners and to the State Superintendent.

Sec. S. Tlie County Superintendentand tiic Trustees of the townships and the gjchool Trustees of tlie towns and cities of tlie county, shall constitute a County Board of Education. Said Board shall meet semi-annually, at tiio office of tho County Superihtendenfc, on tlie first day of May anil September, unless the said days be Sunday; if so, on the day following. A majority of said Trustees shall constitute a quorum. The County Superintendent shall preside at the meeting of said Board, and shall be allowed to vote on all questions as other members of the same are allowed to vote. Said Board shall consider the general wants and needs of tlie schools and school property of which they have charge, anil alf matters relating to the purchase of school furniture, books, maps, charts, etc. The change of text-books, except-in cities, and in the care and management of township libraries, shall be determined by such Board, and each township shall conform as nearly as practicable to its action, but no text-book adopted by the County Board shall be changed within three years from the date of such adoption, except by unanimous vote of all members of such Board. Sec. 9. At least one Saturday in each month during which the public schools may r be In progress, shall be devoted to township institutes or model schools for improvement of teachers, and two Saturdays may be appropriated at the discretion of the tow'nship trustee of any -township; such institute shall be presided over by a teacher or other person designated by the trustee of the township. Tlie township trustee shall specify in a written contract with each teacher, that such teacher shall attend the full session of each institute contemplated herein, or forfeit one day’s wages for every day’s absence therefrom, unless such absence shall be occasioned by sickness. "•

_ Sec. 10. All Jaws and parts of laws in conflict with this act,' be and the same are hereby repealed. Provided, .the school examiu&fs of'the several counties sh.all discharge their duties until a superintendent shall be elected and qualified under this act. Sec. 11. an emergency exists for the immediate taking effect of this act, it, shall take effect tnjd be in force from and after its passage. t**