TITLE 15 Notice to be :iven Appointment of inhabitant o protect nterest Service of copy of own clerk said section, and the inhabitants shall have refused to direct che trustees to levy a tax for the payment of the costs, charges an expenses therein mentioned, it shall be lawful for him or them. then and there, to give notice orally and publicly, that he will ap peal to the county judge of the county; and in case of his disability to act in the matter by reason of being disqualified, or otherwise, then to the district attorney of the county in which the schoolhouse of said district is located, from the refusal of said meeting to vote a tax for the payment of said claim, and the inhabitants may, then and there, or at any subsequent district meeting, appoint one or more of the inhabitants of the district to protect the rights and interests of the district upon said appeal. And the officer or officers before mentioned shall thereupon, within 10 days, serve upon the clerk of said district (or if there be no such clerk, upon LeCount upon the town clerk of the town) a copy of the aforesaid account, so sworn to, together with a notice, in writing, that on a certain day therein specified he or they intend to present such account to the county judge or to the district attorney, as the case may be, for settlement. And the clerk shall record such notice, together with the copy of the account, and the same shall be subject to the inspection of the inhabitants of the district. And it shall be the duty of the person or persons appointed by any district meeting for that purpose, to appear before the county judge or the district attorney, as the case may be, on the day mentioned in the notice foresaid, and to protect the rights of the district upon such settlement; and the expenses incurred in the performance of this duty shall be a charge upon said district, and the trustees, upon presentation of the account of such expenses, with the proper voucher therefor, may levy, a tax therefor, or add the same to any other tax to be levied by them; and their refusal to levy said tax for the payment of said expenses, shall be subject to an appeal to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Record of notice Appearance before county udge or district attorney Levy of tax or expenses Hearing before county judge and decision thereupon - Costs Proviso as to payment $7 Upon the appearance of the parties, or upon due proof of service of the notice and copy of the account, the county judge shall examine into the matter and hear the proofs and allegations presented by the parties, and decide by order whether or not the account, or any and what portion thereof, ought justly be charged upon the district, with costs and disbursements to such officer or officers, in his discretion, which costs and disbursements shall not exceed the sum of $30, and the decision of the county judge shall be final; but no portion of such account shall be so ordered to be paid which shall appear to such judge to have arisen from the wil TITLE 15 correctness of ful neglect or misconduct of the claimant. The account with the Evidence of oath of the party claiming the same shall be prima facie evidence account of the correctness thereof. The county judge may adjourn the Adjournment hearing from time to time, as justice shall seem to require. of hearing order §8 It shall be the duty of the trustees of any school district, Record of within 30 days after service of a copy of such order upon them or upon the district clerk, and notice thereof to them, or any two of them, to cause the same to be entered at length in the book of record of said district, and to raise the amount thereby directed to be paid, by a tax upon the district, to be by them assessed and levied in the same manner as a tax voted by the district. ARTICLE 2 Changes in textbooks designation of §9 The boards of education, or such bodies as perform the func- Adoption and tions of such boards in the several cities, villages and union free textbooks school districts of this state, shall have power and it shall be their duty to adopt and designate textbooks to be used in the schools under their charge in their respective districts. In the common school districts in the state the textbooks to be used in the schools therein shall be designated at any annual school meeting by a two thirds vote of all the legal voters present and voting at such school meeting. textbooks §10 When a textbook shall have been adopted for use in any of Change of the public or common schools in this state, as provided in the ninth section of this title, it shall not be lawful to supersede the textbook so adopted by any other book within a period of five years from the time of such adoption, except upon a three fourths vote of the board of education, or of such body as performs the function of such board, where such board has made the designation, or upon a three fourths vote of the legal voters present and voting at the annual school meeting in any common school district. violation of §11 Any person or persons violating any of the provisions of this Penalty for act shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $50 nor more than provisions $100 for every such violation, to be sued for by any taxpayer of the school district, and recovered before any justice of the peace, said fine, when collected, to be paid to the collector or treasurer for the benefit of said school district. ARTICLE 3 Care of code of public instruction §12 The trustee or trustees of each school district are hereby Trustees made the custodians of the code of public instruction belonging of code custodians TITLE 15 in case of loss to such school district, and shall deliver the same to their successor Replacement or successors in office. And in case such copy of said code shall have been lost or destroyed through or by means of the fault or negligence of the trustee or trustees, the trustee so permitting the same to be lost or destroyed shall, at their own expense, procure a copy of the latest edition of the code of public instruction and deliver the same to their successor or successors in office in lieu of the copy so lost or destroyed. Penalty Contract for teaching children §13 Every trustee who fails to comply with the provisions of the foregoing section shall forfeit the sum of $25. This penalty shall be sued for by the supervisor of the town and shall be used in the purchase of books for the school library. ARTICLE 4 Contracts between school districts and boards of education in other districts, villages and cities §14 Whenever any school district, by a vote of a majority of the qualified voters present and voting thereon, shall empower the trustees or board of education thereof, the said trustees or board of education shall enter into a written contract with the trustees or boards of education consenting thereto, of any district, village. or city, whereby all or part of the children of such district may be entitled to be taught in the public schools of such city, village or school district for such period as said authorities may agree upon not exceeding one full school year. Upon filing a copy of such contract, duly certified by the trustees of each of such school districts, or by the secretary of the board of education of such city or village in the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, such school district shall, after such contract has been approved by the State Superintendent, be deemed to have employed a competent teacher for the period of such contract. Whenever the period of such contract or the period of such contract together with the time school is actually taught in said district shall amount to at least 160 days and the contract shall include all the children of school age in said district, said district shall be entitled to receive one distributive district quota; if said district maintains a home school and contracts for a part only of the children, it shall 'be entitled to one teacher's quota in addition to its district quota for not less than 12 pupils attending under such contract; but in no instance shall any school district receive a greater apportionment than the total expense incurred in payment of tuition and !As amended by chapter 265, laws of 1903, and by section 1, chapter 322, laws of 1904. transportation of pupils as shown by the report of the trustee to the school commissioner. 1815 The board of education of any city or village, and the trustees of any school district so contracting with any other school district, shall report for the pupils attending such schools from such adjoining districts to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the same as though they were residents of such city, village or school district. TITLE 15 to commis reports by §16 It shall be the duty of the Superintendent of Public Instruc- Instructions tion to give to school commissioners such directions as may, in his soners as to judgment, be required and proper in relation to the reports to be trustees made by the trustees of such districts to school commissioners. ARTICLE 5 Contracts with teachers be delivered to teachers 2817 All officers or boards of officers who shall employ any teacher Contracts to to teach in any of the public schools of this state shall, at the time of such employment, make and deliver to such teacher, or cause to be made and delivered, a contract in writing, signed by said officer, or by the members of said board, or by some person duly authorized by said board, to represent them in the premises, in which the detail of the agreement between the parties, and particularly the length of the term of employment, the amount of compensation and the time or times when such compensation shall be due and payable shall be clearly and definitely set forth. But Proviso nothing herein contained shall be deemed to abridge or otherwise affect the term of employment of any teacher now or hereafter employed in the public schools, nor to repeal or affect any provision of special laws concerning the employment or removal of teachers now in force in any particular locality. teachers, $18 The pay of any teacher employed in the public schools of Pay of this state shall be due and payable at least as often as at the end when due of each calendar month of the term of employment. ARTICLE 6 Physiology and hygiene in the public schools instruction of §19 The nature of alcoholic drinks and other narcotics and Provisions for their effects on the human system shall be taught in connection pupils with the various divisions of physiology and hygiene, as thoroughly as are other branches in all schools under state control or 'As amended by section 2, chapter 265, laws of 1903. 2As amended by section 20, chapter 264, laws of 1896. 3As amended by section 1, chapter 901, laws of 1896. TITLE 15 Minimum of time Oral instruction where permissible supported wholly or in part by public money of the state, and also in all schools connected with reformatory institutions. All pupils in the above mentioned schools below the second year of the high school and above the third year of school work computing from the beginning of the lowest primary, not kindergarten year, or in corresponding classes of ungraded schools, shall be taught and shall study this subject every year with suitable textbooks in the hands of all pupils, for not less than three lessons a week for 10 or more weeks, or the equivalent of the same in each year, and must pass satisfactory tests in this as in other studies, before promotion to the next succeeding year's work; except that where there are nine or more school years below the high school, the study may be omitted in all years above the eighth year and below the high school, by such pupils as have passed the required tests of the eighth year. In all schools above mentioned, all pupils in the lowest three primary, not kindergarten, school years or in corresponding classes in ungraded schools shall, each year, be instructed in this subject orally for not less than two lessons a week for 10 weeks, or the equivalent of the same in each year, by teachers using textbooks adapted for such oral instruction as a guide and standard, and such pupils must pass such tests in this as may be required in other studies before promotion to the next succeeding year's work. Nothing in this act shall be construed as prohibiting or requiring the teaching of this subject in kindergarten schools. The local school authorities shall provide needed facilities and definite time and place for this branch in the regular Duty of school courses of study. The textbooks in the pupils' hands shall be graded to the capacities of fourth year, intermediate, grammar and high school pupils, or to corresponding classes in ungraded schools. For students below high school grade, such textbooks shall give at least one fifth their space, and for students of high school grade, shall give not less than 20 pages, to the nature and effects of alcoholic drinks and other narcotics. This subject must be treated in the textbooks in connection with the various divisions of physiology and hygiene, and pages on this subject in a separate chapter at the end of the book shall not be counted in determining the minimum. No textbook on physiology not conforming to this act shall be used in the public schools, except so long as may be necessary to fulfill the conditions of any legal adoption existing at the time of the passage of this act. All Regents examinations in physiology and hygiene shall include a due proportion of questions on the nature of alcoholic drinks and other narcotics, and their effects on the human system. authorities Textbook requirements |