But this does not apply to cities of more than 30,000 inhabitants, nor is it lawful under this section to acquire title less than the whole of any city or village lot, with the erections thereon. if any, without the consent of such owners; nor beyond the corporate limits of cities, to any garden or orchard, or any part thereof, nor to any part of any yard or inclosure necessary to the use and enjoyment of buildings, or any fixtures or erections for the purposes of trade or manufactures, without the consent of the owners thereof. (123)

8. To vote a tax upon the taxable property of the district to purchase, lease and improve such sites or an addition to such sites; to hire or purchase rooms or buildings for school-rooms or school-houses, or to build school-houses; and to keep in repair and furnish the same with necessary fuel, furniture and appurtenances. (96, 126)

The district may vote to build a new schoolhouse without waiting for the commissioner to condemn the old one. (D 4337)

A school commissioner may by an order under his hand, reciting the reason, condemn a school-house, if he deems it wholly unfit for use and not worth repairing, and deliver the order to the trustees, or to one of them, and transmit a copy to the commissioner of education. Such order, if no time for its taking effect be stated in it, takes effect immediately. He must state therein what sum will, in his opinion, be necessary to erect a school-house capable of accommodating the children of the district. (115)

Immediately upon the receipt of said order, the trustees of such district must call a special meeting of the inhabitants of said district, for the purpose of considering the question of building a school-house thereon. Such meeting has power to determine the size of said school-house, the material to be used in its erection, and to vote a tax to build the same. But

such meeting has no power to reduce the estimate made by the commissioner aforesaid by more than 25% of such estimate. (115)

Where no tax for building such house has been voted by such district within 30 days from the time of holding the first meeting to consider the question, it is the duty of the trustees of such district to contract for the building of a school-house capable of accommodating the children of the district, and to levy a tax to pay for the same, which tax shall not exceed the sum estimated as necessary by the commissioner aforesaid, and which shall not be less than such estimated sum by more than 25% thereof. But such estimated sum may be increased by a vote of the inhabitants at any school meeting subsequently called and held according to law. (115)

No school-house may be built so as to stand on the division line of any two towns. (110)

No school-house may be erected in any city of the 3rd class or in any incorporated village or school district, and no addition to a school building in any such place may hereafter be erected, the cost of which shall exceed $500, or tax levied for the same, until the plans and specifications for the same have been submitted to the commissioner of education and his approval indorsed thereon. Such plans and specifications must show in detail the ventilation, heating and lighting of such buildings. (111)

Such plans must provide at least 15 square feet of floor space and 200 cubic feet of air space for each

pupil to be accommodated in each study or recitation room therein, and provision made for assuring at least 30 cubic feet of pure air every minute per pupil, and the facilities for exhausting the foul or vitiated air therein must be positive and independent of atmospheric changes. (116)

Such school-houses must also have all halls, doors, stairways, seats, passage-ways and aisles and all lighting and heating appliances and apparatus arranged to facilitate egress in cases of fire or accident and to afford the requisite and proper accommodations for public protection in such cases. All exit doors must open outwardly, and, must, if double doors be used, be fastened with movable bolts operated simultaneously by one handle from the inner face of the door. No staircase may be constructed with wider steps in lieu of a platform, but must be constructed with straight runs, changes in direction being made from platforms. No door may open immediately upon a flight of stairs, but a landing at least the width of the door must be provided between such stairs and such doorway. (111)

All school buildings in the state, other than in the city of New York, which are more than 2 stories high, must have properly constructed stairways on the outside thereof, with suitable doorways leading thereto, from each story above the first, for use in case of fire. Such stairways must be kept in good order and free from obstruction. (112)

It is the duty of the trustee or board of education having charge of said school buildings to cause such stairways to be constructed and maintained, and the reasonable and proper cost thereof are a legal charge upon the district or city, and must be raised by tax, as other moneys are raised for school purposes. (112)

8a. To vote such taxes as they deem expedient for making additions, alterations or improvements to or in the sites or structures belonging to the district, or for the purchase of other sites or structures, or for a change of sites, or for the erection of new buildings, or for buying apparatus, or fixtures, or for paying the wages of teachers and the necessary expenses of the school, or for such other purpose relating to the support and welfare of the school as they may, by resolution, approve. (126)

To vote a tax, not exceeding $25 in any one year, for the purchase of maps, globes, blackboards and other school apparatus, and for the purchase of text-books and other school necessaries for the use of poor scholars in the district. (96, 126)

This section does not authorize the adoption of free text-books. (229) It has been held in Illinois that in the absence of a constitutional provision or of a statute giving authority, no board of education may expend money to buy books to give or to loan to children. (Kill vs. Harris, Cook county C. C. Nov. 23, 1901). See page 39.

10. To vote a tax for the establishment of a school library and the maintenance thereof, or for the support of any school library already owned by said district, and for the purchase of books therefor, and such sum as they may deem necessary for the purchase of a bookcase. (96, 126, 1047)

By majority vote at any election, any city, village,

town, school district, or other body authorized to levy and collect taxes, or by vote of its common council, or by action of a board of estimate and apportionment or other proper authority, any city, or by vote of its trustees. any village, may establish and maintain a free public library, with or without branches, either by itself or in connection with any other body authorized to maintain such library. (1028, 1047)

Whenever 25 taxpayers so petition, the question of providing library facilities must be voted on at the next election or meeting at which taxes may be voted, provided that due public notice shall have been given of the proposed action. A municipality or district named in this section may raise money by tax to establish and maintain a public library or libraries, or to provide a building or rooms for its or their use, or to share the cost as agreed with other municipal or district bodies, or to pay for library privileges under a contract therefor. It may also acquire real or personal property for library purposes by gift, grant, devise or condemnation, and may take, buy, sell, hold and transfer either real or personal property and administer the same for public library purposes. (1028)

By majority vote at any election any municipality or district or by three-fourths vote of its council, any city, or any public library in the university, or any designated branch thereof, if so authorized by such vote of a municipality, district, or council, or any combination of such voting bodies, may accept gifts, grants, devises or bequests for public library purposes on condition that a specified annual appropriation shall thereafter be made, by the municipality or district or combination so authorizing such acceptance for maintenance of such library or branches thereof. (1029, 1047)

Such acceptance, when approved by the regents of the university, and in a school not subject to their visitation