CHAPTER XXVI

Village Schools

Some special provisions are made for union free school districts when their boundaries are coterminous with those of a village. Except as mentioned in this chapter the school law is the same with regard to village schools as in regard to union free school districts not coterminous with a village.

We have already mentioned that in such school districts: (a) The election is at the same time with the regular charter election. (22)

(b) A change in the number of members of the board must be made at a special election. (226)

(c) The annual meeting is the Tuesday next after the charter election. (225)

In any union free school district within the limits of which there is territory of 2 or more incorporated villages, the board of trustees of any village whose entire district is within said school district may call a special meeting of the voters, duly qualified under this chapter to vote at a school meeting, to determine whether that portion of any such school district comprising the village holding such special meeting, shall be separated from such school district and be a separate union free school district with limits corresponding with the limits of such village. (28)

Notice of the time and place of any such special meeting must be published by the board of trustees calling the same, once a week for 2 successive weeks in each newspaper actually

printed and published in such village, and if there be no such newspaper published in such village, such notice shall then be given by posting in at least 10 conspicuous places in said village. (28)

When a union free school district contained parts of two villages, one of the villages may not reduce its boundaries by excluding the part outside the district to enable it to vote on the question of withdrawal from the school district. NE 26)

(86

The village clerk of the village holding such special meeting shall cause to be prepared and furnished for the use of the voters at any such special meeting ballots, which shall conform as near as may be to the election law, in favor of and against organizing the territory within such village into a separate school district. The members of the board of trustees of any village holding such special meeting shall act as inspectors and shall canvass the votes cast, and if a majority thereof shall be in favor of constituting the territory within such village a separate school district said board of trustees shall forthwith certify the result of such canvass to the school commissioner of the school commissioner district in which such village is situated; and said school commissioner shall thereupon declare by certificate under his hand the territory within such village limits a separate school district and designate it as union free school district number... ......of the town of.

...(29)

If at the time of the organization of any school district as thus provided and the election of a board of education, there shall be any outstanding bonded or other indebtedness chargeable against the school district of which the territory so separately organized was a part, the school commissioner must apportion said indebtedness between the newly organized district and the remaining portion of the old district according to the assessed valuation of each and the amounts of said indebtedness so apportioned become a charge for principal and interest upon the respective districts as though the same had been incurred by said districts separately. (30)

Nothing herein must prevent any child of school age residing in any part of a school district so divided from attending school in the part of the district remaining after any such decision until the close of the school year in which such division was made, provided, however, that the tax for said school year has theretofore been levied on the real and personal property of the school district before the division for the support of such school for the current school year. (31)

The corporate authorities of any incorporated village or city in which a union free school is established, have power, and it is their duty, to raise, from time to time, by tax, to be levied upon all the real and personal property in said city or village, as by law provided for the defraying of the expenses of its municipal government, such sum as the board of education established therein shall declare necessary for teachers' wages and the ordinary contingent expenses of supporting the schools of said district.

(247)

The sums so declared necessary must be set forth in a detailed statement in writing, addressed to the corporate authorities by the board of education, giving the various purposes of anticipated expenditure, and the amount necessary for each; and the said corporate authorities have no power to withhold the sums so declared to be necessary. (247)

Such corporate authorities have power, and it is their duty to raise, from time to time, by tax as aforesaid, any such further sum to be set forth in a detailed statement in writing, addressed to the corporate authorities by the board of education, giving the various purposes of the proposed expenditure, and the amount necessary for each which may have been or which may hereafter be authorized by a majority of the voters of such union free school district present and voting at any special district meeting duly convened. (126, 247) These provisions apply to all union free schools heretofore organized (248)

It will be observed that the board of education still has power to name the amount necessary for teachers' wages and contingent expenses. (244)

All moneys raised for the use of the union free schools in any city or incorporated village, or apportioned to the same from the income of the literature, common school or United States deposit funds, or

otherwise, must be paid into the treasury of such city or village to the credit of the board of education therein; and the funds so received into such treasury must be kept separate and distinct from any other funds received into the said treasury. (233)

The officer having the charge thereof must give such additional security for the safe custody thereof as the corporate authorities of such city or village may require. No money may be drawn from such funds, credited to the several boards of education, unless in pursuance of a resolution of said board, and on drafts drawn by the president and countersigned by the secretary or clerk, payable to the order of the persons entitled to receive such money, and stating on their face the purpose or service for which such moneys have been authorized to be paid by the said board of education. (233)

Other union free school districts have their own treasurer. (174)

Facilities for instruction in natural history, geography and kindred subjects, by means of pictorial representation and lectures, are free to the common schools of each city and village of the state that has, or may have a superintendent of common schools. (780)

The local school authorities may, in their discretion, cause the aforesaid illustrated lectures to be repeated to their artisans, mechanics and other citizens on the legal holidays and at other times.

(780)

The annual report of each school superintendent to the department of education must contain a full statement of the extent to which the instructions described may be given and his judgment of the usefulness of the same. (781)

In other union free schools this privilege has been granted only payment of necessary expenses (780), but is to be extended.

The real estate owned by a free public library, situate in any village of the 3d or 4th class, may not

be taxed as to that portion thereof leased or otherwise used for purposes of income, when such income is necessary for and actually applied to the maintenance and support of such library. (62: 1909)

When bonds are sold by a union free school district whose boundaries are coterminous with these of an incorporated village or city, such bonds must be signed by the president and clerk of the board of education and delivered to the treasurer of such village or city, who countersigns them and gives notice of the sale thereof in like manner as in the union schools. (430)

The proceeds of the sale of such bonds must be paid into the treasury of said incorporated village or city, to the credit of the board of education. (430)

A board employing a superintendent of schools, may establish, maintain, direct and control one or more training schools or classes for the professional instruction and training of teachers in the principles of education and in the method of instruction for not less than 38 weeks in each school year. (645)

Other union free schools can maintain teachers' classes only when designated by the commissioner of education. (640)

In cities, and villages of 5,000 population employing a superintendent, the lower age of compulsory attendance is 7 instead of 8, as in other districts. (530)

In all villages children of the age of 12 and over may be employed during the summer vacation (Labor Law, Sec. 70-76, 161-67).

This is not permitted in other districts. See page 187.