tion of the trustee or trustees, be used for such purposes; but when any of the taxable inhabitants of a district object to the using of the schoolhouse for religious services, Sunday-school, lodge or society meetings, etc., the trustee or trustees have not the authority to permit the schoolhouse to be used for such purposes. Where a schoolhouse is given for such use, upon appeal in due form to the Commissioner of Education, the trustees of such district will be restrained from permitting the schoolhouse to be used for such purposes.

Trustees Shall Keep Accounts.— Trustees are directed by law to procure a blank-book in which they shall keep a correct account of all moneys received or disbursed by them, and of all orders drawn upon the supervisor, collector, or treasurer.

Trustees Must Make Annual Reports to District.- Trustees are required by law to make a written report to the annual meeting of the district. This report must cover all official business transacted by them during the year. It must show the amount of money the district received from the State, the amount of money raised by tax upon the district, and the amount received from all other sources. It must also contain a detailed statement of all money paid out, to whom paid, and the purposes for which it was paid.

Trustees Must Make Annual Report to District Superintendent.- Trustees are required by law to make an annual report on the first day of August to the district superintendent in writing, and in the form prescribed by the Commissioner of Education. Blanks are provided for this purpose and the report must include such general statistics as the Commissioner of Education requires. If the district is a joint district, trustees must make a report for each of the counties in which the district is located. This report must be filed with the town clerk of the town in which the schoolhouse is located.

Trustees Must Pay Balance to Their Successors.— A trustee should pay immediately, upon the expiration of his term of office, to his successor, all moneys in his hands belonging to the district.

Refusal of Trustees to Render Account.- Any trustee who shall willfully neglect or refuse to make an annual accounting forfeits any unexpired part of his term of office and becomes liable to the trustees of the district for any money of the district in his possession. It is the duty of the trustees to sue such

former trustee for such moneys, and when it is recovered to apply it for the use of the district.

Certain Acts of Trustees Misdemeanors.- Any trustee or trustees who shall give an order upon the supervisor of their town, or the collector or treasurer of their district, for payment of teachers' salaries when there is not sufficient money applicable thereto in the hands of such officers is guilty of a misdemeanor.

A trustee who appropriates public money for the payment of the salary of a teacher who is not legally qualified is also guilty of a misdemeanor.

Moneys a Trustee May Receive. A trustee has no authority to receive or hold any of the public money apportioned to his district by the State, nor to receive or hold any of the money raised by local tax upon the district. This money must be received and held by the officers designated by law for that purpose, and paid by them upon the orders of the trustees. A trustee may receive money from the sale of real or personal property of the district, from insurance due the district, from bonds of the district issued and sold by him, from tuition fees, and from other sources. When a district has a treasurer who has given sufficient bond, all such moneys received by the trustee should be immediately paid over to the treasurer.

Liabilities of Trustees.- Trustees are responsible to their districts for any loss which the district sustains through their carelessness or neglect.

Interest in Contracts Prohibited. A trustee must not be personally interested in any contract which he makes in behalf of the district.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Who is the most important officer of a school district? Why? What acts should he execute? What is his duty in relation to special meetings? When may trustees give notice of school-district meetings? What is the duty of the trustees in relation to tax lists and warrants to collectors? When may trustees purchase or lease a site? When may they purchase or build a school-house? What amount may they expend for fuel, heating apparatus, school apparatus, furniture, etc., without a vote of the district? Who is the custodian of school property? What is the duty of trustees in relation to insuring property? What is the duty of trustees in regard to insuring libraries? What is the duty of trustees in relation to employing teachers? When may a trustee remove a teacher? Who may establish

rules for the discipline and government of a school? Who can determine how such rules shall be enforced? Whose duty is it to provide courses of study for schools? By what orders may trustees pay teachers? When may trustees levy a tax in advance for teachers' salaries? For what period in advance may the salary of teachers be raised by tax? May a trustee raise such money without a vote of the district?

What is the duty of trustees in relation to the erection and care of waterclosets? What is the penalty for a failure or refusal to comply with this provision? What amount may be expended by trustees in erecting such buildings? Who should keep school buildings in repair? What amount may be expended without vote of the district? What is the requirement in relation to staircases for school buildings? When should trustees abate nuisances? What is the duty of trustees in relation to cleaning rooms and employing janitors? What amount may trustees expend for a dictionary, maps, globes, or other school apparatus? When may trustees establish temporary or branch schools? For what purposes may trustees permit the use of school buildings? What is the rule relative to the use of school buildings for religious or similar purposes?

What record of accounts must trustees keep? To whom must trustees make reports? What must these reports show? With whom must the report to a district superintendent be filed? What should trustees do with district funds in their possession upon the expiration of their term of office? What is the penalty for a refusal of a trustee to render an account as required by law? What acts of trustees are misdemeanors? What moneys has a trustee no right to receive? What money may a trustee receive? What should he do with such money? For what are trustees responsible to their district? What prohibition does the law make as to contracts?

Eligibility. To be eligible to hold the office of clerk, collector, or treasurer of any common-school district a person must be a resident of the district and qualified to vote at its meetings and must also be able to read and write. Women possessing the above qualifications are eligible to these offices the same as men. These officers are prohibited from holding the office of trustee. If a person holding one of the above offices should accept the office of trustee, he would vacate the office held at the time he accepted the office of trustee.

Term of Office. The term of office of clerk, collector, or treasurer is one year, and in a new district the term of office of these officers elected at the first meeting expires on the thirtyfirst day of July succeeding the date of such meeting and the date of the annual meeting.

Election.

These officers must be elected by ballot at the annual meeting in the same manner that trustees are elected, and that is described fully in the chapter on trustees under the heading "Election.”

Notice of Election.- If any person elected to the office of clerk, collector, or treasurer should be present at the meeting at which such election occurred, his presence at such meeting is considered sufficient notice of his election. The clerk of the district, or the person acting as clerk, should immediately notify in writing the persons elected to these offices, of their election, and unless a written refusal to serve is filed by such persons within five days from the date on which they received notice of such election, they are deemed to have accepted the office to which they were elected.

Penalty for Refusing to Serve.— Any qualified person elected or appointed to the office of clerk, collector, or treasurer, who files a refusal to serve, forfeits $5; and any such person elected or appointed to any such offices, who does not file a refusal to serve, but who neglects or refuses to perform the duties of the office to which he was chosen, forfeits $10 and vacates the office. Bar to Recovery of Penalty.- Whenever a person elected to the office of clerk, collector, or treasurer shall file with the district superintendent having jurisdiction his resignation of such office and the district superintendent shall accept it and shall file such resignation and his acceptance thereof with the district clerk, such action is a bar to the recovery of any penalty for refusal to serve.

Vacancies. 1. A collector or treasurer vacates his office by not executing, as required by law, a bond to the trustees, and where these offices become vacant for this or any other cause, or where there is a vacancy in the office of district clerk, such vacancies may be supplied by appointment by the trustees of the district. The persons appointed to fill these vacancies may serve in such offices until the next annual meeting of the district and until other officers are elected and assume their duties.

2. Such officers may resign at a district meeting. They may also file a resignation with the district superintendent. If such officer approves the same in writing and files the resignation and his approval with the district clerk the officer is deemed to have resigned.

Filing and Notice of Appointment.— Whenever an appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of the clerk, collector, or treasurer is made by the trustees of a district, such trustees should immediately file such appointment with the district clerk, who should immediately notify the person appointed of his appoint

ment.

Removal from Office. For sufficient reasons the Commissioner of Education may remove a clerk, collector, or treasurer from office. The proceedings are the same as in the removal of a trustee.

CLERK

Duties.-I. The clerk should keep a correct record of the proceedings of all district meetings, and record in a book pro