All actual resident taxpayers are voters in district, except married women and minors. The county school tax is not to be less than two nor more than eight mills. All fines for breach of penal laws are applied to support of schools. The interest on proceeds of sales of public lands is apportioned to the counties by the treasurer of the Territory in the ratio of number of children between 5 and 21. The county superintendent apportions money to the subdistricts, onehalf equally and one-half per capita. No subdistrict having less than 10 children of school age entitled to share. Teachers must hold certificate from county examiners, and are charged a fee of $3 therefor. ΜΟΝΤΑΝΑ. School laws to 1877. A superintendent of public instruction is to be appointed by the governor and council for two years, with power to adopt a course of study, as well as rules and regulations, for the schools. A superintendent is elected by the people for each county biennially. Counties are divided into school districts, and new districts may be formed by county superintendents on petition. Each district elects a board of three trustees and a clerk. The trustees are elected, one each year, to serve three years. Vacancies are filled by county superintendent. Taxable electors are voters in the district. The clerk is to take census of children between 4 and 21, Indians not included. The schools are to be open for the admission of all children between 5 and 21, residents of the district. Separate schools may be provided for colored children. The school month is 20 days, or 4 weeks of 5 days each. The school day is 6 hours, but teachers may dismiss all under 8 years after 4 hours. County institutes are to be held annually in counties of 10 or more districts, sessions from 2 to 5 days, and teachers are required to attend. Teachers must hold certificates from the county superintendent. The trustees may establish high schools by vote of district. The school revenue is the interest on proceeds of sales of public lands, and of fines, a county tax of from 3 to 5 mills, and an optional district tax. No district is entitled to share unless 3 months' school has been kept up and a duly licensed teacher has been employed. NEW MEXICO. No district school system appears to have been adopted in this Terri tory, and whatever laws are found are fragmentary and crude. There is a provision for the election of four supervisors for each county, who are to have sole and entire control of the schools and school funds. A poll tax of $1 is imposed upon every male over 21, to be applied exclusively for schools, and there is a further provision that in the settlement of the accounts of each county at stated periods any surplus remaining to credit of county in excess of $500 is to be transferred to the school fund. A few years since a bill for the establishment of a free public school system passed one branch of the legislature, but was defeated in the other. Apparently there is a sharp contest between sectarianism and the friends of the free school system. UTAH. School laws to 1878. The territorial superintendent is elected biennially and a superintend ent for each county at the same time. The county court is to divide each county into school districts. Each district elects a board of three trustees, with the usual powers and duties, to serve for 2 years. The county court also appoints a board of examination to examine and license teachers. Text books are prescribed by the territorial and county superintend ents and the president of the University of Deseret, meeting in convention for that purpose. School terms are arranged by the consentient action of the county superintendents and the trustees of their several counties. The territorial school tax 'is 3 mills. The district trustees assess a tax of 4 of 1 per cent., which may, by a two-thirds vote of district, be increased to not, exceeding 3 per cent.' The territorial tax is apportioned by superintendent according to the number of children between 6 and 16, which number is ascertained by an annual school census taken by the district trustees. WASHINGTON. School laws to 1877. A superintendent of public instruction is appointed by the governor and council for a term of two years, also one person from each judicial district, who with the superintendent constitute the board of education The board are to prescribe text books and rules for the government of the schools, sit as a board of examination, and grant teachers' certifi cates. 1 1 Apparently to supplement the sums derived from these two sources there is an annual territorial appropriation of $20,000, with the proceeds from a tax on railroads and from the sale of estrays. The county superintendent is elected biennially, who with two persons selected by him constitutes a county board of examination. Districts are established by the county superintendents on petition of residents. Each district elects a board of three directors, one to be elected each year for three years. Every person who has resided in the district for three months next preceding the meeting may vote, whether male or female. Two or more districts may unite to establish graded schools, or any single district may have them. A city or town of 500 or more school children is required to establish such schools, and one with 400 inhabi tants may compel the attendance of children between 8 and 16 years old at least 6 months each year. Every district of 15 or more children of school age must maintain at least three months' school each year to entitle it to apportionment. The school month is 4 weeks of 5 days each. The school day, 6 hours; for primary schools, 4 hours. Teachers' institutes are to be held in each county with 10 or more districts annually and one for the whole Territory must also be held annually by the territorial superintendent. Text books, when adopted, are not to be changed for five years. Districts may vote tax, not to exceed 10 mills, to maintain their schools or furnish additional school facilities; meetings for this purpose not to exceed two in any year. All other school moneys are apportioned to the districts in proportion to their number of youth of school age (4-21), as reported by the district clerks. WYOMING. School laws to 1878. The territorial librarian is superintendent of schools. The county superintendent is elected by people, and is to divide his county into districts. Each district is to elect a board of three trustees, one to be elected each year for three years. The trustees are to choose of their own number a director, treasurer, and clerk. All citizens and taxpayers over 21 who have resided in district for 30 days are voters, women included. Women may also hold office. The district determines number and length of schools, provides houses and may vote money therefor, and may raise not exceeding $100 for library. The district board are to make all contracts, and, with county super. intendent, may establish graded schools. The schools are to be free to all children between 7 and 21.1 Where 1 Three months' attendance annually in some school is made a duty (unless in the case of invalids and others excused by the school board) for all children of school age; and parents or guardians who neglect or refuse to send to school children between 7 and 16 years of age are liable to a fine of $25 for every offense against this rule. there are 15 or more colored children in any district separate schools may be provided. No discrimination in pay of teachers is to be made on account of sex. A county tax of 2 mills is to be levied annually. CONCLUSION. Like all other statutes, the school laws of the States are subject to change or amendment at the will of the legislatures. In no State is the system claimed to be perfect; but, on the contrary, the reports of the State and other supervisory officers freely criticise the workings of the systems and frequently suggest amendments. In the Report of the Commissioner of Education for 1875 will be found a brief statement of the system in each of the States. A comparison of these with the present will show that few changes have been made in many of the States, and that where they have occurred they are mainly in details. In a few States changes have been made which are not in the direction of progress. The history of the common school system, however, shows that wher ever the free school system has once obtained a foothold no retrograde movement can be permanently successful. Local or sectional prejudices may retard its progress, but the good sense of the people will in the end triumph over all obstacles. 236 |