money appropriated to any district which shall be forfeited (and the forfeiture not remitted,) or which shall remain unexpended, may be divided by the committee among the districts the following year.

SEC. 22. They shall prepare and submit annually-first, a report to the Commissioner of Public Schools on or before the first day of July in manner and form by him prescribed-se ondly, a written or printed report to the town at the annual town meeting when the School Committee is chosen, setting forth their doings, the state and condition of the Schools, and plans for their improvement, which report (unless printed) shall be read in open town meeting. And the Committee may reserve annually out of the public appropriation a sum not exceeding twenty dollars to defray the expense of printing their report.

TOWN TREASURER.

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SEC. 23. The Town Treasurer shall receive the money due from the State Treasury, and shall keep a separate account of all money appropriated by the State or town or otherwise for Public Schools, and shall pay the same to the order of the School Committee. shall within one week after the town meeting at which the Committee are elected, submit to them a statement of all monies in his hands belonging to Schools, specifying the sources whence derived, and to what districts, if any, belonging.

TOWN CLERK.

SEC. 24. The Town Clerk shall record the boundaries of school districts and all alterations thereof, in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall distribute such school documents and blanks as may be sent to him to the persons for whom they are intended.

DISTRICT MEETINGS.

SEC. 25. Notice of the time, place and object of holding the first meeting of a district for organization, or for a meeting to choose officers or transact other business, in case there be no Trustees authorized to call a meeting, shall be given by the School Committee of the town, at any time they may deem proper.

SEC. 26. Every school district when organized shall hold an annual meeting in the month of April or May of each year, for choice of officers and transaction of any other business relating to schools.

SEC. 27. The Trustees may call a special meeting for election

or other business at any time, and shall call one to be held within seven days on the written request of any five qualified voters, stating the object for which they wish it called; and if the Trustees neglect or refuse to call a special meeting when requested, the School Committee may call it and fix the time therefor.

SEC. 28. District meetings shall be held at the school house unless otherwise ordered by the district. If there be no school house or place appointed by the district, the Trustees, or if there be no Trustees, the School Committee, shall determine the place, which shall always be within the district.

SEC. 29. Notice of the time and place of every annual meeting, and of the time, place and object of every special meeting, shall be given for five days inclusive before holding the same.

SEC. 30. The Trustees shall give notice of a district meeting, either by publishing the same in a newspaper published in the dis trict, or by putting the notice on the district school house or on a sign post within the district, or if there be no newspaper, school house or sign post, then in such manner as the School Committee may direct: provided however that the district may from time to time prescribe the mode of notifying meetings, and the Trustees shall conform thereto. When the meeting is called by the School Committee, they shall direct when and how the notice shall be given. If in any case appealed to the Commissioner, he shall be satisfied that full and actual notice has been given and that no injustice will be done thereby, he may waive the compliance with the strict requirements of this section.

SEC. 31. Every district meeting may appoint a Moderator and adjourn from time to time.

SEC. 32. Every person residing in the district may vote in district. meetings to the same extent and with the same restrictions as he would at the time be qualified to vote in town meeting provided, that no person shall vote upon any question of taxation of property or expending money thereby, unless he shall have paid or be liable to pay a portion of the tax. And the clerk shall record the number and names of the persons voting and on which side of the question, at the request of any qualified voter.

POWERS OF DISTRICTS.

SEC. 33. Every school district shall be a body corporate, and shall be known by its number or other suitable or ordinary designation, and shall have power

SEC. 34. To prosecute and defend in all actions, to purchase, receive, hold and corvey any real or personal property for school purposes, and to establish and maintain a school library.

SEC. 35 To build, purchase, hire and repair school houses, and supply the same with blackboards, maps, furniture and other necessary and useful appendages, and t, insure the house and appendages against damage by fire: Provided that the erection and repairs of the school house be made according to the plans approved by the School Committee or Commissioner of Public Schools.

SEC. 36. To raise money by tax on the rateable property of the district to support schools and to carry out the powers given them by this act; Provided, that the amount of the tax shall be approved by the School Committee of the town. All such taxes shall be collected by the district or town collector in the same manner as town taxes are collected.

SEC. 37. To elect a Clerk, either one or three Trustees as they may decide, a Treasurer and Collector, and to fill vacancies in either of said offices arising from death, declining or refusing to serve, resignation, removal from office or from the district, or otherwise, and if an election of any of said officers be not made at the time prescribed for the annual meeting, it may be done at any legally notified meeting afterward. The Clerk, Collector and Treasurer shall have the same power and perform the same duties as the Clerk, Collector and Treasurer of a town. But the Collector and Treasurer need not give bond unless required by the district, and any district may vote to place the collection of any district tax or rate bill in the hands of the collector of town taxes, who shall thereupon without any new bond or engagement be fully authorized to proceed and collect the

same.

SEC. 38. If any School district shall neglect to organize, or if organized shall for the space of six months neglect to establish a school and employ a teacher, the School Committee of the town may them

selves or by an agent establish a school in the district school house or elsewhere in their discretion, and employ a teacher. And any district may, with the consent of the Committee, devolve all the powers and duties relating to public schools in the district on the Committee.

TRUSTEES.

SEC. 39. The Trustees of School districts are authorized, and it shall be their duty

SEC. 40. To have the custody of the School house and other district property to employ one or more qualified teachers for every fifty scholars in average daily attendance, provide school rooms and fuel, to visit the schools twice at least during each term, and notify the Committee or Superintendent of the time of opening and closing the school.

SEC. 41. To see that the scholars are properly supplied with books, and in case they are not, and the parents, guardians or masters have been notified thereof by the teacher, to provide the same at the expense of the district, and add the same to the next rate bill of such person.

SEC. 42. To make out the tax bill and rate bills for tuition against the persons liable to pay the same, and to deliver the same to the collector with a warrant by them signed annexed thereto, requiring him to collect and pay over the same to the Treasurer of the district.

SEC. 43. To make returns to the School Committee in manner and form prescribed by them or by the Commissioner of Public Schools, or as may be required by law, and perform all other lawful acts required of them by the district, or necessary to carry into full effect the powers and duties of districts.

SEC. 44. Trustees shall receive no compensation for services out of the money received from either the State or town appropriations, nor in any way unless raised by tax by the district.

TAXES.

SEC. 45. District taxes shall be levied on the ratable property of the district according to its value in the town assessment then last made, unless the district shall direct it to be levied upon the next town assessment. And no notice shall be required to be given by the Trustees. But whenever any real estate in the district is assessed in

the town tax bill with real estate out of the district, so that there is no distinct or separate value upon it, or in case of any person removing into the district possessing personal property, or in case from death or sale of property a division and apportionment be necessary, or upon application of the party interested in case of investment of personal property in real estate, or in case of property omitted in the town valuation, the Trustees, if they cannot agree with the parties interested, shall call upon one or more of the town assessors not interested and not residing in the district, who shall assess the value of the estate so situated: and the assessors shall give notice by putting up notices for ten days in three most public places in or near the district. And after notice is given as aforesaid, no person neglecting to appear before the assessor or assessors shall have any remedy for being over taxed.

SEC. 46. If a district tax shall be voted, assessed, approved of, and a contract legally entered into under it, or such contract be legally entered into without such vote, assessment or approval, and said district shall thereafter neglect or refuse to proceed and collect a tax, the Commissioner of Public Schools, after notice and hearing the parties, may appoint assessors to assess a tax, and issue a warrant to the collector of the district, or to a collector by him appointed, authorizing and requiring him to proceed and collect said

tax.

SEC. 47. Errors in assessing a tax may be corrected, or the tax re-assessed in such manner as may be directed or approved by the Commissioner of Public Schools.

SEC. 48. When any person having paid a tax for building or repairing a school house in one district, shall by alteration of boundaries of districts, become liable to pay a tax in any other district, such abatement may be made therein, (if such person cannot agree with the district) as the School Committee (or in case of a district composed from different towns, the School Commissioner) may under the circumstances deem just and proper.

APPORTIONMENT OF PROPERTY, &c.

SEC. 49. When any two or more districts shall be consolidated into one, the new district shall own all the corporate property of the several districts; and when a district is divided and a portion