Page images
PDF
EPUB

4. To designate a site or such number of sites LOCATE SITES. as may be desired for school houses, and to change the same when necessary.

5. To direct the purchasing or leasing of a site or sites, lawfully determined upon; also the building, hir

DIRECT PUR- ing or purchasing of a school house or houses, or the enlarging of a site or sites previously established.

CHASING OF
SITES, ETC.

FOR BUILDING

PURPOSES.

6. To vote such tax as the meeting may deem sufficient for purchasing or leasing a site or sites, or for TAX FOR SITES building, hiring or purchasing a school house or houses; but the amount of taxes to be raised in any district for the purpose of purchasing or building a school house or houses in the same year that any bonded indebtedness is incurred, shall not exceed, in districts containing less than ten children between the ages of five and twenty years, two hundred and fifty dollars; in districts having between ten and thirty children of like age, it shall not exceed five hundred dollars; and in districts having between thirty and fifty children of like age, it shall not exceed one thousand dollars. (See also Chap. X.)

7. To impose such tax as shall be necessary to keep their school house or houses in repair, and to provide

TAX FOR RE

ESSARY AP

PENDAGES.

PAIRS OR NEC- the necessary appendages and school apparatus; in districts having district libraries, to provide for the support of the same, and to pay and discharge any debts or liabilities of the district lawfully incurred, and also to pay for the services of any district officer. The tax herein authorized to be voted shall not exceed onehalf the amount which the district is authorized to raise for building school houses. (See also Chap. X.)

8. To authorize and direct the sale of any school house, site, building or other property belonging to the district, when the same shall no longer be needed for the use of the district.

SALE OF
SCHOOL

PROPERTY.

SUITS

AGAINST

DISTRICT.

9. To give such directions and make such provisions as they shall deem necessary in relation to the prosecution or defense of any suit or proceeding in which the district may be a party or interested. 10. To appoint, as in their discretion it may be necessary, a building committee to perform such duties in supervising the work of building a school house as they, by vote, may direct.

BUILDING
COMMITTEE.

SCHOOL YEAR.

11. At the first and the annual meetings only, to determine the length of time a school shall be taught LENGTH OF in their district during the ensuing year, which shall not be less than nine months in districts having eight hundred children over five and under twenty years of age, and not less than five months in all other districts, on pain of forfeiture of their share of the primary school interest fund (Act 15, 1895). But in case such matters shall not be determined at the first or annual meetings, the district board shall determine the same; and in case the district fails to vote for at least the minimum length required herein, the district board shall make provisions for said minimum length of school.

ONE-MJLL TAX.

12. To appropriate any surplus moneys arising from the one mill tax (after having maintained a school SURPLUS OF in the district at least eight months in the school year), for the purpose of purchasing and enlarging school sites, or for building or repairing school houses, or for purchasing library books, globes, maps and other school apparatus, or for any incidental expenses of the school (4665).

13. By a two-thirds vote of the qualified electors present

BORROW
MONEY.

at any annual meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose, to borrow money and issue bonds to pay for a schoolhouse site or sites, and

to erect and furnish school building (4707).

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

CHAPTER V.

SCHOOL OFFICERS.

In Primary Districtx.

At the first meeting in each newly organized school district there is elected a moderator for a term of three years, a director for a term of two years, and an assessor for a term of one year. By arranging in this way, the term of office of one expires each year and the length of each term is three years (4666).

All school officers must be chosen by ballot to be legally elected. This provision is mandatory and must HOW ELECTED. be observed (75 Mich. 143). All ballots cast under statutory requirements are formal and final. There can be no such thing as an informal ballot. If on a first ballot a person receives a majority of all the votes cast, there is an election and the vote cannot be repeated (78 Mich. 635). Officers who were chosen unanimously (viva voce) at a regularly called meeting, and who have qualified and are acting, are officers de facto and the public interest demands that they shall not be disturbed (75 Mich. 143).

School officers cannot be elected by a bare plurality vote. In electing officers the district acts in its corporate capacity, and no corporate action can be had without the concurrence of the majority (Atty. Gen., July 18, 1877).

PLURALITY
VOTE DOES
NOT ELECT.

The moderator, director, and assessor shall constitute the district board. Meetings of the board may be called by any member thereof, by serving on the other members a written notice of the time and

[graphic]

FUND.

14. To decide by a two-thirds vote of the tax-paying voters TRANSFER TO of the district, to use money for some purpose ANOTHER other than that for which it was raised (4676). 15. To designate by a two-thirds vote of those present, such number of sites as may be desired for school SCHOOL SITES. houses (5114).

16. By a two-thirds vote, to establish a district library

ESTABLISH

LIBRARY.

(4756).

17. To vote to furnish free text-books to all the pupils of FURNISH the district (4775).

TEXT-BOOKS.

18. To vote to close school house against public meetings CLOSE SCHOOL (4678).

HOUSE.

Qualified Voters at District Meetings.

The qualification of voters at school meetings is limited to citizens of the United States, and of the state, township and school district in which such citizens offer to vote. The legal qualification of voters at school meetings is a subject of much discussion and controversy, and we give below carefully prepared statements of the necessary qualifications: 1. On all questions which do not directly involve the raising of money by a tax, all citizens, male or NOT INVOLV- female, who have resided in the district the three months next preceding the school meeting, who are twenty-one years of age and are parents or legal guardians of children included in the school census, may vote (4662).

QUESTIONS

ING RAISING

OF MONEY.

2. All citizens, male or female, who are twenty-one years of age and are the owners of property assessed

PROPERTY
QUALIFICA-
TION.

for school taxes, may vote on all questions at district meetings.

3. In township districts and in several cities organized by special legislative enactment, the right to vote BARRED FROM is given only to those who are qualified voters for township and city officers. The legal voters

WOMEN

VOTING.

« PreviousContinue »