EMPLOY

5. To employ such officers and servants as may be necessary, for the management of the schools and school property, and to prescribe their duties and fix their compensation.

JANITORS,

ETC.

6. To publish, previous to the third Monday of September, in one or more newspapers of the district, a full and itemized financial statement of the receipts and expenditures of the district during the year just preceding (4800).

Board of Education of Township Districts.

The board of education of a township district consists of two trustees, with the clerk and school inspectHOW ELECTED. Ors of the township. Said trustees are elected by ballot at the annual township meeting of the township, upon the same ticket and canvassed in the same manner as the vote for township officers. Within five days after the annual election the township clerk is required to give written notice of their election to the persons elected trustees, and within five days thereafter said trustees so elected shall take and subscribe the oath of office prescribed by the constitution of this state, before any officer authorized to administer oaths, and file the same with the township clerk (4823).

The term of office of the trustees of said district commences on the second Monday following the TERM OF annual township election at which they are elected, and continues for two years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

OFFICE.

ORGANIZATION.

The members of the board of education meet on the third Monday of April of each year, at the office of the township clerk, and organize. The school inspector of the township whose term of office will soonest expire, is president of the board and entitled to

PRESIDENT.

vote in all cases. In the absence of the president at any meeting, a majority of the members present may choose one of their own number president pro tem (4826).

The township clerk of said township is ex officio clerk of said board of education and entitled to vote. In case of the absence of said clerk, the board may choose some suitable person to perform his

CLERK.

duties.

TREASURER.

The board on said third Monday of April in each year elects from its own number a treasurer, who holds his office for one year and until his successor is elected and qualified. The board may at any time fill a vacancy in the office of treasurer: Provided, That the person appointed to fill the vacancy in the office of treasurer shall hold the office for the unexpired portion of the term only. The treasurer of said board within five days after his appointment must file with the clerk of the board the constitutional oath of office. He must also, before entering upon the duties of his office, give a bond to said district in such sum and with such sureties as said board shall determine and approve, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties, and must honestly account for all moneys coming into his hands belonging to said district. He has the keeping of all school and library moneys, and cannot pay out the same without the authority of the board upon warrants or orders drawn upon him, signed by the clerk and countersigned by the president.

MEETINGS.

The regular meetings of the board are held on the third Monday of April, August and December in each year. No notice of such meeting is required. Any two members is sufficient to adjourn any meeting from time to time until a quorum is present.

REGULAR.

SPECIAL.

Special meetings of the board may be called at any time on the request of the president, or any two members thereof, in writing, delivered to the clerk, and the clerk upon receiving such request shall at once notify each member, if within the district, of the time of holding such meeting, which shall be at least three days subsequent to the time of receiving such request by the clerk.

All meetings of the board shall be held at the township

clerk's office, unless otherwise ordered by a WHERE HELD. resolution of the board; and all records and papers of the district shall be kept in the custody of said clerk and shall be open to the inspection of any taxpayer of said district.

POWERS AND DUTIES.

All the duties required of school inspectors, in townships organized under the primary school law, are performed by the township board of education. The township board of inspectors, therefore, has no separate existence in such townships. The following are the principal duties of township school officers:

1. To designate and purchase school house sites.

2. To erect buildings and furnish the same.

3. To employ legally qualified teachers.

4. To provide books for district library.

5. To make by-laws relative to the taking of the school

census.

6. To make all necessary reports and transmit the same to the proper officers.

7. To make needful regulations and by-laws relative to school visitation, length of school terms, and purchase of books for indigent children (4830).

Director.

The director is the chief officer of the primary district and upon him falls much of the labor and responsibility of the district board. We give below many of his principal duties:

1. To act as clerk, when present, of all meetings of the district and of the board.

2. To record the proceedings of all district meetings, and the minutes of all meetings, orders, resolutions, and other proceedings of the board, in proper record books.

3. To give the prescribed notice of the annual district meeting, and of all special meetings.

4. To draw and sign warrants upon the township treasurer for all moneys raised for district purposes or apportioned to the district by the township clerk, and orders upon the assessor for all moneys to be disbursed by the district, and to present them to the moderator, to be countersigned by that officer. Each order shall specify the object for which and the fund upon which, it is drawn.

5. To draw and sign all contracts with teachers, when directed by the district board, and present them to the other members of the board for further signature.

6. To provide, in his discretion, the necessary appendages for the school house, and keep the same in good condition and repair during the time of school. (See also Chap. X.)

7. To keep an accurate account of all expenses incurred by him as director, such account to be audited by the moderator and assessor and, on their written order, to be paid out of any money provided for the purpose.

8. To present at each annual meeting an estimate of the expenses necessary to be incurred during the ensuing year by the director, and for payment of the services of any district officer.

9. To preserve and file copies of all reports made to the

school inspectors; and safely to preserve and keep all books, papers and other documents belonging to the office of director (or to the district, when not otherwise provided for) and to deliver the same to his successor in office.

10. To take a census of the district within the ten days next previous to the first Monday in September in each year. This work may be done by any person appointed by the district board.

11. At the end of the school year and previous to the second Monday in September in each year, to deliver to the township clerk, to be filed in his office, a report to the board of school inspectors of the township, showing:

(a) The whole number of children belonging to the district between the ages of five and twenty years, according to the census taken as aforesaid.

(b) The number attending school during the year under five, and also the number over twenty years of age.

(c) The number of non-resident pupils of the district tha have attended school during the year.

(d) The whole number that have attended school during the year.

(e) The length of time the school has been taught during the year by a qualified teacher, the name of each teacher, the length of time taught by each, and the wages paid to each.

(f) The average length of time scholars, between five and twenty years of age, have attended school during the year.

(g) The amount of money received from the township treasurer and apportioned to the district by the township clerk.

(h) The amount of money raised by the district, and the purposes for which it was raised.

(i) The kind of books used in the school.

(j) Such other facts and statistics in regard to the schools and the subject of education, as the superintendent of public instruction shall direct.