The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-04-21
Answers 20 Questions on the
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The Board OF Education of St Clairsville
propoundcd certain questions to the State
School Commissioner, a short time since,
which Mr.. BARNEY answers below--under
Question SO.
QUESTION 36..-Belorc the passage, OF the
new school law, an incorporated village con-
taininr not LEES than three hundred inhabi-
tants, was divided into three school dis
triets. In two OF said districts, new school
houses had been erected some two years
previous to the passage of the now school
law, al cost Of about 5000 each. How
cal the other district be made to bear its
reasonable share OF a tax to erect new
school house therein!
AkswER.-By reference to the middle
part of section % of the new school act, it
will be seen that "the entire amount OF the
estimates for the purpose of procuring school
house sites, and erecting school houses
thereon, &c, is to be assessed on aHthe tax
able property of tho township, &C."
But according to the provisions Of section
80, "the township board Of education have
the power, when in their opinion justice and
equity require it, to estimate 1t separately
the cost Of site and house in any partcu-
lur buD-ul5uICL VI tuc IbWublIp WutItlh
the inhabitants have not heretofore borne
reasonable share of the burden Of toxntinn
for such purposes in comparison with other
sub b-dlstricts in the township" 80.
Section 80 of the new school act confers
the same discretionary power upon the board
of education OF any city or incorporated
"shall have and may exercise all the pow
| .,I ,l,,t ehs hs,
boards Of education," &c.
1t is true that near the close OF section 80,
il is declared that call taxes for building,
purchasing, repairing or furnishing school
houses shall be equaty assessed on all the
taxable property of such city or villagc."-
But section % contains similar declara-
tion in regard to townships; but section
% constitutes an exception to the rule laid
Edown in section %, when justice and equity
require its exercise.
To avoid the repetition of section 23 df-
ter section 35 the language Of the first part
OF this section vas III sed as am assured by
the trainers of the law; and the practice in
several incorporated villages in the State,
has been as indicated above.
| QUESTION 37.--In certain township,
embracing, before the passage of the new
school law, nine school diotriots, the cleo
tors thereof proceeded to elect, on the Soc
ond Monday of April last, three local dlrec-
tors In each of said sub districts. In due
time said directors took the oath Of Office re-
quircd by law, met and organized by np-
pointing one Of :heir number clerk Of the
sub-district.
On the third Monday OF April last, the
said clerks of the said nine sub.districts to-
getber with the clerk of the township, met
and organized as a township board OF educa-
ton according to law. They then proceed
cd 10 re-distrlct their township according to
the provisions Of Sec ID OF the new school
act, reducing the number Of sub-distriets
from nine to six. They next proceed ed to
determine by estimate, the amount Of mo-
ney necessary to be raised for school purpo-
ses, according to the provisions of Sec. %,
and certified the same TO the county auditor
&c. Now some of the ,nhabitaats refuse
to pay the tax, aud threaten ON injunction
lif an effort be made to enforce its collec.
ton, on the ground that the board, by the
net Of reducing tho number of sub-districts
have virtually Ousted mselves, or, at least
a purt OF themselves, of their Office as nem-
bers of said board, and, therefore, they
could not legally make the estimate as
aforesaid. The question IS, are they by
such act ousted ofiher office as members
ofthe township board!
ANswER.-- Certainly not; for they have
performed no unauthorized act. The law
absolutely required them so to re-dstricl
their township as that "no sub-Glstrict
should contain less than sir.y resident schol.
ars by enumeration, except in cases where
IN the opuion of the Board it was necessary
to reduce the number"
The error of those who ruise the objec-
ton TO the legality Of the proceedings oI
the Board, lies in the fact. that they have
entirely overlooked the circumstance, that
as soon as said Board was organized, its
members held two offices, one as local di
rcctors of thor particular sub-distrcts, ant
the other as members of the Township Eoart
, of Education, By the act OF aboishng some
of the sub districts, they abolished the sub
office only OF the members from the abolish
ed districts.
The Township Board is, of course, re-or'
ganizod every year, and its members holt
their office for tho yenr, whatever altera'
tions or changes they may mako in tho sub
districts. On the third Monday Of April
In each year, each sub-dstrct sends up its
+ clerk TO constitute the Township Board for
che ensuing year.
When o sub district is abolished aud Its
territory attached to other sub-distrcts, tho
Jurisdiction of the local directors Of those
sub.districts to which said territory is at
tached, ID extended over such territory so
attached, and the Office Of the local directors
Of the sub-district 80 abolished, is ended.
QUESTION 3s.--Do township boards OF
education possess the power to limit the
salaries of teachers in the several sub-dis-
trlot sch ,ols OF the townships
Annrsr. Certainly y not. Tais 10 a mat
ter which the sixth section Of the school
law has wisely vested in the sonad dlscre-
ton of the local directors.
The pollcy of the law is obvious from the
fact, that while $40 per month, would be
/ very reasonable wages for n teacher OF ex-
tenaive scientific and literary nttainments,
general intelligence, and great practical ex-
perienoc, $i2 per month would be an i'm
provident expenditure for teacher Of very
Indifferent qualifications.
Township boards Of education should be
frugal in their estimates. but not parsimoni-
Gus; and local directors should be liberal
in rcnunerating well qualified teachers, but
not extravagant,- always remembering
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