Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-08
SCHOOL Law OF INDIANA.
ARTICLE No 6.

Township trustees, as stated In article No
3, have the charge of all the school property
in their respective townships. Many of the
school houses are occupied evenings, in the
winter season, for the purpose of holding re-
iigious meetings, spelling schools, singing
schools, shows and debating societies, and fire.
quently without consulting the trustee, who is
the only person that has the legal right to per-
init the school houses to be occupied for such
purposes. Ii persons who attend such gath
erings were all quiet and well disposed people,
the trustees would in most cases consent VIII
hngly for the school house to be occupied for
such purposes, but it frequently happens that
such is not the case. 1t often is the case that
evil disposed young men, who will, unless
they change their tactics, land in the peni-
Tertiary, attend such gatherings, occasionally
In state of intoNcation, and not unfrequent-
~ get up row-get on the top of desks
spit tobacco juice over everything within their
reach, and occasionally touchdown, by way
of breaking the monotony. A brace of young
bloods, I understand, were before ESQ., Osborne
few days since, and paid each sixteen dol
lars, for the trivial offense OF fighting at SPELL
ing school.
Although school houses were not built for
any other purpose than for schools, the super
intendent suggests, that in view of the neces.
sity OF having some place to hold such gath
eilngs, that the trustees might allow the
school houses to be used for such purposes, if
some two or three responsible men living near
school house would obligate themselves to
make good all damages that said house or fur
niture might sustain by reason of such gath
erlngs being held After all is said and done
it is optionary with the trustees, whether they
allow any such gatherings to be held in their
school houses.
The law requires the school funds, which
have been apportioned by the trustees to the
different districts, to be expended by the first
Monday in April, or at least to have contract
made with teacher by that time If by any
unavoidable circumstances a district is pre-
vented from having school, the superintend-
ent holds that the district should have their
time after tie first Monday in April. but should
the failure be the result of careleSsness. the
money allotted to said district should be
thrown into the general township fund.
As general rule our township trustees
ha We not been particular in living up to the
law on this subject.
Thore are two or three items more in refer
ence to the duties of trustees to which wish
to refer, and then / will let them rest for
awhile. The law requires them to fix things
up generally, in and around school-houses.
The directors are to do all the repairing, fur
nish fuel, buckets, brooms, &C.. and make tn
school-house and surroundings pleasant and
attractive. The grounds should be enclosed
with good fence, which can be done at
small expense. l suppose there Is scarcely
school district in the county but would en-
close the school grounds, if the trustee would
furnish the lumber and nails How much
better school-honses would appear if every
thing around them were neat and clean. the
grounds enclosed by good fence, and shade
trees planted in proper places. Where school
houses are not enclosed, it is general place in
the summer time for cattle and sheep to rem
devious TO fight flies. There are no Improve
ments that would be noticed so much by
strangers passing through our county, as
good, neat and well-arranged school-houses.
with grounds enclosed, and plenty of shade
trees. A favorable opinion would be at once
formed of the intelligence and thrift of our
people.
1t occasionally happens that school dis
trict, wishes from some cause, generally by
inflammation rnoaivad fr,,,,, so~,o &c AZ, ..:1.
for the patrons scarcely ever visit schools, be
It spoken to their shame, to have their teacher
dismissed. In such cases the law provides that
charges should be prepared against him in
writing signed by those preparing the charges
The petition for the teachers dismissal should
be filed with the township trustee, said trus-
tee is required by the law to give three days
notice in writing to the petitioners and teach
er to appear before him on certain day, to
hear the testimony pro and con.
Trustees may dismiss teachers for any of the
following causes, to-wit: Incompetency,
immortality, cruelty or general neglect of the
business of the school,,
"The revocation of a teachers license term
mates his connection with the schaol in which
he may have been employed"
The trustees have charge of the township
libraries, and are accountable for their preser-
Vatlon, and are required to provide book cases
and account books, appoint librarian. NAV
deposit the library at some central point, and
give notice at each school house where the
library is kept; it shall be open throughout
the year, and each family may take two
volumes from the library at once ANY person
not returning book within the the time spec
ned by the trustee, is liable to fine.
In my next will talk about the duties of
school directors
T. MCDONALD, Examiner.