Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-07-19
No. 81.
AN ACT

Authorizing the Improvement and exter-
sion OF the public schools is parishes,
cities and towns, the parish of Orleans
and city of New Orleans excepted pre-
sc1bing certain duties, powers and re-
sponsibilities of the State and parish
board of education, and dispensing them
from furnishing bond in judicial proceed
lngs, and giving their cases q trial by
preference.
SECTION /. Be it resolved by the Senate
and House of Representatives, of the State
of Louisiana in General Assembly conven-
ed, That all boards of school directors of
parishes (the parish of Orleans excepted),
and all the boards of directors of cities and
towns out of the city of New Orleans, shall
have the power to make demand on the re-
spective police juries, officers, board or local
government, of whatever form, for the levy
of an extra tax for the year 1873, and for
each succeeding year. Said tax shall be for
the purpose of improving and extending the
school system, and the demand shall be ac-
companied qy the estimate of the expendi-
lures proposed, and the special or more de-
tailed objects To which the same are to be
devoted; and it shall be the duty of the
police jury officer or officers, board or local
government, so called upon, to levy and
collect the same at the time of providing
for other local taxes, within ninety days
after demand, If the time of levying or col
| Letting shall have passed provided, that
the levying aud collecting of any greater
| rate than one quarter of one per cent each
year upon the assessed valuation of prop
| erty shall be voluntary with the levyiug
body or power, and no limit set down III
any general or special law of the State for
| the aggregate of taxation in the several or
| any parishes, cities and towns, shall apply
| to or limit or cut off such tax levied for the
l improvement and extension OF local schools,
! but the said tax shall be independent OF
| and in addition to all other local taxes,
whether the proposed limit shall have been
| reached or not.
! SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
any police jury, member of any town coun-
Gil or other levying body, or officer of what
ever denomination, whose duty it is made
in this act, individually or IN conjunction
with others, to levy local school tax,
shall refuse or neglect to do so within nine
ty days after the demand hereinafter re-
quired, shall, upon conviction, be fined, at
the discretion of the court, not less than
one hundred dollars nor more than five
hundred dollars; and shall by such convic-
ton be removed from office, and it is here
by made the duty all district judges hav-
ing criminal jurisdiction to charge their
grand juries to give effect to this law, and
of district attorneys to actively zee to its
| endorsements; provided, that nothing here
| in contained shall conflict with the right OF
any citizen; upon his own relation, to en-
force the performance of such duty of levy
| the amount required, not exceeding one
quarter of one per cent, by mandamus from
| a court of competent jurisdiction, and COM
y, Il
without reference to such process after the
I Ger or person SO doing from prosecution and
fine for previous refusal or neglect.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted; &c. That
| the Superintendent of Public Education
shall have the right to call special meet
| ingS of the State board of education him.
| SELF or shall do so on the written request
of any three members of the board, of
which due and seasonable notice snail be
I given them by letter and by ten days nc
| tice, in the official journal Of the State.
| SEQ. A. Be it further enacted, etc, That
! in all judicial proceedings where by, bond
| and security are required from litigants,
| the State board ofeSrcation shall be dis
pensed from furnishing bond or security
and that in all suits in which the State, dis
! trict or parish board of education may be
plaintiffs, defendants, intervenors, gar
| nishees, or interested in any manner
whatsoever, it shall be the duty of the
court before whom such suits are pending,
ON the affidavit ofthe attorney representing
| the State, district or par sh board of educa-
| ton, if the case is one of serious public in
terest, and in which a speedy decision is
desirable, to set the cause for trial by pre-
ference, and all such cases may be fixed for
trial as early as possible on motion or petit
ton of the attorney of the State, district or
parish board of education.
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, etc, That
on or before the fifth of October in each
year the division superintendents in their
respective divisions shall visit the several
parishes IN his division and examine the ac-
counts of each school treasurer, and that no
school treasurers account shall be consid-
cred finally adjusted unless certified to be
correct by the division superintendent or
the State Superintendent of Public Educa-
ton; that on or before the fifth dav of Oc-
tober in each year each division superin-
tendent shall make report to the State
board of education showing the condition
of each school in his division, containing q
digest of the reports made to him by the
secretaries of the parish and district boards,
and such other matters as he shall may
think pertinent and material and especially
such as will show tho condition of the
schools under his charge. He shall also
suggest such improvements in the system
as he may think judicious. Should any di-
vision superintendent fail to make either
of the reports required by law on or before
the fifth day of October, in each year, it
shall be the duty of the State Superinten-
dent ofPublic Education to report the said
delinquency to the Governor of the State,
who is hereby authorized to remove the
said division superintendent from his Office,
and appoint a successor to his said office,
according TO existing laws.
SEC. 6. BE it further enacted, etc, That
this act shall go into effect from and af5 er
its passage, and all legal provisions and
parts Of laws.in conflict herewith be and
they are hereby repealed.
(Signed) CHARLES w. LOWELL,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(Sigued) c. G. ANTOINE
Lieutenant Governor and President of the
Senate.
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