Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-07-02
THE CHRONICLE.
THE NEW OHIO SCHOOL Law.

L force, with such changes as werS
y deemed necessary for their unifica
? ton, and with sundry additions and
y notifications designed to increase the
4 efficiency of the school system.
5 The great length of the act for.
4 bids any attempt to give complete
analysis Of its provisions. It divides
= the State into five slasses Of school
districts, styled respectively city dis
L tricts Of the first class, city districts OF
y the second class, village districts, spe.
! cial districts, and township districts.
i Cities having population of 10, 900
, or more by the census Of 1870, are city
; districts Of the first-class, and all
!, other cities are city districts of the sec
: ond class. Incorporated villages with
, the territory annexed for school pur-
, poses, are village districts, and town
ships, exclusive of any territory in
} cluded in any other school district,
: are township districts. All other
| school districts now existing, wheth-
er organized under q general or spe-
cial law, by vote of the people or
otherwise, are special districts. No
provision is made for the organiza.
, ton of new special districts, and
those now existing may be disoTgan-
lied by q vote of the people. IL would
have been q good thing If the law had
abolished all these special districts.
The law makes full provision for
the organization of each class of
school districts great care having been
taken to change as little as possible
their present organization. Boards of
education in city districts Of the f1rst
class may consist Of one member or
two members for each ward in city
districts Of the second class, Of three
or six members or one member for
each ward, and in village districts, Of
three or six members. We regret to
say that the law retains the mOngrel,
complicated, and inefficient organiZa-
ton of township districts, which for
twenty years past has been the most
serious defect in the Ohio school sys-
tenn. Provision is, however, made
| for the organization of township dis
tricts on the plan ofvillage districts by
a vote Of the electors at regulare lee.
ton OF township others. the board Of
education being authorized, and on
petition Of one-third of the electors |
being required, to submit the ques- |
tion with due notice. We do not ex. |
pect that many townships will make |
this change, since it does away with |
all sub-distriot directors. 1t will be |
generally claimed that there ought |
to be one member of the board near |
each sub-district school, and charged |
with its special oversight.
The more important of the other /
new provisions Of the law are as fol- |
lows:
Boards of education are made en-
tirely independent Of the city eoun-
Gil. They can purchase sites, build /
repair school houses without let or
hindrance OF the "City Fathers. ~
This hitherto has not been true in
several cities under certain laws, and
in all cities under the "Akron Law.n
In city districts Of the Arst class, the
board of education can anticipate the
income Of taxes for building purposes.
not exceeding two mills on the dollar
in any one year, by the issue and sale
of bonds, and this may be done in
city districts of the second class by
vote Of the people without limit as to
the amount Of tax levied.
Boards OF education in all districts
city, village, township and special
have power to levy an annual tax
for school and school house purposes,
not exceeding mills on the dollar
The State levy remains one mill.
Sub district directors in townships /.
have, as heretofore, the right to fix
the wages of teacher, but such wages
cannot in the aggregate exceed the
amount Of money apportioned to the
sub-district. In case the amount ap-
portioned is not satisfactory to the di- !
rectors, they can appeal to the county !.
commissioners.
Boards Of education may cause the .
German language to be taught in any
public school, and such instruction is
required when demanded by seventy !
five resident free holders, representing
not less than forty pupils who wish 5
and intend to study"the German and
English languages together but no
is made for seperate Ger :
man schools. All branches taught in :
the public schools must be taught in
the English language-a wise provis- :
ion.
Superintendents and teachers may !
be appointed for q period OF time
equal to that for which the members
of the board of education are elected
two or three years in most city and
village districts. but the salary fixed
cannot be increased or diminished
during the term for which the ap- :
pointment is made"
II any board of education shall fail
to certify the necessary levies for :
school purposes, or to private school :
privileges for all the youth Of school I
age in the district, or to provide for =
the continuance of every school at
least six months in the year, it is the !
duty Of the county commissioners TO
perform such duties.
The annual enumeration is to EN-. Y
brace all unmarried youth between
six and twenty-one years Of age, with 7
q statement of the number between
sixteen and twenty-one. The former
school age wasfrom five to twenty =
one, though children under six were l
not admitted to the schools in most !
city and village districts. The re-
turn Of an incorrect enumeration is
made misdemeanOr, punishable by
heavy fines, and whenever the State u
School Commissioner Is satisfied that y
The number Of enumerated youth re-
turned Is excessive or otherwise in 81
correct, he Is authorized to cause the
to be retaken at the ex-
pense Of this district.
No person can be appointed or con-
,inue q school examiner, "who as 81
or teacher, Is connected with @
Dr interested in any normal school, Il
" school for the special education or "
of persons for teachers. ~ ei
Does this apply to teachers in normal n
Institutes? liz
The board Of education of each city b
district OF the first class may appoint b
board Of three, six, or nine exami- fe
lsns, with power to examine the "
chools and allappllcants for teachers fe
certificates. The examiners may re- n
eive q compensation for their SER SC
ices. A board Of three examiners 81
pay be appointed in city districts Of Ell
he second class, and in village dis. b
riots having population Of not less
han $500.
City boards Of examiners may grant q
valid for one, two, or three es
ears, and certificates issued by coun- m
y examiners are valid in city and m