Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-03-14
Law and Policy.

Our evening cotemporary doubts the
soundness of the policy of transferring
the control and management of the
school property of this city to the
Board of Education. To us it seems
the proper thing that the Board of
Education should have full control of
all school business. But opinion, as it
happens, does not decide the case in
question. In fact, it has nothing
whatever To do with it, for the law so
clearly defines the power and duty of
the Board OF Education as to leave no
room for controversy. In proof of this
we quote as follows from the School
Law: :
ART. VII. - Boards of Trustees o.
School Districts, and City Boards OF
Education.
SEC. 1917. The power of Boards of
Trustees of school districts and Boards
of Education. in cities are as follows:
Frst-ro prescribe rules for their
own government.
OccOUu = 1 q tldHdSc duu Cohtiol ohO
school property within their districts.
Third-To purchase school furniture
and apparatus, and such other things
as may be necessary for the use of
schools.
Fourth-i'o rent, furnish, repair and
insure the school property of their re.
spective districts.
Fffth-When directed by vote Of
their district, to build school-houses or
to purchase or sell school lots.
Sirth-To make, in the name of the
district, conveyances Of all property
belonging to the district and sold by
them.
The Act of February "a, 1872, con-
stituted the Board of Trustees of Los
Angeles the Board of Education Of
said city, making provision for the
election of two additional members
This Act authorized the City Council
to issue bonds to the amount of 500, 900
for the erection of the present High
School building. 1t gave to the
Board of Education authority to
adopt plans, contract for the
work and superintend the same.
In this act it is expressly declared that
"the said Board of Education shall,
IN addition to the pOaOers conferred on
Boards Of Trustees, have power to
draw directly on the City Common
School Fund for the payment of the
current expenses of the schools"
Boards of Trustees draw upon the
County superintendent The act
further provides that "the Board of
Education, at the close of each fiscal
year, shall submit to the Common
Council of the city written state
ment of the amount of money on
hand for school purposes, and the
amount that will probably be required
for the maintenance of public schools
for period of ten months, over and
above the amount to be received from
the State and county apportionment,
and the said Common Council shall
levy and collect a tax sufficient to
raise such amount, in the same man
ner as other city taxes are collected,
and shall cause the same to be paid
to the Common School Fund of the
CITY," In can Act to amend the
school law of the city of Los Angeles"
passed March %, 1874, it is expressly
declared:
Sec. l. The public schools of Los
Angeles city shall be under the man
agement and control of Board of
Education," etc.
The other provisions of this act have
reference to matters in no way con-
nected with school property. In the
new City Charter the word school is
not found, consequently no special
power is given to the Council; but
their duties in reference to schools
must be looked for in the acts referred
to above.