The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-21
THE SCHOOL LAWS.
Acts Passed BY the Late Legislature In
Reference to the Educational
Institutions.

The Hon. j. H. Smart, state superintend-
ent of public instruction, has made the fol-
lowing compilations of all the school laws
passed by the late legislature:
Senate bill IL. approved March 3, provides
that township officers shall be elected on the
first Monday in April, 1878, and every two
years thereafter, giving details of the manner
of election.
Senate bill 10, approved March 2, provides
that the county Superintendent, the town.
ship trustees and the presidents of the boards
of trustees of cities and towns shall constl-
tute the county board of education. They
shall meet on the 1st days of May and Sep
TENDER, and consider the general needs of the
schools and property. The change OF text
books, except in cities, shall be determined
by the board, but no book hereafter adopted
shall be changed within six years from the
date of such adoption, except by unanimous
vote of all the members of the board. No
book heretofore adopted shall be changed
within three years from the date of such
adoption.
Senate bill 81, approved March 5, provides
that trustees of school corporations may or
ganize separate schools for colored children
having all the privileges and advantages of
all other schools in the corporation. In case
no separate schools are established the colored
children shall be allowed to attend the public
schools with white children. Colored
children who have made sufficient advance
ment to be placed in higher grade than is
reached IN the colOred school shall be en-
titled to enter the school provided for white
children of like grade, and no distinction
is to be made therein on account OF
race or color of such colored child,
Senate bill 142, approved February 5, pro-
yides that when school lands have been sold
and certificate of purchase issued or re-
corded the sale shall be deemed a sale under
the law as much as it would be had deed
been made and delivered and the fee had
- Il nlN nrndO
Shall be liable to tax as fully as though the
deed had been delivered. No taxes already
levied and paid upon such lands shall be re-
funded, and all lands thus sold shall be tax.
able from and after the sale and delivery OF
certificate as other lands are.
Senate bill 152, approved February IL,
provides for the funding of the debt of cities
OF over 10000 voting population; prohibits
the increase hereafter of such debt beyond
two per cent. upon the tax duplicate for the
current year. excepting by temporary loans
in anticipation of the revenue of such
current year; fixes the limit of taxation
for general purposes of the city at
90 cents on the 800. and the limit for school
purposes at 20 cents on the 500, but q tax
for the support of libraries may be levied as
now provided by law. No warrants shall be
drawn upon the city treasury when there is
no money OH hand, and no appropriation of
money shall be made by the common coun-
Gil unless the money required therefor be in
the treasury at the time the appropriation is
made.
Senate bill 296, approved March Z, pro-
vides that when a sum of money exceeding
S., 900 is given or bequeathed to trustees for
the purpose of erecting public school build
ing in township, with the condition, ex-
pressed or implied, that a similar amount
shall be raised by the citizens of the town.
ship for the same purpose, the trustee shall,
upon petition of majority of the legal
voters of such township, issue the bonds of
the township to secure loan not exceeding
SIS, 900 in anticipation of the revenue for
special school purposes for the purpose of
complying with the condition annexed to
such gift or devise.
Senate bill 3lS, approved March H. pro-
vides that where county lines divide con-
gressional townships the proper officer in
the county in which the congressional
school lands are or were situated shall con-
troll such lands and the funds derived there
from. Each auditor shall furnish to the
other auditor interested statement OF the
enumeration each year in such congress
ional township. The auditor managing the
fund of such divided congressional township
shall pay over each quarter to the treasurer
of the county in which the other part lies
the proportion of money collected on &C.
count Of such congressional township, using
the annual enumeration a basis for di-
vision, until each county holds its proper
proportion of the funds belonging to
each congressional township. Both auditors
shall keep accounts with and loan the
funds of the portions of congressional town.
ships as now required by law. Both audi
tors shall make annual statements of the
condition of the fund, properly certified, to
the superintendent of public instruction
and their respective boards of county COM
missioners. Where each county holds its
proper proportion of the funds belonging to
the divided township. the accounts
a. Ill
closed; but in the year 1890, and every two
years thereafter, there shall be a readjust-
ment of the fund upon the basis of the emu
meration as before provided, and the auditor
having a surplus of such fund shall pay IL
over to the treasurer of the county inter.
ested. The auditor is allowed the same fees
for records certificates, etc, that are now al
lowed for similar services.
HOUSE bill 2S4, approved March s, pro-
vides that trustees OF two or more adjacent
townships may build joint district school
houses when deemed necessary, upon petit
ton of persons interested, and that each
township shall pay for the building an
amount proportiOnate to the number OF
children from each township attached to the
school district thus formed, but the school
thus established shall be supported by the
township in which it is established.
House bill So, approved March IL, provides
that the board of county commissioners oil
each county may appoint two students to
Purdue university, who are to be supported
during their stay in the institution. Any
vacancy in the appointments 10 be filled
by the proper board OFcommissioners
House bill 554. the specific appropriation
bill, appropriates to the state normal school
$500 for furniture of assembly room and $500
for paving sidewalks; to the Purdue univer-
sity, s. 600 for indebtedness contracted in
1876. provided that for the purpose of com
plotting the college building the trustees are
a 1t &k<.s,
claims against John Purdues estate to pro
cura neces nv means. also In the state nor