Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-02-04
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Synopsis of the New Bill to be Re-
ported to the House
Committee.
Government of District, County, Terri
toriaI Common School
Officials.

committee IS composed OF NleSSrS. Foster,
listler, Salazar, Snifien and Spears. The
lew measure provides that the governor
shall appoint, by and with the advice OF
he senate, territorial superintendent of
public instruction, salary $1,000 per an
lum and travelling expenses not to exceed
$500, and he shall serve as secretary OF
territorial board OF education to consist of
he governor, territorial auditor and
of public schools. At its
,emi-annual meetings this board shall APP
portion the territorial school fund to
the various counties in proportion to the
number of school children residing therein
over the ages of 5 and under 81 years, and
the territorial auditor shall draw his order
on the territorial treasurer in favor of the
county treasurer OF each county for the
amount apportioned to each county.
County school superintendent shall be
elected as usual, and shall receive IS per
day for actual and necessary service, and
not to exceed five days in each district for
each year. The territorial superintendent
shall visit each county at least once a
year, for the purpose of holding teach
ers' institute and of awakening an inter
est in the cause of education throughout
the territory, such institutes to continue
at least two dates. He shall preserve re-
ports, ETC., from all educational institu-
tons, public or private. 1t shall be his
duty to recommend the most approved
text book, which shall be non-sectarian,
for the common schools of the territory,
after the same have been adopted by the
territorial board of education, both in
English and Spanish, and such text books,
when adopted, shall not be changed for a
period of six years. He shall prepare
in each year a report for publication,
containing statement of the number Of
common schools in the territory, the
number of scholars, their sexes and the
branches taught; and value of school
property, statement of the number OF
private and select schools in the territory,
and the number of scholars, their sex and
branches taught; the number of academies
and colleges in the territory, ETC., and
such other matters of interest as he may
deem expedient.
The county superintendent shall have
charge of the common schools OF then
county and shall give IS 900 in bonds for
a faithful performance of their duties.
He shall apportion the s,'hool funds Of
the county; no district shall he entitled
to receive any portion OF the common
school fund in which common school
has not been taught at least three months
during the year.
He shall visit each OF tie schools at
least once a year and to give directions i'll
the art of teaching. lie shall also see
that the annual report of the clerks OF the
several school districts OF his county art
made correctly and in due tine. The
county superintendent in conjunction
with two competent persons appointed by
the Judge of the district court wherein the
county is situated shall make examina-
ton of all applicants to teach, and when
duly satisfied of their being competent
shall grant them q certificate of qualitica-
ton certificates of qualification shall be
of three (3) grades, and such examine
tons snail be necessary for the three
gra,.es us the territorial superintendent
shall designate.
In his report the county superintendent
must, among other things, give state
meEt OF the amount of money raised by
tax and paid for teachers wages, in addi-
ton to the amount of public money
raised by tax or otherwise for the purpose
of purchasing school sites for buildings,
etc. Each of the voting precincts of the
county shall co9stispe A school district, in
which shall be <Bt5@Sshed one or more
schools, and in which Shall be taught Or
reading, writing, arithmetic,
geography, grammar, the history of the
United States and the English language.
Three school directors shall be elected
for the terms of one, two and three years.
One of these shall be treasurer and must
give ample bond, not less than $500. The
school directors of the several districts
shall have power, and are hereby required,
to provide, as soon as practicable, proper
school houses, school house sites and
sufficient fuel for the schools established
by this act or any prior act, and to pay
interest on school house bonds, and
teachers wages, and for that purpose
they are empowered to levy tax, when
necessary, not to exceed 10 mills on the
dollar in any one year on the taxable
property of their respective districts,
which tax shall be voted upon by the
qualified voters of said district, and if
concurred in by a majority of the voters
of said district, it shall be certified to the
board of county commissioners of the
proper county, and if said commissioners
find such election legal, this tax shall
then be collected by the sheriff or tax
collector, as other school taxes are now
collected.
The territorial auditor shall annually
levy tax not exceeding l mill on the
dollar upon the taxable property of the
territory, and certify the same to the tax
collectors of the several counties, who
shall collect the same as other taxes are
collected, and pay the same to the terri
torial treasurer. The money thus received
shall not be expended for any other pur-
pose or purposes than for paying the ex-
penses Of collecting, which shall not ex-
coed 2R per cent on the sum collected,
for paying the salary Of the county su-
perintendent of public instruction and the
expenses of his Office, and paying school
teachers. All teachers shall make full
reports to county superintendents, and
salaries can be collected only upon pre-
sentation of teachers certificate and an
order from the directors. Tie county
treasurer shall give ample bond for hand
ling the school fund, and the bond of the
traaa,lrar for tt,iS n,lrnnsa shali
be 100000.
School districts shall have power and
authority to borrow money for the pur
pose of erecting and completing school
houses, by issuing negotiable bonds OF
The district, to run any period not exceed
ing ten years, drawing rate Of interest
not to exceed 10 per centum per annum,
which interest may be paid annually, |