The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-08
SCHOOL LAWS AMENDED
The Districts Wiped Out and
and Township Boards Pro-
vided For.

The amendments to tho school law, adopted
by the Legislature, are revolutionary. All
school districts are wiped oat, and in their
stead township boards of trustees are
provided for. Each board is to consist of
nine members and they are to be elected on
the third Tuesday in March of each year;
the trustees first elected dividing by lots into
three classes, one each for one, two or three
years, and annually thereafter there shall be
three trustees elected. These trustees have
the power to elect a president and a clerk,
the latter acting as district clerk for all
schools in the township. The present boards
of trustees are legislated out of office on the
first day of July next, and the County Su-
~perintendent is required to call an election in
each township at some convenient place, OF
which due notice must be given, for the
election of the first set of trustees for the
townships. This election must be held with
in thirty days after the law takes effect,
which will be on the 4th of July.
These trustees have all the powers n
duties of the old trustees. Each board has
the power to fix the compensation of the
clerk, and as some of these clerks will have
several schools to look after the salary will
doubtless be fixed in proportion, and the po-
sition made one to be sought after.
TITLE TO
Ii All property of the several school districts
of the township is consolidated and the title
thereto held in the name of the consolidated
district. All debts and obligations of the
several districts, whether secured by bonds
iorfotherwise, shall be assumed by and shall
become the obligations and debts of the con-
solidated districts.
Each city, borough and incorporated town
is made a district by itself, unless the legal
voters of such municipality vote to con-
solidate with the township board at O meet
ing specially called for that purpose.
One provision of the new law is a good
one. Since the district lines were establish
ed, years ago in many cases, new roads have
been opened, population has shifted, and
for other reason it is oftentimes desirable
for a property owner to have his property
in some district other than the one he is in
according to the boundaries, in order that
his children or his tenants children may at
tend school more conveniently. To change
the boundaries of districts under the old sys-
tenn involved a lot of red tape and some
times caused opposition, some of it proper
and some of it decidedly wrong. Under the
new law boundaries will not have to be
changed. Children living remote from the
school in the district in which they reside,
may attend the school nearest in an adioin-
ing district, by obtaining the written CON
S0Qu " UDG SOullUy 7Oupcl lAUouuO1lu, WIZ
files a copy of such written consent with the
clerk Of the district in which the child re-
sides, and another with the clerk of the dis
trict in which the child is to attend school.
The money apportioned to the district for
such child On the basis of the school CEN
sus, shall be paid over for the benefit of
the district in which such child attends
school.
APPoRTIoNING THE MONEY.
The County Superintendent is TO apportion
the school money as follows:-1st. He shall
apportion to each district a sum equal to
two hundred dollars for each teacher EN-
ployed in the public schools for such district
for the full time for which the schools In
such districts were maintained the preced-
ing year. I'd. He shall apportion to each
district one-half the remainder of the school
moneys belonging to his county on the basis
of the aggregate attendance of all the chill
dren enrolled in the school registers as ascer-
tanned from the last published report Of the
State Superintendent. Sd. He shall appor-
ton to each district the balance of the money
belonging to his county on the basis of the
last public school census!
This wipes out the old S275 and 1915 pro-
vision. Some schools will fare well under
this provision, while others will not do SO
well.
One of the first things to be done by the
new trustees will be to order a district tax
In eacn ulSuficb III bne township uHuer unelr
charge, to provide for free text books. AS
the books now in hand may still be used, it
will only be necessary to buy new books as
the pupils need them. But books to teach
the effect of alcohol and narcotics on the
human system must be purchased and
ready for the opening Of schools in Septem-
Der. 81. II 81
The provisions of the school law, that no
contract made by the Board of Trustees
shall be binding upon a succeeding board for
a longer period than three months, is still in
force. This will necessitate the re election
of teachers in country schools by the new
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