The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-05-26
Vote for County Superintendent.

Vote for County Superintendent.
ED. PIONEER:
In the North Dakota Eagle of MAJ
22nd, appears an editorial headed I'm
terpret the Law" The following state
ment is made therein:
Under the school laws of 1890, and tn,
recent decision of Attorney General
Standish, it looks as if Willow City would
be ~disfranchised in exercising this right
although the law specifies except cities
organized under special school laws.
While we are not incorporated as a city
the school district of Willow City i.
organized under this specific law, anc
might be construed to mean any incor
porat:on organized under this law.
Then follows the decision of the At.
torney General.
The above statement is incorrect and
may result in misleading voters. On July
80, 1886, Congress enacted a law pro.
hibiting the passage in any of the ~territor.
les, of any local or special laws providing
for the management Of common schools.
This Congressional enactment remained
in force until statehood. when it was in.
corporated in the State Constitution.
Consequently, since July 80, 1886, nc
school district has been created in this
state under special law. All school dis,
tricts organized since that date have been
organized and are governed by general
law. That is. the law governing any such
school district is applicable to all school
districts belonging to tine same class of
organization.
Prior to the above date there were a
number of school districts, probably ten
or twelve throughout the portion of the
territory that now constitutes this state,
that were created and governed by speci.
al legislative enactments. each under a
separate and special law for its own local
government. Several of these special
laws have been repealed or have become
obsolete by the district adopting general
laws for its government. Fargo, Grafton
Jamestown Hankinson, Walcott, Lisbon
and Mayville comprise, I believe, all the
districts in the state now operating under
the special laws first enacted for their
government These are the school dis
tricts that are termed "organized under
special school laws" and in which the
electors are not permitted to vote for
county superintendent, and over which
the county superintendent of schools has
no supervision.
All other school districts in the state
are governed by general school laws, and
in all such districts, except those termed
independent school districts, which are
hereafter described, the electors may vote
for county superintendent of schools, and
the schools are under the supervision OF
the county superintendent. There are three
classes of districts operating under gener-
al school laws.
First. the common school district, OF
the district of the country schools, the
boundaries of which are congressional
township lines, or if having been created
under territorial law so as to include an
area less than a congressional township,
as in the Red River counties, all changes
must be towards congressional lines.
Common school districts are each governed
by a district school be ard cons sting OF
three directors.
Second, the special school district, or the
district Of the city, incorporated town or
village of over three hundred Inhabitants.
These districts sometimes include adjacent
territory. Special school districts are all
operated under general law. They are each
governed by a board of education consisting
of five members (pot "directors.")
Third, the independent school district,
being the school organization provided for
cities that formerly existed under special
law. Grand Forks is, I believe, the only
city that has adopted this organization.
This class Of districts are not under the
supervision of the county superintendent OF
schools, presumably for the reason that
under their former organization they were
allowed to select their own superintendent;
and the electors therein do not vote fol
county superintendent, the date of theil
election being on another day than that Of
the election for county superintendent.
In Bottineau county there Is not any
portion of it organized into a school distric,
over which the county superintendent does
not have supervision, nor in which the
electors are deprived by law from voting fol-
that Office.
F. W. CATHRo
Bottineau N. D. May %, 1894.
Half Fare Home Seekers Excursions.