Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-06-27
Compulsory Educational Law

children in the schools of this Common
wealth and making an enumeration Of
children for that purpose; also providing
compensation for the Assessors making
the enumeration and providing penalties
for violations Of this act.
SECTION /. Be it enacted, &C., That
every parent, guardian or other person
il this Commonwealth, having control
or charge Of child or children between
the ages OF eight and thirteen years, shall
be required to send such child or chill
dren to a school in which the common
English brsnehes are taught, and such
child or children shall attend such school
during at least sixteen weeks OF leach
wear in which schools in their respective
district shall be in session, unless such
child or children shall be excused from
such attendance by the Board OF the
School district in which parent, guardian
or other person resides, upon the preseh-
tatior to said Board of satisfactory cyl
dence showing such child or children are
prevented from attendance at school, or
application to study, by mental or phys
ical or other urgent reasons: PROVIDED,
that in case there be no public school IN
session within two miles of the neare st
travelled road of any person within the
School district. he or she shall not ne
liable to the provisions of this act: pro-
yided. that this act shall not apply to
any child that has been or Is being other
wise instructed in the common English
bronches of learning for a like period of
time. And provided further, that the GER
tiff cate OF any principal OF any school or
educational institution, or any teacher,
that any child has been or is being so in
strueted. issued to such child or its par
ents or guardians shall be sufficient and
satisfactory evidence thereof.
SECTION 2. For every neglect OF duty
imposed by the first section OF this act,
the person in parental relation offending
shall be guilty of misdemeanor, and
shall. upon conviction thereof before a
.lustice of the Peace or Alderman, forfeit
a fine not exceeding two dollars on the
first conviction and fine not exceeding
five dollars for each subsequent convlc-
tor: Provided: Upon conviction the
defendant or defendants may appeal to
the Court of Quarter Sessions OF the
Peace of the proper county within thirty
DAYS, upon entering into recognlzance
with one surety for the amount OF tines
and costs: Provided however, that be-
fore such penalty shall be incurred, the
parent, guardian, or other person liable
therefor, shall be notified in writing by
the Secretary of the School Board, or By
the Attendance Officer, if there be one, OF
such liability, and shall have opportunl-
ty bv compliance with the requirements
of this act then and thereafter to avoid
the imposition OF such penalty. me
fines provided for by this act shall, when
collected, be paid over by the officers
collecting the same into the county treas
ury of the respective counties, for the
use of the proper School Treasurer of the
city or School district in which such per-
son convicted resides, to be applied and
accounted for by such Treasurers in the
same way as other moneys raised for
school purposes; such fines shall be col
lected by a process of law similar to the
collection OF other lines.
SECTION 3. IF deemed necessary for the
better enforcement of the provisions OF
this act, Boards of School Directors or
School Controllers in cities, boroughs
and townships, may employ one or more
persons to be known as Attendance Ot-
ficers, whose duty it shall be to look
after, apprehend and place in such schools
as the person in parental relation may
designate, truants and Others who fail to
attend school in accordance with the
provisions of this act. The persons
be entitled to such compensation, not ex-
ceeding two dollars day, as shall be fixed
by the Boards appointing them, and such
compensation may be paid out of the
school fund; Boards of School Directors or
Controllers may set apart school rooms IN
public school buildings for children VINO
are habitual truants, or who are IN
subordinate upon instruction IN the
public schools.
SECTIoS 4. 1t shall be the duty of the
Assessor of voters of every district, at the
spring registration of voters. OF as soon as
possible thereafter, to make, in sub
stantial book provided by the County
Commissioners for that purpose, careful
and correct list of all children between
the ages OF eight and thirteen years
within his district, giving the name,
age and residence OF each, and whether
in charge of parent, guardian or other
person, together with such other 1nfor-
nation as may be deemed necessary,
which enumeration shall be returned by
saidAssessor to the County commission
ers of the county in which the enumera-
ton is made, whose duty it will be to
certify it to the Secretary OF the proper
School district, who shall Immediately
furnish the principal or teacher of each
school with a correct list of all children
in his or her district who are subject to
the provisions OF this act And the said
Assessors shall be paid per diem COM
pensation for their services, sum equal
to the compensation paid under existing
laws for Assessors of election, said ser
vice not to exceed ten days.
SECTION 5. 1t shall be the duty of each
teacher in the school district to report
Immediately to the Secretary of the
e
thereafter at the close of each school
month, the names of all the children on
the list previously furnished by the Sec
retarv who were absent without satisfac-
tory cause for five days during the month
Tor which the report shall be made,
when, if it shall appear that any parent,
guardian or other person having control
of any child or children shall have failed
to comply with the provisions of this act,
after due notification in writing as pro-
yided in section two, the Secretary, or
Attendance Officers, if there be one, 10
the name Of the School district, shall
proceed against the offending party or
parties in accordance with law by COM
plant before any Alderman or Justice OF
the peace: Provided further, that II
sufficient cause be shown for the neglect
of the requirements of this act, the cost
OF said proceedings snail De paid OUT oi
the district funds upon proper voucher
approved by the Board of Directors or
Controllers.
SECTION 6. The Secretary or Attend
ance officer, if there be one, of any Board
of Directors or Controllers who willfully
refuses or neglects to comply with the
provisions of this act shall be guilty of
misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
before an Alderman or Justice of the
Peace, shall forfeit fine not exceeding
twentv-fva dollars