The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-08
NoRMALs MAY NoT SHARE.
Attorney General Says They Are Not
s school Districts.

An opinion of interest to the citizens of
Winona, st. Cloud, Mankato, Moorhead and
ultimately of Duluth, was passed upon by
Attorney General Childs yesterday, being as
to whether the model departments of these
schools are entitled to pro rata with other
public schools in the distribution of the state
moneys. The attorney general says:
1t seems from your statement of facts that
the model departments referred to are made
up of children of both sexes, between the
ages of five and twenty years, usually resid-
ing in the localities Immediately adjacent to
the respective state normal schools. They
are designed and used to afford the normal
students the opportunities for actual practice
In teaching. managing and controlling pupils,
under the supervision and criticism of ex-
perts, to the end that said students may be-
come familiar with the best methods Of school
instruction and government. Children at
tending such schools are charged a tuition
fee for the instruction impaired and are not
accordingly enumerated among the school
children of the state in the apportionment of
the school moneys to the respective counties
of the state.
In view of the resolution and your state
ment of facts, you submit the following ques-
tons:
First-Are the children enrolled in those
model departments entitled to share in the
superintendent of the current school fund?
Second-Would they be entitled to share in
said superintendent in case the tuition were
abolished?
In distributing the moneys of the state
aiming lie VdINu COuHtieS tucIeul III diu u
the public schools, the state is actuated by
desire to encourage the education of chill
dren in the common schools. When distrib-
uted to the several counties, the auditors
thereof are required to make apportionments
of such moneys among the several school
districts in The county. in which schools have
been taught five months within a year by
qualified teachers, which apportionment shall
be made upon the number of scholars be-
/ tween the ages of five and twenty-one years
lawfully enrolled in each school, and entitled
to apportionment reported to him by the
county superintendent Of schools, and the
county auditor shall transmit to the clerk of
each district copy of the apportionment of
said district, AMI such money shall be used
only in payment of teachers wages, includ-
ing board
A normal school is not, in my judgment.
a school district within the contemplation of
the statute. 1t is an institution whose sup
port is otherwise provided for by annual ap-
preparations from the state treasury nor is
the attendance by the children in question
at such model schools either expressly or i'm
piiedly contemplated by the statute. How
ever much such attendance may conduce to
the efficiency of training schools it results
from a custom which has grown up in con-
nection with such work, and rests in no re-
spect upon the positive terms of the statute.
So far as the principle involved is concerned,
it matters not whether children attending
such model schools are charged a tuition fee
or are admitted free.
Both questions should therefore be an
swered in the negative, and you are advised
accordingly.