The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-16
NEW SCHOOL BOARD BILL
ONE TO CHANGE INDIANAPOLIS PLAN
INTRODUCED IN SENATE.
Commissioners to Be Elected by En-
tire City-Other Important
Changes.


as it provides for the reorganization of the
School Board. It is very lengthy and its
principal features are as follows:
THAT the government of common schools
in cities of 100000 or more inhabitants, ac-
cording to the last United States census,
shall be vested in a Board of School Com
missioners, which shall consist of five school
commissioners, who shall have and exercise
the power now conferred by act of the
General Assembly of this State, approved
March g. 1871. They shall be at least TWEEN
ty-five years of age, residents of the city
and shall have been such residents for at
least three years Immediately preceding
their election. They shall be ineligible to
any elective or appointive Office under such
Board of School Commissioners and under
the government of such city while holding
membership in said board. They shall not
be interested in any contract with or claim
against said school city either directly or
indirectly. If a any time after the election
of any member of said board he shall be-
come interested in any such contract with
or claim against said school city he shall
thereupon be disqualified to continue as
member of said board. and a vacancy shall
thereby be created. Every member of said
board shall before assuming the duties of
Ills OUlCe take an Odln DBlOTe SOiiG OilG
qualified to administer oaths, that he pos
sesses all of the qualifications required by
this act that he will honestly and faith
fully discharge the duties of his office, and
that he will not, while serving as a member
of such board, become interested, directly
or indirectly, in any contract with or claim
against said school city and that he will
not be influenced during his term of Office
by any consideration of politics or religion
or anything except that of merit and fitness
in the appointment of officers and the en-
gagement of employees. No compensation
shall be received by members of the board,
but they shall be exempt from jury duty
during their term of office.
HOW THEY ARE TO BE ELECTED,
1.-The said Board of School Commissioners
shall be elected except as specified in Sec
ton Of this act, on a general ticket for
the term of four years by the voters of
such city qualified to vote at it's city cleo
lions. Not later than thirty days before any
election for members of the Board of School
Commissioners provided for in this act,
householders of said city may present
names of candidates for election as MEM
bers of said Board of School Commissioners
to a board of canvassers consisting of the
mayor the treasurer and the controller of
said city and whenever any candidate shall
be proposed in writing by not less than two
hundred householders of said city, no more
than one candidate to be named in any one
petition and no person to sign more than
one petition for any one election; the said
board of canvasserS shall publish for five
days the names proposed in at least two OF
the daily papers of the city, and shall
certify at the time required by law such
nominations to the regular Board of Elec-
ton Commissioners for said city election
u-b m shall hallGfS nrintpd plain
paper, which shall contain the names OF
| all such candidates alphabetically arranged
without anything thereon save as otherwise
provided herein and except the names OF the
candidates and the Offices to be filled to-
gether with the square in front or each
name and a statement at the head OF the
ticket of the number of comml Ssioners for
whom the elector may vote. Such ballots
shall be voted al said regular city election
and deposited in a separate ballot box pro-
Vided for such purpose. The candidates, in
number equal to the number of members
to he chosen, who have the highest number
of votes shall be declared elected, except
that when woman is to be elected. the
woman receiving the highest number of
votes shall be declared elected If at any
election a member is to be chosen to fill
a vacancy and to serve out an unexplred
term candidates may be chosen as above
provided but they shall in all cases be
designated on the ballot a candidates to fill
a vacancy and the date of the unexpired
term shall be stated The successor of the
woman first elected shall always be
woman"
HoLD-OVER COMMISSIONERS.
A unique method of creating hold-over
commissioners is set forth in Section 4, as
follows: "At the city election, occurring on
the second Tuesday of October, 1892 five
members of the Board of School Commits
sioners shall be elected to serve as herein
provided They shall assume office on the
first day of January 1900. and shall meet at
the office of the present Board of School
,,f oifT ut M md
shall proceed to organize. Within one week
after the organization of the said elected
board they shall meet to divide themselves
by lot in such manner as they snail deter
mine into two classes as follows: The f1rst
class consisting of three members, shall
hold Office through the 31st day of Decem-
Der, 1901. The second class, consisting OF
two members shall hold office through the
ular elections of members of the Board of
School Commissioners shall occur at the
Tuesday of October of each alternate year.
in the year 1901 and every fourth year
thereafter three members shall be elected.
In the year 1903 and every fourth year
thereafter two members shall be elected.
The Board of School Commissioners shall
organize annually at their first regular
meeting in January by choosing one of their
members as president, another vice presi-
dent. and electing a secretary who shall not
be one of their number, and who shall re-
ceive salary to be fixed by the school
commissioners. which shall not exceed $1,000
a year. The treasurer of the city shall be
treasurer of the board, shall serve as such
without any additional compensation, and
shall make monthly statement to the
board of the amounts received and ex--
pended during the month, and the amount
on hand to the credit of the board.
Subject to the limitations herein stated,
said board shall have power to fix the sal
aries of all officers. agents, teachers or 9th
er employees, in the employ of said board.
The salaries of all officers appointed for
fixed term shall not be reduced during SUCH
term. Such board shall have full authority
to adopt such schedules of salaries as il
shall deem prober: and for this purpose, to
divide principals. teachers, and other Off
GERS and employees into classes to be deter
mined by responsibility or experience, or
both The board shall adopt rules for OBJ
regard to religious or political beliefs, ELI
gible lists from which all teachers and all
other employees except the superintendent.
the assistant superintendent and the princi-
pal of the Normal School, who shall be Sc
lected with regard exclusively TO fitness.
Immediately after it's first organization, the
beard shall appoint a business director.
who shall be removable by a vote of four
ifths of the entire board at any time. The
business director shall be the executive Of
ficer of the board.
DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR.
Every legislative act of the board shall be
by written resolution. Every resolution in
vOlving an expenditure of money or the ap-
prevail of a contract for the payment of
money, or for the purchase, sale, lease or
transfer of property, or levying any tax,
shall, before it takes effect and at least five
ba