Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-01
SENATE BILL NO 90.
THE PROPOSED scHooI LAW.

/
| legislature of 1899, bill known as Senate
| Bill 1877. This bill was not acted on by
the legislature, because of the general pro-
/ test against its provisions, and the COM
mission was continued During the Fall,
| the commission held numerous public
hearings, and received suggestions from
persons of experience in school matters.
The result of last years work of this
commission is embodied in Senate Bill No.
so introduced in the Senate last Tuesday.
This bill makes radical changes in
method of electing members of Boards of
Education. number of members and
method Of making appropriations, in
cities divided into wards ence directly
affects this city.
NUMBER AND ELECTION OF MEMBERS.
The first provision requires that in cities
divided into wards, there shall be elected,
at large, al the annual municipal election
next succeeding the passage Of this act, ten
persons to be members of the board of
education of such municipality. Two of
such persons shall serve for one year, two
for two years, two for three years, two for
four years, two for FIVE years, and there
after, at the regular municipal election,
two members shall be elected to serve for a
term of five years
Section 40 requires that member shall
be at least 25 years ofage and citizen and
resident for three years.
Section 46, requires that member shall
hold no salaried or lucrative employment
under the government of the municipality,
and shall not be interested Ia any contract
or claim against said board.
Sections AZ, As, 49, so, 81, 50, So, 81, 55,
55, ST, are not materially different from a
present law.
Sections 81 and So require the board to
ad vertise for bids for furnishing supplies
required BY the schools during the year.
Section SO requires the board to publish,
al the end of each school year, report of
the nditon of the schools, of the property
of the district, and an itimized account of
the expenditures and the finances of the
district
Section 60 requires the Secretary to give
bond in the sum of $4,000, and Section
81. 81. SO. "a, IS, 66, 81 define his duties.
Section So So 70 II, provide for the
election of Superintendent by majority
vote of the board, and define his duties,
much as under the present act.
Under Section 70 the Superintendent,
with the approval of the President of the
board. or chairman of the committee on
teachers, may suspend assistant teachers;
afterward they must report such suspension
to tie board, and by majority vote the
board may restore or permanently suspend
such teacher
Under Section IA a business manager
may be appointed and salary fixed, and
his duties are defined in that and Section
rs and 76
Section n provides that Sin every school
district" as aforesaid, "twO members Of
the board of education to be elected by the
board, the Mayor or other executive officer
of the city, and two members of the COM
mon council, to be chosen by each body,
shall constitute board to be known as
the Board of School Estimate"
Section rs. 70, and so, define the duties
of this board, which are: LIST, To receive
before the 10Th OF April in every year from
the board OF education, an estimate of the
amount of money necessary to be raised
by local tax for school purposes.
Fad, Between April Is and May l, the
Board of Estimate'i shall estimate and
determine the amount of money necessary
to be appropriated for the use of the pub
lie schools the ensuing year. Sd, On or
before May 10, such estimate. signed by at
least three members of said Board of EstI-
mate, shall be fled with the board of
education and the common council, and
said common council shall appropriate the
amount SO certified for the uses of the
public schools, an amount greater than
three-fourths of fine percentum of the tax
able valuation can be appropriated only by
consent of common council, expressed by
resolution, regularly passed
Section 80 provides for the purchase Of
land and the erection of buildings in same
method as appropriations for current
expenses are made, and issue bonds. Bonds
so issued shall be designated school
bonds" and shall be made payable in not
more than thirty years from the date
thereof.
That portion of the new school law
which applies to cities divided into
wards" was considered by the Woodbury.
Board OF Education at a special session
last Saturday evening and the unanimous
opinion of that body is that certain of its
provisions will not tend to improve the
school system Of our city.
This Board does not favor the election of
memb ers of the Board of Education at the
annual municipal election, because the
mem bers SO elected would be likely to
have more solicitude for political advan-
tage than for the highest interests of the
public schools.
This Board 10 opposed to boards Of ten
members elected at large, and are also OPP
posed to five year terms. 1t favors three
year terms, with boards of nine members,
elected by wards. The Gle, tion TO be held
one week alter the annual municipal
election-as at present. Inasmueh as
members of the Board of Education serve
without pensation, it discovers no
reason for debarring any qualified citizen
from mem bership in this Board
The Board favOrs the requirement to
advertise for bids for furnishings and sup
plies, and the publication of statement
of the general and financial condition of
the schools at the end of the school year.
1t opposes the section giving the super
intendent and President of board authority
to suspend a teacher, even temporarily,
and believes such authority should remain
in the Board which elects.
1t does not believe this district requires
business manager.
1t is opposed to the Board of Estimate
composed OF two members of the Board
of Education, the Mayor and two members
of City Council, and faYors the present
method of making appropriations.