Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-08-29

| To provide for the attendance, ana tAo
reports of attendance of the children
in the schools of this Common
wealth; etc, etc.
Section /. Be it enacted, &c, That
| every parent, guardian or other person
in this Commonwealth, having control
or charge OF a child or children between
| the ages of eight and sixteen years, shall
| be required to send such child or chill
| dren To day school in which the com
mon English branches are taught. and
such child or children shall attend such
school continuously during the entire
| trn,. I. which the public school in their
respectlye districts shall be in session,
| uniess such child or children shall be
excused from such attendance by the
board Of the school district in which
the parent, guardian or other person re
/ sides, upon the presentation 70 SAID
board Of satisfactory evidence showing
such child or children are prevented
| from attendance upon school or appllca-
ton to study by mental, physical or
other urgent reasons. But the term ur-
gent reasons shall be strictly construed.
and shall not permit Of irregular atten-
dance: Provided, That the school board
in each district shall have power, at It's
June meeting, to reduce the compulso-
nv attendance to not less than seventy
per centum go per centuml OF the
school term in such district, IN when
case the board must, at that date, h1
the time for compulsory afte dance 10
begin This act shall not Apply to any
child between the ages Of turteen and
sixteen years who can rr,si and write
the English language inteiIg atty. and
5,,a mi
ployInent or service: Provided That IN
case there be no public school in session
within two miles, by the nearest travel
ed road. of any person within the school
district, he or she shall not be liable to
the provisions of this act: Provided,
That this act shall not apply to any
child that has been or is being other
wise instructed in English, in the COM
mon branches of learning for like pc
Rod of time, by any legally qualified
governess or private teacher in family:
And provided further, That any teach
er or principal Of any private school or
| educational institution shall report non
attendance, as provided in section i've
(5l of this act: Provided fnrther, That
any person employing child or child
rem shall furnish, on or before the third
Monday of the school term and quarter
ly thereafter to the superintendent OF
schools, to the secretary of the board OF
school directors or controllers OF the dis
trict in which such child or children re-
side the names, age, place of residence,
and name Of parent or guardian OF every
person under the age of sixteen in his
employ at the time of said report: And
provided Also That the certificate of
any principal or teacher Of private
school, or of any institution for the edu-
cation Of children, in which the common
English branches are taught, setting
forth that the work of said school is in
compliance with the provisions OF this
act, shall be sufficient and satisfactory
evidence thereof, and the principal or
teacher OF said school or institution
shall have the power to excuse any child
or children for nonattendance during
temporary periods, in accordance with
the provisions Of this act.
Section 2. For every neglect of duty
imposed by the first section Of this act
the principal or teacher, or person IN
parental relation. offending, shall be
guilty of Il misdemeanor, and snail
upon conviction thereof before justice
of the peace, magistrate or alderman,
forfeit a fine not exceeding two dollars
ing, five dollars for each subsequent con-
yiction; and in default of payment OF
said fine, the defendant may be COM
mited to the county prison for a period
not exceeding two days for the first con-
viction, and for a period not exceeding
five days for each subsequent convic-
tion: Provided, Upon conviction, the
defendant or defendants may appeal to
the court Of quarter sessions Of the
peace of the proper county, within five
days, upon entering into recognizance
with one surety for the amount Of fires
and costs: Provided however, Tnat be-
fore such penalty shall be incurred, the
parent. guardian or other person liable
therefore shall be notified in in writing
by the superintendent of schools, or the
secretary of the school board. or by the
attendance off il there be one, of
such liability, and shall have opportuni-
ty, by compliance with the requirements
of this act, within three school days,
then and thereafter, to avoid the impo-
sition of such penalty. But after such
notice has been served, If the same child
is absent from school three days, or
their equivalent in time, during the re-
manning period Of compulsory atten-
dance, without excuse as provided
by section one ~ Of this act, the
parent, guardian. or person IN
parental relation, shall be liable to
prosecution under this act, without
further notice. The fines provided by
this act shall, when collected, be paid
over by the officers collecting tho same
into the school treasury Of the respec-
tive districts, for. the use Of the said
school district Of the city, borough or
township in which such person convict
ed resides, to be applied and accounted
for by such treasurers in the same way
as other moneys raised for school Pur
poses: such fines shall be collected by
process Of law similar to the collection
Of other fines.
Section g. Board Of school directors or
school controllers shall in cities, and
may in all other school districts, employ
one or moro persons to be known as at
tendance officers, who shall, in addition
to the duties provided elsewhere in this
act, have full police power without
warrant and whose duty it shall be 10
look after and arrest and apprehend
truante and others who fail to attend
school in accordance with the provis-
ions of this act. When an attendance
officer arrests or apprehends any truant
or ether person. as herein set forth
he shall have power, Immediately TO
place him or her in the school in which
he or she is or should be enrolled, or AT
the expense Of the parent, guardian or
person in parental relation. In such pri-
vate school, as provided by section one
G)of this act, as the parent guardian or
person in parental relation may select
And in case the parent, guardian or
person in parental relation shall refuse
or neglect, Immediately to select such
school, the school board or board Of
school controllers shall have power to
designate the school in which the child
shall be placed. The persons appointed
such attendance officers shall be en-
titled to such compensation as shall be
fixed by the boards appointing them:
but, in townships, shall not exceed two
dollars per day; and such ompensation
may be paid out Of the school fund
Boards of directors or controllers Of any
school district, or of two or more dis
tricts jointly may establish special
schools for habitual truants. or who are
insubordinate or disorderly during
their attendance upon instruction in
the public echools, and may provide for
the proper care, maintenance and in
struction Of such children in such
schools, for such period Of time as
the board may prescribe. But before
the pnpil shall be placed in such special
school, the parent guardian or person
in parental relation shall have opportu-
niry to be heard. All truancy and in
corrigibility shall be deemed disorderly
conduct. And in case no special school
as he~ein prescribed, has been establish
ed, the superintendent Of schools or sec
Tetary, or attendance officer If there be
one shall Inncaed AGAINST such Lrnant