The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-14
DECIDES TO
ENFORCE LAW
STATE SUPERINTENDENT WILL
TEST COMPULSORY EDUCATION
STIRRING up The DE2IuCTs'
Wants List Of Clerks and Trustees
Who Have Not Complied
With Statute.
UP The DE0IuCTS

With the purpose of seeing that the
Montana law regarding compulsory at
tendance upon the schools is enforced,
State Superintendent of Public In
struction w. w. WEIGH is preparing
a letter that is to be sent to each of
the county superintendent in the
state asking them to furnish his Of
fee with a list Of those clerks of
school boards and members of the
boards of trustees who have failed
to send to the county superintendent
a report showing the number Of chill
dren of school age who are not in the
schools. When these lists have been
received at the state superintendent
office, that official proposes to take
steps in accordance with the law,
which provides for the prosecution
Of those who fail to make the reports
required under the law.
"This action is taken in the inter-
est Of the neglected children Of the
state,' said Superintendent WEIGH to
the Independent. $50 far as ! I'm
able to learn there has never been
an attempt to enforce the law in this
regard, but that is no reason why we
should not begin right now. People
to whom l have spoken on the matter
tell me that the law is ineffective.
To be sure it will be ineffective SO
long as there is no attempt to enforce
its If county superintendent will
send me the lists, / will see that the
attempt is made, and then we shall
see whether the law is Of no effect.
Twelve Weeks for Each Child.
"The law contemplates that every
child Of school age shall have IL
weeks Of schooling each year, and 1t
is the duty of those in charge Of the
educational affairs of the state to see
that they get it, or know the reason
why they do not. Last year we were
able to secure at the hands of the
board of trustees of. the Butte schools
the appointment of a truant officer
i FMa L1prLL
and he was very successful in bring
ing into the schools many children
who otherwise would not have been
there at all.
1.-THE letter to the county superin'
tendents will be sent out probably to-
day, and every effort will be made by
this office to see that the provisions
of the law are carried out"
The superintendent in his letter will
call attention to sections 1922 to 1925
of the political code, which provide
the penalty for failure to see that the
compulsory attendance law is put in
force. In section 1922 it is provided
that the clerk of the school district
shall not later than 20 days after the
commencement Of each school term
furnish to the board of trustees a list
of the children in the district and an
other list with the anne Of the chill
dren who are in attendance upon the
schools. The penalty for failure tc
furnish these lists is a fine OF 50 tc
$25 for each offense, the fine to &C
into the school fund.
Section 1923 makes it the duty o.
the trustees to examine into all cases
of neglect and prosecute persons gull
ty of neglect. A fine of SO to $50 is
provided against the trustee who neg
lects to secure a prosecution, unless
the person complained of shall be ex
cused by the trustees.
The remaining sections refer to the
appointment of a truant officer ant
prescribe his duties.