Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-12-07
TO School Officers, Teachers, and Parents.

provisions Of the Compulsory Educa-
tion Law, passed. by the 29th, and
amended by the 30th General Assem-
bly,.
Under the law as it now stands it
is the duty of every parent or guard
ian to send all children between the
ages of seven and fourteen. sixteen
consecutive weeks, $50 days during
the school year. (The official school
year begins on the third Monday of
March, and of course ends on the same
dav Of the following March,
The school may be public, private or
parochial school. but the common
school branches of reading, writing.
spelling, arithmetic, geography, gram
mar, United States history, and physi-
ology must be taught. Parents living
more than (2) two miles from school
| by nearest travelled road are not liable
| under the law if children do not at
tend regularly.
| PENALTY.
The law says: Any person who
shall violate the provisions Of this
law shall be guilty of misdemeanor,
and upon conviction thereof shall pay
fine of not less than 50, nor more
than $50 for each offense.
The principal of each private or
parochial school is required to fur
nish to the Secretary Of the school
corporation, once each year, and at
any time when requested in individual
cases, to furnish within ten days, to
the Secretary, a certificate and report
of the names, ages, and attendance Of
the pupils in attendance at such school
during the preceding year. and from
the time of the last preceding report
to the time at which report is re-
quired& #*s. All such certificates.
reports, etc. shall be filed and pre-
served in the Office of the Secretary
of the school corporation as a part of
the records of the Office.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
The board may. at their annual
meeting in each year. appoint one or
more truant officers who shall serve
for one year, and who may be con-
stable or member of the police force,
whose duty 1t shall be to report vio-
lations of this act to the Secretary of
the school corporation and see to the
enforcement of the provisions of this
act. 1t shall be the duty of said tru-
ant officer to apprehend and take into
custody without warrant any child of
the age of to IA years inclusive.
who hapitually frequents or loiters
about public places during school
hours, without lawful occupation, or
VINO cannot produce q certificate of
physical or mental inability to attend
school, and place him or her in charge
of the teacher of the school to which
such child belongs. Truant officers
shall be entitled to such compensation
for services rendered, as shall be fixed
by the board of directors appointing
him, which compensation shall be
paid from the contingent fund of said
district
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.
It shall be the duty of the director
or president of the board Of directors,
or any truant officer appointed by such
board Of directors. to enforce the pro-
visions of this act. to sue for and re-
cover the penalties herein provided,
and to institute criminal prosecution
against any person violating the pro-
visions of this act, and any such
officers neglecting to do so within
thirty 1907 days after a written notice
has been served upon him by any citi-
zen of said district within which such
offending person resides, shall himself
be liable to fine Of not less than ten
(1O) dollars nor more than twenty (20)
dollars for each offense.
The law as amended last year pro-
vides that attendance at school must
begin on the first week of school after
the first day of September, unless the
board of school directors shall deter
mine upon later date which date
shall not be later than the first Mon.
dag in December.
DUTIES OF TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL OFFICERS.
Section Z. All teachers Of the pub
lie schools of the state. county super
intendents and school officers and en-
ployas, shall promptly report to the
Secretary of the school corporation
any violations of the provisions of
this act of which they have knowledge
or information and he-the Secretary
shall promptly inform the president of
the board of directors thereof and such
president shall, if necessary. call a
meeting of the board of directors to
take such action thereon as the facts
shall justify.
| NOTE wish to say. regarding
the law, that 1t is not designed that