The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-05-06
THE NEW SCHOOL LAW.

Prot. Nj. Bates OLepnenS, OupeIluteu-
dent of Public Education, has addressed
the following letter to the county School
Boards Of the State:
Gentlemen:- In view of the fact that "a
bill known as the General Educational
bill'' passed by the legislature is now q
law, l have thought it is proper to give
summary of the features Of the present
law wherein they differ from those of the
old school law l deem this all the more
necessary because the revised school laws
have not been published
/. The office of the State Board of Ed
ucation and State Superintendent Of Edu-
cation will be transferred from Baltimore
to Annapolis. You will be notified when
this transfer is made.
2. The State Board of Education is now
composed of eight members consisting of
six to be appointed by the Governor and
the State Superintendent Of Education.
The terms of the members of the State
Board correspond to those of the county
School Commissioners and minority repre-
sentative is provided.
g. The State Superintendent of Public
Education is Secretary of the State Board
of Education.
4. The official title of the Secretary of
the county School Board is "Secretary,
Treasurer, and county Superintendent
The name EXAMINER does not occur in
the new law.
5. The Secretary, Treasurer, and coun-
ty school Superintendent is appointed in
the month of May when the Board is or
ganized but does not enter upon his new
duties until the beginning OF the scholas-
tic year August first.
g. Trustees must be appointed first day
of May or first meeting thereafter which
must be held in month of May.
7. Principal teacher is appointed by the
Boards of Trustees and becomes the sec
rotary of the Board of District Trustees.
s. All assistant teachers are appointed
by the county school Boards.
g. County school Boards are given au-
thority to consolidate schools when desir
able and practicable and to pay charges
of transportation.
10. The Normal school at Frostburg.
the Normal Department of Washington
College, the Maryland State Normal
School and the Baltimore colored normal
school are under the supervision of the
State Board of Education.
H. The free book fund is $3.50, 900, and
the expenditures Of same is limited to
text books and supplementary reading
books and maps of Maryland. All text
books are to be adopted and purchased
by the county School Boards.
12 Diplomas of State Normal Schools
from other states may be endorsed by the
State Superintendent of Education.
IL. The minimum county school tax is
now fifteen cents.
IA. The State school tax rate is fifteen
cents instead of ten and one half as here
tofore.
Is. Teachers of white schools where
the average annual ate ndance of pupils
is fifteen or more shall receive as salary
for the year not less than three hundred
dollars and such schools shall remain
open not less than months. Schools
where the average is less than Is are in
the CONTROL of the county school Board
who determine the school year and the
amount of salary to be paid the teacher.
1G. Where the school Board fails to
provide school year of nine months and
the minimum salary of three hundred dol
lars, to white teachers whose school av-
erage fifteen, the Comptroller will with.
hold the March installment of the school
tax.
H. There is no separate fund for color
ed schools. All matters pertaining to
colored schools are left with the county
school Board.
IS. The State school tax is now appor-
toned on the basis of children (colored
and white) between the ages of 5 and 20
as disclosed by the census.
10. The Academic and free school funds
are not affected by the new law.
20. The new law went into effect from
the date of its passage. All state taxes
for the coming fiscal year will be collect
ed on the new rate of 22a cents.
81. All counties containing more than
eighty five schools the School Board may
employ a clerk, where the number of
teachers exceeds 175 they may also en-
ploy an assistant county Superintendent.
90 The Pension fund for teachers was
increased to $4,000, annually.