Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-21

The compulsory educatlon laws VI
California, to which Mrs. Chaffin refers
and copies of which she has caused TO
be printed at her own expense. should
be in the hands of every citizen ana
peace officer. The laws read as follows:
Compulsory Education Law
Chapter 77-An act to amend an act
entitled IAN act to enforce the euuca-
tional rights of children and providing
nenalties for violation of the act ap-
proved March a. 1903, and amended
March 20, 1906, by amending sections 3,
a. 5 and of said act and by adding
a new section to said act to be num-
bered section TX. (Approved March a.
1907
The people of the state of California
represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
Section 1-Section 8 of an act entitled
IAN act to enforce the educational rights
of children and providing penalties Tor
violation of the act" approved March
90 1905, is hereby amended to read as
follows:
Section 3-The board Of education of
any city and county, or the board OF
trustees of any school district shall, on
the complaint of any person, make full
and impartial investigation Of all charges
against parents or guardians or other
persons having control or charge of any
such child for violation of any of the
provisions of this act If it shall appear
upon such investigation that any such
parent or guardian or other person has
violated any of the provisions of this
act 1t is hereby made the duty of the
secretary of such board of education,
except as hereinafter provided or the
clerk of such board of trustees, to make
and file in the proper court a criminal
complaint against such parent guardian
or other person, charging such violation,
and to see that such charge is prosecuted
by the proper authorities; provided, that
in cities and in cities and counties and
in school districts having an attendance
officer or officers, such officer or officers
shall, under the direction of the board
of education, or the city superintendent
of schools. or the board of trustees. make
and file such complaint and see that
such charge is prosecuted by the proper
authorities.
Section 2-Section of said act is here
by amended to read as follows:
Section 4-The board of education Of
any city or city and county may appoint
and remove at pleasure one or more at
tendance officers of such city or city
and county or the board of trustees of
any school district having at least 600
census children may appoint and remove
at pleasure one attendance officer and
shall fix his or their compensation, not
exceeding $1,000 per annum for any such
officer. payable from the county or spe-
cial school fund of such city, city and
county, or school district and shall pre-
scribe their duties, not inconsistent with
law, and make rules and regulations for
the performance thereof; provided, that
in any city, or city and county, contain
ing less than 10000 school census chill
dren, not more than one attendance Of
ficer shall be appointed, and in any city,
or city and county, containing more than
$1,000 school census children, nor more
than one attendance officer shall be ap-
pointed for each 10000 school census chill
dren, or fraction greater than one-half
thereof.
Section 3-Section Of said act is
amended to read as follows:
Section SIT shall be the duty of the
attendance officer, or of any peace Of
ficer or any school officer to arrest dur
ing school hours, without warrant, any
child between and IA years of age,
found away from his home, and who
has been reported to him by the teacher,
the superintendent of schools, or other
person connected with the school de-
partment or schools as a truant from
instruction upon, which he is lawfully
required to attend within the county
city or city and county, or school dis
trict. Such arresting officers shall forth
with deliver the child so arrested either
to the parent, guardian or other person
having control or charge of said child
or to the teacher from whom said child
is then a truant, or If such child shall
have been declared an habitual truant,
he shall bring such child before n mag
istrate for commitment by him to a
parental school, as provided In this act
The attendance officer or other arresting
and the disposition made by him OF such
child to the school authorities OF such
city, or city and county, or school dis
trict. Any child may be reported as a
truant. in the meaning of this act, who
shall have been absent from school with
out valid excuse more than three DAYS.
or tardy on more than three days. any
absence for part of a day being re-
garded as a tardiness. Any child who
has once been reported as a truant and
who is again absent from school, with
out valid excuse, one or more days, or
tardy on one or more days. may again
be reported as truant. Any child may
be deemed an habitual truant who shall
have been reported as a truant three or
more times. Any child who has once
been declared an habitual truant and who
in a succeeding year is reported as
truant from school one or more days or
tardy on one or more days without valid
excuse, may be again declared an habit
ual truant.
Section 4-Section of said act is
amended to read as follows
Section 6-The board of education of
any city, or of any city and county.
or the board of trustees of any school
district having at least 600 census chill
dren may establish schools in a manner
hereinafter prescribed, or set apart in
public school buildings for children be-
tween and IA years of age who are
habitual truants from instruction upon
which they are lawfully required to at
tend or who are insubordinate or dis
orderly during their attendance upon
such instruction, or irregular in such
attendance. Such school or room shall
be known as a parental school. A pa
rental school, as herein designated and
provided for, shall be one of the primary
or grammar schools of the city, or city
and county, or school district, and the