The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-06-06
School Attendance
and Appointments

State School Superintendent Dewey
has written pertinent letter to the
Bellingham Herald bearing upon the
question of a districts right to share
in the apportionments Of state school
funds upon the basis Of attendance.
It bears opt precisely tile Islander's
statement that such attendance must
be actual and not constructive, and
that while boards of directors are
vested with foil authority to dismiss
schools at any time attendance money
can not be drawn for any days during
which school Is thus dismissed ex-
cept days designated by legislative en-
actment as school holldays. Mr..
De-ey says:
"Not even the governor can close
the schools by declaring legal holi-
day. He can close the courts. the
banks. and stop business generally.
Since 1895 the schools do not close
when the governor declares q legal
holiday. The legislature4 in that
year took the power away from the
governor. The directors. however.
may close the schools.
..There has been absolutely no rul-
ing made. The question of the dis
missal of school and the counting Of
days. attendance is constantly re-
curing one. Teachers from the East.
not familiar with our laws. are the
ones who most frequently submit ques-
tions of the kind. The teachers who
have been in the state any length of
time arc familiar with the law. We
have circular answer to these ques-
tions. reading as follows:
1. Any board of directors may
dismiss school when in their judgment
the best interests of the pupils will
be subserved thereby.
2. In case school Is closed by or
der Of the board of health or by order
of the directors. the teachers are en-
titled to their pay during the time in
which school is so closed.
8. In case school is closed. the at
tendance Of the pupils must not be
counted in making the report Of days.
attendance to the county superintend-
ent. The ruling governing attendance
will be found on page 1872 of the Code
OF Public Instruction. and reads "a
follows: can attendance Of less than
one hour at any half-day's session
shall not be counted by the teacher
in making his or her annual report"
''The above stereotyped answer to
these questions was given to the papers
recently. It has been repeatedly
printed before. This answer Is simply
a plain statement of the law. It is
not ruling. an opinion or decision.
It is 80 we'll known and so closely fol- /
lowed that we seldom have an inquiry
about 1t from any teacher who haa
been in the state two or three years.
The Islander believes that the d.
rectors of this district should not be
for dismissing school on the
22nd of May. when squadron OF the
Atlantic battleship fleet was at Bell
ingham. although Mr.. lNewhall had
donated the use OF one OF
his steamers for, an excursion to Ro-
sario strait the morning Of the 23rd In
order that pupils might see the ships
pass on their way to Seattle. Some
wanted to 60 aboard the vessels at an
chor at Bellingham and also zee the
parade Of sailors and marines there.
and it was right that they should have
IN opportunity to do 50. Such justin
cation, however. did not extend to the
dismissal Of school on the 29th Of
May for a picnic. and it is clearly
contrary to the spirit Of the Law TO
claim attendance money in such =
case.