The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-05-28
AI"rENDANCE.

The compulsory attendance law is
we'll known to most people but it will
not be ont of the way to review some of
its provisions;
l. All children between the ages of
and II and also those between IA and 16
not regularly and lawfully employed at
home or elsewhere shall attend some
public, parochial or private school at
least 120 days during the year
| 2. This law does not affect the follow
| ing classes of children:
(a) Those who are unable to attend
because of sickness or some mental de-
| feet
(b) Those who live more than two
miles from school.
(c) Those who have completed the
course of study.
(d) Those who are receiving equiva-
| lent instruction in some other way.
| 3. Occasional absence from school for
any valid reason can not be considered
violation of the law. We should
strive to comply with this statute &C
cording to the spirit and, if we do, the
letter will take care of itself
a. The following persons are made re-
sponsib!e for the enforcement of the law ::
(a) The district clerk must furnish to
the county superintendent a list of the
names of all children between the ages
of and 16 years together with the
names and addresses of parents and
guardians, and the distances to school.
(b) The county superintendent as
certains the attendance of the children
in the various districts and reports to
the sheriff cases which seem to need in
vestigation
(c) The sheriff is the truant officer
and it is his duty to investigate cases re.
ported to him by the county supern-
tendent or by any other person. He
notifies the parent to send the child to
school, and, in case of non compliance,
notifies the district attorney.
I'D The district attorney must pro-
secute such cases in the name of the
state.
). The punishment fol- non compliance
with this law is fine from 30 to $25
or imprisonment in the county Jail
for period not to exceed 80 days.
Owing to the vast amount of work in
the county superintendent Office and
to the fact that it was late before we
could really get at the work this year,
it was impossible to cover the whole
county as it should have been done.
Yet beginning was made in the mat
ter and from our experience we have
evolved the following system which
will be carried out next year:
GD The district clerks will send in
carefully prepared lists of children be-
tween the ages of 7and 16 years. These
will be filed away in our office.
(2) Ten blanks will be given to each
teacher at the summer institute. At the
end of every school month the teacher
will send to the superintendent the at
tendance of every child for that month
and also the attendance of the child
from the beginning of the year. Fail
ure to send in the report renders the
teacher liable to forfeiture of from $5
to $25.
ca The county superintendent goes
over these reports when they come in
and checks off the attendance on the or
iginal sheet furnished by the clerk
az The names of the children not in
school and not having valid excuse
will be given to the sheriff for investiga-
ton.
% Such will be followed up until the
children are in school or good reason
is found for their non attendance.
1t will be seen that we are trying to
reduce this work to some system by
which it may be efficiently done with
as little loss of energy as possible.
have found that the large number. of the
people of the county are anxious to have
this law carried out and it is my pur-
pose to ascertain the status of every
child in the county between the ages of
and I6
Several of the parochial school teach.
ers have also signifed willingness to
help in the matter HI irregular attend.
ance is as detrimental to their work as
it is to ours. They have promised to
report to me the attendance Of the child
rem going to their schools. To such