The Republican journal., 1909-04-29
THE REPUBLICAN JOURNAL, THURSDAY, APRIL % 1909.
School Legislation In Maine.

The Maine legislature of 1909 enacted
important educational legislation, and
while it was given in full in the supple
ment recently issued with The Journal
the following summary will be found
useful for reference:
1t increased to three mills the State
tax for the support of common schools.
On the basis of the new law the State
will annually distribute, beginning in
1911, about one and half million dollars
to the towns and cities of the State to be
expended for common schools.
1t increased the minimum number of
weeks that towns must support schools
from 20 to 26.
1t increased the requirements for High
schools, raising likewise the amount Of
viding for visitation and inspection under
the direction of the State superintendent
of schools.
1t added an educational requirement to
the compulsory education law authoriz-
ing school committees to compel school
attendance to the 18th birthday unless a
minimum educational test can be met.
1t established new State normal
school, making the total number of such
institutions five. 1t also made liberal in
crease for the support Of these schools,
making possible the extension of courses
in manual training and agriculture al
ready introduced and the establishment
of rural model schools.
1t passed law providing for State ap-
proval of plans of new school buildings
and also fixed a minimum standard in re-
spect to protection against fire.
1t provides for the more liberal sup
port by the State of the common schools
in unorganized townships and for the
payment by the State Of the secondary
school tuition of pupils resident of these
townships.
1t passed medical inspection act
which authorizes towns to provide for
the appointment of school physicians
The act also provides for sight and hear
ing tests of public school pupils.
It endorsed and strengthened the law
previously enacted providing for expert
school supervision by raising the stand
ard of requirements upon superintend-
ents and by extending the provision of
the act to all towns and cities of the
State.
1t created school equalization fund
for the aid of the towns assessing them
selves for the support of common schools
in excess of four mills on the dollar.
1t provided additional aid to academies
offering courses in manual training, do
nestle science and agriculture.
1t made provision for special investi-
cation of the needs of the State in re-
spect to a system of industrial education.
1t provided for the payment of teach
ers' salaries at the close of each school
month.
Under the terms of the initiative and
referendum none of these enactments
are effective until about July 1st.
The total appropriations for all educa-
tional purposes made by the legislature
of 1909, exclusive of institutions for de-
fectives and delinquents, including the
three mill tax, High school and academy
aid, expert school supervision and special
appropriations for academies. colleges,
etc, amount to approximately 81, ,00C
for 1909 and to 81, $50, 900 for 1910. The
first distribution of the proceeds of the
new mill and half tax will not be made
until 1911 and is therefore not included
in the foregoing appropriations of 1909
1910.