The Springdale news., 1909-08-27
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW.
Full Text of Law Enacted by Last
 General Assembly.

Der of counties were exempted from the provisions of the law. but as will be noted it applies to Wash roll Counties. It is entitled An act to Regulate and Enforce Attend anee at the Schools of the State of Arkansas and is as follows.
 Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas:
 Section 1. Every parent, guard ian or other person in the State of Arkansas, having charge and control of any child between the ages of (S and t16) years, shall cause such child to attend regularly some day school, public, private, paroehial or parish, not less than one-half of the entire time the public school said child attends is in session, dur ing any one year, or shall provide such child at home with such reg ular daily instruction during the usual hours as shall be, in the judg- ment of court or school board hay ing competent jurisdiction. substan- italy equivalent to at least the in struetions given the children of like age and advancement at the day school in the locality in which said child resides
 Privided, That every parent. guar dian or other person in the State of Arkansas. having charge and control of any child between the ages of sixteen and twenty years, who is not actively and regularly engaged in some useful employment or service, shall cause said child to attend school as hereinbefore pro Vlded for children from (Sl to tl61 years
 Section 2 Any child between the ages aforesaid may be excused tenn porarily from complying with the provisions of this Act, in whole or in part, if 1t be shown to court of competent jurisdiction, or school board of said district, that said par ent or guardian, or person having charge or control of said child. Is not able, through extreme destitu ton. to provide proper clothing for said child. or that said child is mentally or physically incapaeitated to attend school for the whole per 1od required or any part thereof, or that there is no public school taught within two and one-half miles of the residence of said child by the nearest travelled road. or that the labor of said child is ab solaetly necessary for the support of the family or that said child has completed a common school course, including seven e7D grades. and has certificate of same from the school said child attended If any child. or children. are unable to at tend school, as hereinbefore required by not being able to procure books. on satisfactory proof of same. the respective school board shall pur- chase said books out of the general school fund of said district
 Section 3 The board having charge of public school in city or district shall appoint, for per iod of one year, one or more at tendance officers to enforce the pro- visions of this Act. The fees of said attendance officers shall be the same as that of peace officers for similar service. and said fees shall be paid from the public school funds of the city or district The attendance officers shall serve writ ten or printed notices upon the par ents or guardians, or persons who
 
 child or children as aforsaid who violate the provisions of this Act, and shall, when reasonable doubt exists as to the age of the child. require a properly attested birth certificate or an affidavit stating such ehild's age, the date of birth and physical characteristics and shall have the right to visit and enter any office or factory or busi ness house employing children as aforedaid; and the right to require a properly attested certificate of attendance of any child or children at such day school. and power to arrest, without warrant, all truantS and non-attendants as aforesaid and place them in some public school, unless the parents, guardians or persons in charge and control of said children. respectively. shall at once place them in some other day school as aforesaid. Such attend ance officer shall serve the legal notices and subpoenas of the court, without further fee or compensation than that paid by the board as aforesaid and he shall carry into effect such other regulations as may lawfully be required by the board appointing him.
 Section 4 The board having charge of the public schools of any city or district having 10.000 or more population by the last census, may establish and maintain from the public schools in such city or district, or any school board may, at its discretion purchase land and maintain such school either within or without their own district, for children who are between the ages of tS) and t16) years, and who are habitual trnants from any day school in which they are enrolled as pupils, or who, while in attend ance at any school. are incorrig- ible. vicious or immoral. or who habitually wander or loiter about the woods or public places without lawful employment. and such child ren shall be deemed juvenile dis orderly persons. and may be by said school board. through it's of- fn nd