The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-14
SCHOOL LAW
Some Extracts from the Act Govern.
ing the Attendance OF Pupils
in the Public Schools.

The following sections of the
school law, requiring the attend
ance of pupils at The public schools,
should be read and under stood by
parents and the public generally:
t.XXXVII. Be it enacted, etc,
That every parent, guardian or
other person in this Commonwealth,
having control or charge of child
or children between the ages of
eight and sixteen years, shall be
required to send such ceild or chill
dren to a day school in which the
common English branches are
taught and such child or children
shall attend such school continu
ously during the entire time IN
which the public school i'll their re-
spective districts shall be in session,
unless such child or children shall
be excused from such attendance
by the board of the School district
i'll which the parent, guardian or
other person resides, upon the pre-
sentation to said board of satisfac.
tory evidence showing such child
or children are prevented from at
tendau e upon school or appica
tion to study by mental, ply steal
or other urgent reasons. Provided.
That the school board i'll each dis
trict shall tave power, at its June
meeting, to reduce the period of
compulsory attendance TO not less
than seventy per centum of the
school term in such district. i'll
case the board must, at that date,
fix the time for compulsory attend
ance to begin.
LXXXNIII. For every neg
lect of duty imposed by the first
section of this act, the principal or
teacher, or person in parental re'a-
ton, offending, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof before a justice of the peace,
magistrate or alderman, for.e't a
fine not exceeding two dollars on
hrst conviction, and a fine not eN-
ceeding five dollars for each sub
sequent conviction; and in default
of payment of said fae, the defend
ant may be committed to the coun-
ty prison for period not exceeding
two days for the first conviction
and for period not exceeding five
days for each subsequent convic-
ton.
LXXXIN. Board Of school di.
reCtors or school controllers shall
i'll cities, and may in all other school
districts, employ one or more per-
sons to be known as attendance Of
ficers, who shall in addition to the
duties provided elsewhere in this
act have full police power without
warrant, and whose duty it shall be
to look after and arrest and appre.
hend truants and others who fail to
attend school in accordance with
the provisions of this act.
XCI. 1t shall be the duty of
each teacher in tn: school district
to report Immediately to the at
tendance officer or the superintend-
ent of schools, or the secretary of
the board of directors or controll-
ers, the names of all children, on
the list previously furnished by
said superintendent or secretary,
who have been absent three days
or their equivalent without lawful
excuse: then when if it shall appear
that any parent, guardian or other
person having control of any child
or children shall nave failed to COM
ply with the provisions of this act
after notification in writing as pro
vided in section two, the superin-
tendent or secretary, or attendance
officer if there be one, in the name
of the school district, shall proceed
against the offending party or par
ties, in accordance with the provi-
sions of this act.
NClI. The superintendent of
schools or secretary, or attendance
officer if there be one, of any board
of directors or controllers who will
fully refuses or neglects to comply
with fhe provisions of this act shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
upon conviction thereof, before an
alderman, magistrate or justice of
the peace. shall forfeit a fine not
exceeding twenty-five dollars.
XCIII. The State Superintend-
ent of Pubic instruction may with
hold ne-fourth state appropriation
from any school district which neg