Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-03-11
LEGISLATION FOR ScHOOLSl
Embraces a Great Bulk Of Matters
Acted Upon BY the Legs
lat1re just Over.
BY JOHN c. BOND.
Charleston, w. Va, N

CndrtSston, w. Va, Mdrch ,.
OF the Sc bills passed by the recent
| Legislature eighteen relate 10 schools.
liz fact nearly every measure intro
clced with any hope OF gettng
through became law. Three Except
| ions are noted. The teachers of the
State endorsed a law placing pro-
| auction tax on gas, part OF the tax
| TO go into the general school fund. Al
bill was pushed increasing the mini
mum salaries CT teachers and another
providing for an increase Of school
! ], yies but these three filled The
teachers salary increase bin failed
partly because of the failure Of the
increased levy bill and the gas tax
Hi, as sufficient funds could not have
teen raised to ever the increase with
cut power to make h CHER legies.
Money For Schools.
In addition to enacting the Is laws
relating to schools the legislature was
gen rous "a lis pprep riagens .ag The
State department of schools. For of
tce expenses there mas appropriated
sum a little larger than ask d for
while n eded Increases were made in
the appropriations for institute and
exam nation work Del gate Edward
was chairman # the house committee
CIR education and Senator Johnson in
tie senate, both working all the time
for school g 81 tion.
Among the school bills passed we're
| several If a .ocal nature, relating to
the ind pendene districts Of Charles
ton, Parkersburg, Elkins, Redwood,
Milton, Palatine (Marion county, Har-
man Grant county and Winfield
putnam county,.
Another b Il appropriates $50 900
Iior replacing the buildings destroyed
by fire at the Concord Normal school
at Athens.
AT the election last fall half dozen
districts voted down the school levy
through some misunderstanding or
other. In some instances the ballots
were improperly printed Will in
others the voters got the idea that
they were voting on a spec al Wy. A
bill was passed providing for special
election in such districts.
Two new county high schools were
established by bills pass d, one at
Henry, Clay county aad the other at
Summerville, Nicholas county. Only
one other ccunty high school has been
established, that in Tyler county two
years ago.
Two bills relating TO teachers ex-
aminations were passed. One reduces
the fees of applicants from one and
two dollars to seventy-five cents and
one dollar and fifty cents, and pro-
vides severe punishment for cheating
in examinations. The other provides
for emergency certificates good for
enc year only.
Issuance of Bonds.
A bill passed amends the law so that
any district deciding to erect build
ings may issue bonds for the purpose
upon a favorable vote of three-fifths
CT tho votes cast. This gives the
smaller districts the advantage of the
bond issuing power.
one bill passed it being mandatory to
appoint a medical inspectory in iade-
pendent districts, while boards OF
education may do so in other districts.
The standard of qualifications of
county superintendent is raised by
one bill and an increase OF 5000
year is provided in their salaries.
Important among the school bills
passed is that relating to the establish
ment of district high schools. State
aid is provided and the State superin-
tendent is authorized to classify such
schools into three classes. which wlll
receive State aid as follows First
class. $500 annually; second class,
5000; third class, $500. The State aid
IS paid out of the State fund and pro-
vision is made that it shall not exceed
$4,000 annually.