Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-06-02
TRUANCY PROHIBITED
PARENTS HELD RESPONSIBLE
FOR NON-ATTENDANCE.
Law Requires Approved Instruction
For All Between Ages OF and
is Years.

ID Years.
Under new law enacted by the
last session of the Legislature, strict
regulations govern the non-attendance
of children at school in this state,
and parents. or those in authority
over them, are held responsible there
for. Three cases-a girl and two
boys-were brought before Justice of
the Peace Hardy Holman lately on
charge of truancy, on complaint of
City Marshal Odom, acting as truant
officer for the Dalls school district
Promises to obey the law in future
and to send their children to school
Immediately, gained the release of
the parents.
The essential points of the law now
in force are given herewith:
Every parent, guardian or other
person in the State of oregon having
control or charge of any child, or
children, between the ages of and
Is years, shall be required to send
such child or children to the public
schools for term or period of not
less nor more than the number of
months of public school held annually
in the district in which such parent, |
guardian or other person in parental
relation may reside: provided that in
the following cases, children shall not
be required to attend public schools:
Private Institution.
(a) Any child who is being taught
for a like period of time in a private
or parochial school, such branches as
are usually taught in the first eight
years in the public schools, or has al
ready acquired the ordinary branches
of learning taught in such schools,
the fact of which acquisition of such |
ordinary branches of learning by such
child or children, shall be determined
by the school board in charge of the
public school in such district
(b) A child who is physically un-
able to attend school. In such cases,
the truant officer shall require a
written statement of a competent
physician certifying that such child is
physically unable to attend school.
(c) Children between the ages of
and 10 years whose parents live
more than one and one-half mile, and
children over 10 years of age whose
parents live more than three miles,
by the nearest Travelled road, from
some public school; but this exemp-
ton does not apply where transporta-
ton is furnished.
Approval Necessary
(d) Any child who is being taught
for like period of time by the par
ent or private teacher such subjects
as are usually taught in the first eight
years in the public school; but before
such child can be taught by a pri-
vate teacher, such parent or private
teacher must receive written permis-
sion from the county superintendent,
who, is authorized to grant such per-
mission only in case of necessity; and
such permission shall not extend
longer than the end of the current
school year. Such child must report
to the county school superintendent
or some person designated by him at
least once every three months and
take an examination in the work COW
cred. If after such examination, the1
county superintendent shall determine
that such child is not being properly
taught, then the county superinteEd-
ent shall order the parent, guardian
or other person in parental relation to
send such child to school the remain
der of the school year. Failure to
comply with the order of the super
intendent will render such person liza
BILE to the penalty provided.
Truant Officers Required.
1t shall be the duty of the district
boundary board of each county to
appoint one person to act as truant
officer for the districts of the second
and third class for said county, su0h
officer to be under the control and
direction of the board. The officer so
appointed in counties of less than
100000 inhabitants shall also act as
probation officer for the juvenile court
of the county and shall see that the
child labor law is enforced i'm such
county. The truant officer shall re-
ceive as compensation the sum of SO
per day for actual services and neces-
sary travelling expenses. Such COM
pensation shall be allowed and paid
in the same manner as salaries of
county officers are paid.
In case a person shall fail to send
Immediately the child under his or
her control to the public school. as
provided for in this act. the truant
officer upon having notification from
the proper authority of such fact,
shall Immediately and within "a hours
thereafter give formal written notice
in person or by registered mail, to the
parent or other person in parental re-
lation. that the child under his or her
control shall present itself at the
public school on the next school day
following the receipt Of such notice,
with the necessary text books for in
struction in the public schools of the
district
Regular Attendance.
Such notice shall inform the parent
that attendance must begin and that
such attendance must be consecutive
during the remainder of the school
year as taught In the district. The
truant officer shall at the same time
notify the principal or teacher n IL
be I'm a district OF the third class, or
city superintendent or principal IL Il ,
be in a district OF the first or second {
class. OF the fact OF notice. and Il /.
shall be the duty Of such teacher. su-
perintendent or principal 10 notify the I
NEGLECTED. wounds pro