The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-02-24
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW

COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW
The Children Must be Sent to School.
Complaints Being Made to the
superintendent of
schools.
Complaints are frequently
made to the county superintend
ent that parents are neglectinu
to send their children to schoo
One of these cases was so flag
rant that the superintendent,
felt compelled to take action
against the parent, and com
plant was made against Louis
Ebens of Mazeppa township and
action brought before County
Judge Lockhart and trial haG
last Friday. The chairman OF
the school board Of the distric,
and the teacher were summoned
as witnesses, and the defendan,
was convicted and fined SIC
and costs, amounting IN all to
S23.65
1t seems strange that IN this
day and age of the world that
any parent should be careless or
SO bllndly selfish as to deprive a
child of primary education, but
it is being done, and would be
done more frequently but for the
compulsory law. Under the law
which we quote below, any one
knowing of a violation of this law
is authorized to make complaint,
and the county superintendent
is specially appointed to see to
the enforcement of the law.
Those who have been violating
the law should take warnin.
from the case of last Friday anu
see that their children are given
the school privileges which the
public so generously provides
for them.
The law is as follows:
Section 14S of Session. Laws Of
1907. Every person having
under his control a child between
the ages of eight ani fourteen
years, both inclusive, shall
annually cause such child to at
tend regularly some public or
private day school for the entir
term during which the put lie
school in the district in which h.
resides is in session. Provided.
that the district board may de-
crease the required term of a.
tendance to not less than sixteen
weeks, twelve weeks Of which
must be consecutive.
For every neglect of such duty
the person offending shall bc
fined for the use of the public
schools of his corporation, a sum
of not less than $1,000 nor more
than $1,000 and shall stand com
mitted until such fine and costs
of suit are paid.
But if the person so neglecting
shall show to the board of educa-
ton or district school board, as
the case may be, or to the court.
that instruction has otherwise
been given by competent per-
son for like period of time t.
such child in the branches com
monty taught in the public
schools; that such child has al
ready acquired the branches OF
learning taught in the public
schools; or that his physical or
mental condition as declared by
a competent physician is such a.
to render such attendance unsafe
or impracticable; or, If IN the
opinion of the court or judge
such compulsory attendance
would impose conditions which
would not be humane, then such
penalty shall not be incurred
Such fine shall be paid, when col
lected, to the county treasurer
or the treasurer of such city or
independent district in which
such child and parents reside, to
be credited by him as other
money raised for school purposes
to the district from which i.
came.
The law also provides that the
County Superintendent shall be
truant officer ex officlo in sucl,
cases.
Death Of George MOser.
The sad intelligence was