Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1914-11-27
SCHOOL LAWS OF VIRGINIA.

I
compulsory attendance of children
between the ages of eight and twelve
years upon the public schools OF vir-
; lginia, and providing penalty Jor fail
ure, and designating the manner OF
Icollecting sach penalties
Be it enacted by the General As
sembly of Virginia, That every par
ent, guardian, or other person hav-
ling charge or control of any child
between the ages of eight and twelve
Iyears shall be required to send such
child to public school Of this Com
monwealth for at least twelve weeks
in each school year, at least six weeks
OF which shall be consecutive. unless
the district school trustees of the dis
trict in which parent, guardian or
other person resides excuse for cause
such child, or.unless such child be
weak in body or mind, or can read
or write, or is attending private
school, or lives more than two miles
by the usual travelled route from the
nearest public school, or more thau
one mile from the line Of an establish
ed public free school wagon route:
provided, however, that the provis-
ions of this act shall not apply in any
county, city or town of this Common
wealth except and until the quailheo
voters of such county or town snail.
as hereinafter provided, avail them
selves of the provisions hereof.
If it appear from the abstracts and
returns of said general or special
election that majority of the votes
cast in the county, city, town or
magisterial district constituting
separate school district as whole
as the case may be, were for COM
pulsory education, then, at the pc
ginning of the next school year aftel
the holding of such election the pro-
visions of this act for compulsory
education shall become effective IN
any county or city thus voting In
favor thereof
After any such general or special
election has been held in any county
or city there shall not be another
election under this act held in said
county or city within two years.
In every county or city OF bhis
Commonwealth in which the provls-
ions Of this act may be made to ap-
ply as aforesaid each district school
board shall, on the second Monday
In February and the second Monday
in September, or within fifteen days
thereafter, each year, in such manner
as the State Board of Education may
direct, ascertain the condition of all
children between the ages OF eight ana
twelve wears who are not in attendance
upon any public school, and shall re-
port all violations Of this act to It's
district clerk, who shall at once pro-
coed to prosecute each and every
offence.
A parent, guardian, or other person
who fails to comply with the provls
ions of this act shall be liable to
fine of not less than two nor more
than ten dollars for the first offence
nor less than five nor more than twenty
dollars for each subsequent offence:
such fines shall be collected by IN
clerk of the respective district school
boards in the name OF the Common
wealth, and in an action before any
court Of competent jurisdiction, and
the money SO collected by each clerk
shall be paid into the State treasury
and be applied to the district school
fund of the district or districts from
which the said fines were received.
The clerk of the district school
board in each district in the counties
or cities wherein the provisions OF
this act are adopted as aforesaid
shall prosecute every offence against
the provisions of this act, wnen
member of the district school board,
or any taxpayer of the district IN
which the offending party resides II 'es
with him an affidavit setting forth the
facts constituting the offence; and II
he neglect to do so within hfteep Gays
| after such affidavit is filed he shall be
liable to a fine of not less than hve
nor mere than ten dollars for eacn
! case of such neglect, to be COLLECTED
| in the name of the Commonwealth De-
| fore any court of competent Jufisdic-
1tion by any person feeling aggrleveo
Thereby, and the money collected LOT
such fine shall be paid into the State
Treasury and applied to the district
school fund of the district in which
such clerk resides.
Two weeks attendance at ha.f time
or night school shall be considered,
within the meaning of this act, equiva-
jlent to an attendance of one week at
Idav school.
For each and every prosecution I'M
ider the provisions of this act the CLERK
1of the district school board OF the dis
jtrict wherein such prosecution is had
shall receive fee of two dollars, to
be paid ont of the district school FUND
LOT said district. (Acts 1908, page
64O.)
| In view of the recent election the
Iaboye is submitted through the cour-
Itesy of the HERALD as a matter OF M
formation to the voters OF the county.
1.-The above is taken from pages ~ oo
ISIS of the school law of Virginia.
/ C. " SHOEMAKER.
Div. Supt of Schools.