The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-06-03
AN Act to Require School Attendance

School Attendance
dian, or other person in the Stat,
OF South Carolina having charge
or control of a child or childre,
between the ages of eight anc
fourteen years shall cause such
child to attend school as afore.
said: Provided, That occasional
absence from attendance by said
chlld, amounting to not more
than four (Q unexcused absences
III four consecutive weeks, shall
not not be m unlawful: Provided,
further, That atthesuperintendent'
principal, or teacher in charpe
OF any school may excuse anv
child for a temporary absence
because of unusual storm, or bad
weather, sickness or death in the
chlld,s family, unforeseen or un-
avoldable accident, and such
excuse and reason therefor shall
be recorded by said superintend-
ent, principal, or teacher in
charge OF the school, and report
ed to the Trustees as hereinafter
provided: Provided, further
mat IN case of protracted illness
OF any child whose attendance is
required under this Act, or in case
or quarantine of the home in
which the child resides, upon re-
port OF the health officer or upon
satisfactory evidence to this eff
ftect, the Trustees shall excuse
from attendance such child until
he is fully restored to health. or
until the expiration of the time
required by law that he shall
stay out of school after uuaran-
tine has been raised.
Sec. 4. Every parent, guar
dian, or other person in the State
OF South Carolina having charge
or control of u child between the
ages OF fourteen and sixteen
years, who is not actually, regu-
larlY and lawfully engaged in
some useful employment or ser
vice or who cannot read at Sight
and write legible simple senten-
ces in the English language
shall cause such child to attend
regularly some public school as
aforesaid.
Sec. S. Any parent, guardian.
or other person violating the pro,
visions of this Act shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor, and, upon
conviction, shall be liable to q
fine Of not less than two dollars
for the first offense, and not less
than five dollars for any subse-
quent offense, nor more than
twenty FIVE dollars in any case;
and upon failure or refusal tc
pay said fine said parent, guar,
dian, or other person shall be inn.
prisioned not to exceed thirty
days in the county Jail: Pro.
vided, That the fine for any
first offense may, by order Of
Court, upon the payment Of cost,
be suspended and not collected
until the same party is convicted
of a second offense: Provided
further, That after the expiration
OF three days from the service of
the notice by the Trustees, each
and everyday a parent, guardian
or other person shall wilfully and
unlawfully keep such child or
children from school, or allow
him to remain out of school. shall
constitute a separate offense and
shall subject such person to the
penalties hereinafter prescribed.
Sec. 6. The following duties
are hereby devolyed upon the
Board OF Trustees Of each school
district. They shall take the
census of children between the
ages OF six and twenty-one wears,
and shall keep the attendance
records OF their districts. tt shall
be their duty to take an annual
school census during the calendar
OF July and August, and
to furnish each superintendent
principal, or teacher in charge
OF a school with an accurate re- e.
port OF said census of the district
three days before the opening of
the school, and also to furnish
at the same time a copy of the
said school census of each district
to the County Superintendentof of
Education: Provided, That in
case the school census is not
taken as herein directed il shnIl
be the duty Of the County Board
OF Education SO to do, and to meet
the expense out Of the funds of
the district. The Board of Trus-
tees shall serve written. or print
ed, or partly written and partly
printed notices on every parent
guardian, or other person y,olat,
ing the provisions of this Act
and prompt compliance on the
part OF said parent, guardian. or
other person is hereby REQUIRED
prosecution under this Act shall
be brought in the name of the