Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-12-12

impracticable or inexpedient, or where
the child resides more than three miles
from the school house by the nearest
travelled route, or where, for other good
reasons (the sufficiency of which shall
be determined by the board Of educa-
ton of the county or of the city or
town in which the child resides) the
said board excuses the child from
such attendance. such boards being
authorized to take into consideration
the Seasons for agricultural labor and
the need for such labor, in exercising
their discretion as to the time for
which children in farming districts
shall be excused. Provided that no
guardian shall be compelled to send
such child or children to school out of
any other than the funds belonging to
the ward or wards. Temporary abb
sence of any child enrolled as a pupil
may be excused by the principal or
teacher in charge OF the school, because
of bad weather, sickness, death in the
child's family, or other reasonable
cause.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That
any parent, guardian or other person
who has charge and control of child
between the ages aforesaid, and who
willfully fails to comply with the fore
going requirements shall be guilty of
misdemeanor, and on conviction
thereof shall be punished by fine not
to exceed ten dollars for the first Of
Tense, and not to exceed twenty dollars |
for each subsequent offense, said fines
to include all costs; but the court try
ing the case may. in its discretion, sus-
pend enforcement of the punishment If
the child be Immediately placed in at |
tendance at school as aforesaid. and
may finally remit the same If such at I
tendance has continued regularly for /
the number of months hereinbefore
prescribed for attendance School at /
tendance may be proved by an attested
certificate of the principal or teacher
in charge of the school. No person
shall be prosecuted for violation OF
the foregoing requirements unless the
board of education or the county or |
municipality in which the person ac-
cused of such violation resides shall /
have caused to be served upon the ac-
cused, at least ten days before sucn /
prosecution, a written notice of the |
charge with the name Of the child to |
whom it refers. Any person so noti-
fed, not previously convicted of viola
ton of this Act as to the child referred |
to in said notice, may prevent prosecu-
ton on the charge sent out therein. by
giving, at any time before such prose-
cution is instituted, bond in the penal
sum Of fifty dollars payable to the ord |
mary of the county, with security to
be approved by the ordinary, condition
ed that the said person shall thence
forth faithfully comply with the re-
Cuirements of this Act as to the said !,
child. Each days willful failure of a
parent, guardian or other person in
charge and control of child as afore-
said, after the expiration of ten days |
frox, c0ob uot{oo ~ oauca 4ha nhild to !
attend school, when such attendance is
required by this Act, shall constitute a
separate offense. In prosecution under
this Act, the exemptions and
excuses herein provided for shall be
matters OF defense to be established by
the accused, and need not be negatived
in the indictment or accusation
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That
it shall be the duty of the county and
municipal board of education to inves-
tigate as to the attendance and nom
attendance of children required by this
Act to attend the schools under their
supervision, and it shall also be Their
duty to institute or cause to be insti-
tuted prosecutions against persons VI
olating this Act 1t shall be the duty
of the principal or teacher in charge
of any public sasPol, in which pupils
between the ages of eight and fourteen
are instructed, to keep an accurate rec
ord of the attendance of such pupils,
and at the end of each month to make
written report of the same to the
board of education having supervision
of the school, and to note therein ex-
cused absences and the reasons there
for.
Sec. 4. Be It further enacted, That
ell fines imposed hereunder and all
sums required to be paid as penalties
under bonds given under Act, shall
after payment Of the costs of prosecu-