The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-17
Action Taken by the Boards of
Education to Enforce School
Attendance
LAW rs OPERATIVE
ON JUNE FIRST
County Boards Bust Appoint
Attendance Officer and Re
port to Mr.. Swearil1gen.

Columbia, May 13.-The initial
steps looking 10 the enforcement OF
the compulsory attendance act will be
taken by the several county boards OF
education this week. In each county
the attendance officer must be selected
by the county board OF education, ana
his name must be reported TO the
State Superintendent OF Education By
May Is. About one-fourth OF the
counties have already reported their
selection TO Superintendent Swearln-
gen
The State Board Of Education has
ordered that IN every county the at
tendance officer shall be ready to en-
Ter upon his duties June /. Both men
and women are eligible for this ser
vice. Several county boards have
selected women for the work. In
cities having a population Of 1000 or
more, according to the census OF 131o
the local board Of district trustees has
the option of appointing district at
tendance officer for the schools OF the
city in their discretion. There are IN
the State some twenty-eignt such in
corporated places The school author
ties Of each Of these cities have been
requested to make their choice
promptly between the county attend
ance officer and the district attend
ance officer. The decision Of the To-
cal trustees should be reported TO the
county boards Of education in time for
the decision to be acted upon before
May IS. Wherever no city attendance
officer is appointed the schools Of the
municipality viii be under the juris-
diction of the county attendance Of
acer. Every special city attendance
Officer will be required TO perform IN
his municipality all the duties required
Of the county attendance officer. In
Charleston the city trustees and the
city superintendent prefer special
district attendance officer and have Sc
leefea a won,an for the work.
The state superintendent hopes
that the school authorities Of every
County and every municipality having
population of 1000 will attend this
important matter without delay. The
salaries OF attendance officers for City
districts must be paid from the special
tax funds or the ClSuict.
Two attendance officers have been
allotted to each OF the following large
counties: Anderson, Greenville, Spar
sanburg, York. Aiken, OrangebuTg.
Florence, Horny and Lexington. In
making the allotment the State
board of education considered area,
school population, the number OF
schools and the difficulties Of travel.
In every county the salary OF the at
tendance officer will be 500 per
month, beginning June I.
The first duty Of each attendance
officer will be 10 acGuaint himself
fully and accurately with his territory
This knowledge will be absolutely
necessary TO the taking of correct
) school census Of all children between
SIX and fourteen years Of age durin&
the calendar months Of July and
August This census must be taken
by school districts The meets and
bounds of each school district are
determined by the county board OF
education. Wherever these boundaries
have not been definitely marked oui
the limits should be settled promptly
IF this is not done confusion and con
troversy will invariably result.
Blank forms for the taking Of he
census will be sent out from the State
superintendent Office by order Of the
State board Of education These forms
will require mass Of printed ma
terial. but the legislative printing
committee will secure the delivery OF
the blanks on time.
The compulsory attendance law re
ouires that all children between the
ages Of eight and fourteen years shal
attend school during four consecutive
months. or eighty days, each yeai
The State Board of Education has rec
commended that the terms Of ccrnpul
sorry attendance begin in each distric'
with the opening Of the public schools
Of the locality 1t is hoped that ever!
board Of district trustees will 2dop'
this recommendation in order to Sc
cure the maximum number Of pupils
promptly as we'll as the maximum at
tendance. Classification and GraGua-
ton Of pupils will be greatly facili-
tated by this policy. The genera. as
sembly, however, refused to designate
the specific months CT compulsory at
tendance and the State board did no;
feel authorized to fix ruling in this
connection. The opening of the
schools in each community is regulated
by the local trustees. The practice
varies widely in the various com
munities Of the State. Not 4 few dis
triets run summer terms In the to-
bacco counties a summer term IS i'm
possible Cotton picking also affects
the opening of many schools. a deli
mite rule for all the districts of the
State can hardly be laid down unless
the recommendation of the St2tc
board is approved. Certainly the
schools ought to run when the ma
5ority of the pupils can attend.
In city and town schools and in
country schools running eight or nine