The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-07-24
new COMPULSORY
ATTENDANCE LAW

Some of the public schools OF
the county will open on the first
Monday in August, others at a
later date. In view Of this fact, L
desire to give publicity to the
new laws enacted at the last ses-
sion of the Legislature.
For number of years the Stat+
Legislature tried to pass a COM
pulsory educational law, but have
failed to do so until the present
session. A few years since the
local option educational law was
passed, giving each county the
right to vote whether or not 1t
desired a compulsory law. De
Soto county, soon after the law
was passed, ratified the local OPP
ton law; but It was found TO be
very weak in many respects, and
neager results were obtained.
The present law is a statewide
compulsory educational law, suff-
ciently rigid to allow NJ one to
escape. 1t is based on the prln-
ciple that the taxpayers have the
right to the benefits derived from
money expended for educational
purposes.
The following is an epitome of
the law: All children between
ages of seven and 16 inclusive are
required to attend school the en-
tire term, unless they live too far
from the school building. Child
ren from seven to nine years in
elusive must attend unless they
live more than two miles from the
nearest school house, maintaining
school; all children from ten to
sixteen years Of age must attend
unless they live more than three
miles from the school buildings.
If provisions are made for trans
porting the children, a distance
provision of the law is removed,
Parents may get permission to
send to private schools under GER
tain regulations. Children hav-
ing secured a certificate properly
signed, are also exempted. Par
ents claiming support of children
or claiming to be unable to furn-
ish books and clothing, are re-
quired to make affidavit to same {
with sufficient proof; whereupon
a release may be obtained unless ,
such obstacles be overcome by t
other agencies. g
A companion law to the com g
pulsory educational law was also !
passed at the last session of the {
legislature This law might be q
called the Widows Pension law, |
and enables widows and other wo T
men who are dependent upon a
their children for support to Sc q
cure means from the county t
board of commissioners to enable t
them to send their children to |
school. C
The county board Of commits i,
sioners are authorized to provide t.
in their annual budget an appro- Fl
piration sufficient to meet the b
needs, as follows:
"That the County Commission n
ers of their respective counties n
shall levy a tax Of not more than W
one-half of one mill on all taxable
property, of the respective coun-
ties, for the purpose of supplying
funds to carry this bill into ef- 81
feet" %
Upon making proper applica- CT
ton, meeting the provisions OF ti
The law, an allowance may be II
made to each mother claiming
such aid, to enable her to send her r.
children to school. re
The county superintendent and
he county school board are re- F.,
luired to enforce the compulsory
law. Attendant Of
icers must be provided and cen in
,us must be taken, teachers must
,eport non-attendance to the at
endant officer. Provisions for
III of which are being made as q
,apidly as time and conditions
nay permit. st
Two attendant officers have sic
,een employed deVoting their en- al