The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-11-19
School Laws OF Mary land
Mr. Editor:

| beg to submit for the information
of the public the following passages
from the School Laws of Maryland, Ch.
sos, Sec. TIA.
"The county superintendent of
schools, as the executive officer of the
county board of education, shall see
that the laws relating to the schools,
the enacted and published bylaws
and the policies of the State Board of
Education and the rules and regula-
-tions and the policies of the county
board of education are carried into eff
feet"
Also the following passages respect
ing the uses of school houses during
the part of the year when the schools
are in session:
Oh. sos. Sec. (32)-1-2-3- Sec. "a.
"The county school superintendent
.cf Maryland are hereby authorized to
enlarge the usefulness and increase
the efficiency of public property by al
lowing the use of public school houses
for farmers meetings, public speak
ings, lectures entertainments, church
festivals, Red Cross meetings, Y. M. c.
Il meetings and any other purposes
Said public school houses are to be
used for said purposes only on the con-
dition and after written application
is made to the county school superin-
tendent having jurisdiction. and that
said application is signed by at least
three of the reputable and RESPONSE
BILE citizens and taxpayers of the
county in which said school house is
located.
Said school houses are to be used
for said purposes only at such times
IS there are no regular or special
school sessions in progress.
mo schoolhouse shall be used for
any other purpose than public school
purposes and school district meetings
unless by consent of the county board
of education; provided, however, when
ever an application is made to the dis
trict board of school trustees, signed
Fy twenty-five citizens in the school
district where the said school is situ-
ated. requesting the use of the school
building for partisan gathering of
citizens for the presentation and dis
cussion of public questions or for 9TH
or civil, social, or recreational actiVi-
ties, the said school authorities shall
allow the free use of such school build
ing or grounds of same for the pur-
poses enumerated above; provided.
however, said meetings shall be held
during those hours when the school
buildings are not being used for their
principal purpose
You will note that Sec. (32)-1
authorizes but does not require the
County Superintendent to open the
school building for the purposes indi-
Gated.
Also in Oh. 500, Sec. 40 we read:
There shall be held in each school,
once year. a public exhibition of
school work, of which due notice shall
be given, that parents and others in
terested in education may attend.
1t will be noted from this passage
that the law specifies that there shall
be an exhibit of school work. not an
exhibit gathered up from the commun-
ity 1t must be entirely obvious to any
body that school is not in position
10 give an exhibit of it's work in the
early part of the school year and
therefore our schools are required, by
regulation of the County Board to of
fer their exhibit in May or June, which
is done annually in all our schools.
where our teachers are able to mar
shall sufficient results to make such
IN exhibit worth while.
The following resolutions were
passed by the Board of Education at
its meeting on November 3rd. relative
to this subject:
ftWhnrooc nofifiO~. hox boo,,
Ceived, signed by number of citizens
of Carroll County asking the Board of
Education to set aside the action of
Superintendent Unger in not allowing
Miss Rachael Everett to use the
schools, and whereas. by the wording
of the petition it seems to the Board
of Education that the signers of said
petition were of the opinion that this
Board was opposed to the school
houses of Carroll County being used
by the community for community pur-
roses and county exhibit purposes,
and whereas, the law has provided es-
pecially for the different purposes for
which the school-houses in the coun-
ty can be used; and the time. when
and where, they can be open for all
such purposes: therefore, be it resolv-
ed that the Board of Education of Car
1oll County shall at all times cooper
ste with any school community for
any plan to hold any meeting in any
sehool-house in the county. where
such meeting shall comply with the
school law and after formal appli-
cation has been made to the Board of
Education and permission given by
said Board as provided by the law.
MAURICE S. H. UNGER,
Supt of Schools.