The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-25
PROPOSED ACT TO REGULATE
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Abolishes Attendance Officer and
Places Duty on Trustees, Teach
ers and Superintendents.
An Act

An Act
To Regulate School Attendance OF
All Children Within Certain Ages,
and Provide for the Enforcement
thereof.
Section /. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly Of the State Of
South Carolina: That every parent,
guardian or other person, having
charge of any child between eight
and fourteen years of age, inclusive,
must send each child to a public, prl-
vate or parochial school or to COM
petent tutor, subject to the approval
of the County Superintendent Of
Education, for four consecutive
= months, or eight consecutive school
days, during the scholastic year that
the school attended is in session:
Provided, That in case the term OF
any school is less than four months,
or eighty school days, attendance
for the full term of such school shall
be sufficient to meet the requirements
of this act, except as hereinafter pro-
vided.
Section 2. Upon the written Pc
tition of majority of the qualified
electors residing in any school dis
trict requesting the attendance OF
pupils on school throughout the full
term, the County Board of Educa-
tion shall order such attendance
hereunder. This act shall not short
en- the period of school attendance
in any district where longer school
term than four months is now main
tanned and attendance is required
under the local option law.
Section 8. That any child whose
physical, mental or moral condition
units it for attendance at school is
exempt from the requirements OF
Section |; that such child must be
designated as unfit by person COM
petent to judge and appointed to do
50 by the County Board of Education.
J. Section 4. That any child living
more than two and one-half miles
from any public, private or parochiai
school, and any child under twelve
years of age living more than two
miles from such a school, may claim
exemption from the requirements Of
Section /: Provided, That any pupil
living within one mile of any regular
route of school wagon may not
claim exemption.
: Section s.. That any private, or:pa-
rochial school attended by any child
betweenseight and fourteen years of
age shall be first approved by the
State Board of Education. Such
school must give it's instruction in the
English language, and it must teach
such subjects as are required IN
similar public school in South Caro-
Ina and be supervised by the County
Superintendent of Education or Sup
:ervisor> of Public Schools.
Section 6. 1t shall be the duty OF
the Board of Trustees of each school
district to determine at what time
the period of compulsory attendance
shall start in their respective dis
tricts, and to- post due notice thereof
in at least three public places or by
publishing in newspaper circulating
in their said district at least thirty
days before the time so fixed for the
period Of compulsory attendance to
begin. Every parent or guardian
having charge of child or children
between the years of seven and four
teen years, inclusive, unless an At
tendance Officer is maintained IN
their district, shall make report to
the chairman Of the Board of Trus-
tees of his or her district on the last
Friday in July OF each year, snow
ing the names of all such children in
their charge, the age, sex and race,
and name and local address OF the
parent or guardian having charge OF
each such child; and any parent or
guardian having charge of such child
sor children who shall fail to make
such report at the time aforesaid, or
shall wilfully make an incorrect re-
port, shall be subject to such tine or
imprisonment as in hereinafter I'M
posed for non-attendance. 1t shall
be the duty of the Chairman OF the
Board of Trustees of each school dis
trict to make a report of such chill
dren and to send a copy of the said
report to the County Superintendent
of Education of their respective
counties not later than the 18th day
of August of each year, and also to