Year: 1870

now vested by law in the public school au
thorities of any county for the use and ben.
eft Of public, primary, free or high schools,
are hereby transferred to aud vested in the
Board Of county school commissioners and
their successors in Office.


Sec 4. The board Of county school com.
missioners shall have the general sunervi
sion and control Of all schools in their re
spective counties, they shall build, repair
and furnish the school houses; they shall tx
and pay the salaries Of teachers they shall
purchase and distribute text books, and
shall perform such other duties as may be
necessary to secure an efficient administra
ton Of the public school system, subject to
the provisions Of this law.


Sec. 8. The State school tax and free
school fund are primarily intended, under
this Act, to pay the salaries of the teachers
of the several counties. and to provide
school books and stationary for the children
of the State. II, however, in apportoning
the State school tax among the different
counties and the City of Baltimore, the
share ofany county should prove inadequate
for the purposes aforesaid, then the County
Commissioners OF such county are hereby
authorized, empowered, directed and re-
qured to levy and collect such tax upon
the assessable property of such county as
the Board Of County School Commissioners
shall designate as sufficient to make good
the deficiency; provided, said tax shall not
exceed ten cents in the hundred dollars, unless
the County Commissioners shall approve
and sanction an additional tax. The taxes
so levied and collected shall be paid quar-.
ierly on the day fixed for the payment of
the State school tax to the several counties,
but the proceeds from special taxes may be
paid oilener, upon the order Of tho Board
Of County School Commissioners to the
Treasurer OF the said Board Of County
School Commissioners, IN order that the
schools of such counties may be kept open
for the time herein set forth, and said tax
shall be levied and collected as other taxes.
Any sums of money which may have been
specially collected or levied on any election
or school house district for educational pur.
poses connected with those districts shall
be collected for and applied to the purposes
so intended originally, and shall be used
for no other purpose, aud if said funds have
been used otherwise they shall be returned
and applied as aforesaid.


Sec. 6. In all cases were the county has
not been properly divided into school dis.
tricts, and full records Of the boundaries
thereof have not been made and recorded,
the Board of county School Commissioners
shall appoint a committee, if, in their opin.
ion they deem il necessary, consisting of
three persons OF intelligence and sound
Judgment, who shall divide the county into
suitable school districts, define and describe
the boundaries OF each provided, that no
school district shall contain greater area
than four miles square, unless part Of il be
located in thinly settled region. In the
formation of the school districts, the com.
mittee shall take into consideration the most
suitable site for the school house, the gen.
eral features Of the country, and shall make
each school district of such size and form
as will best accommodate the population
within its bounds. The committee shall
make an accurate description of the bounds
of the school districts, accompanied by a
plat, and shall report the same to the Board
of County School Commissioners, who
shall thereppon give notice in all the news.
papers Of the county, at what time they will
meet TO hear applications for 0 change of
boundaries, which applications shall be
made in writing and within two months
from the date of the first publication Of such
notice. When the application shall have
been made and considered, the Board of
County School Commissioners may then
change the boundaries of the school districts
and revise the description, or they may
without application, make such change
as may be deemed important, or they may
ratily and confirm the report Of the com.
mittee The description OF the boundaries
of school districts shall be recorded in
n hnn Ea, hot l.. Il
secretary of the Board of County School
Commissioners. In those counties where no
newspaper is published, the notice of appli.
cation for change of boundaries shall be
published in such manner as the Board of
County School Commissioners may decide.
Whenever it may be necessary, the Board
OF County School Commissioners shall EN-.
ploy surveyor to aid the committee in the
performance of such duty, and they shall
allow the surveyor such compensation for
his services as may be just and proper, and
the committee shall receive no coppensa
ton whatever for their services. The cost
of dividing the county shall be paid by the
County School Commissioners out Of the
school fund oflhe county. Ifa county has
already been divided into school districts,
and it may be necessary to revise the same,
the Board Of County School Commissioners
shall have tull power to make such revision
or alteration as may be necessary to accom-.
modate the population and increase the
efficiency ofthe schools. A full description
of such changes and alterations shall also
be made and recorded as aforesaid.


Sec. I. The Board of County School
Commissioners shall, on or before the iif.
teenth day ofNovember in every year, make
q report TO the Board of State School Com
missioners, IN such form as may be pres.
cribed by the latter, of the schools, and all
matters affecting the educational intsrest of
the county they shall also publish annual.
ly in the month Of November, In such form
and manner as they may deem proper, a state
ment of their receipts and disbursements.
including the money received and expended
on account Of text books, and statement
of the Indebtedness Of the Board at the close
OF the fiscal year, and forward copy to
the Board of state school commissioners.


Sec. 8. In the case Of death, resignation
or removal from the county, or disaunl6ca.
ton from any legal cause. the Judges of The
circuit court Of the judicial district were the
vacancy occurs. shall have power to appoint
a qualified person to fill the vacancy. In
case ofinefiiciency, refusal to act or breach
OF trust, the Board may, by a vote of ma.
jority OF its members, declare the Office va.
cant, and give notice to the party concern.
ed. An appeal may be taken to the Board
Of state school commissioners, whose deci.
sion shall be final, but if no appeal be taken
within ten days, the vacancy shall be filled
as hereipbefore provided.


Sec. 10. No teacher in actual employ.
ment as such, shall gil theposition Of Goun.
ty School Commissioner.


CHAPTER v.


Da'is' Of @s Diariet School commi..ion.r..


Sec. ]. The board of district school com
m'ss1oners n !, shall have the care of the houses