8. Their duties. Teachers to obtain certifi- 49. Each part, after separation, to be a district. cates from them.

9. List of teachers, and dates of their certifi cates, to be lodged in town clerk's office. 10. Provision for districts in more than one town. 11. Superintendents to give notice of time of examination of teachers.

12. Contracts for teaching invalid, unless teacher obtain certificate.

50. Districts formed under former laws to retain their powers.

51. Penalty on clerk for neglect in making re

turns.

52. Penalty for neglect to notify meetings.

HIGH OR CENTRAL SCHOOLS AND UNION

DISTRICTS.

13. Town superintendents to recommend books. 53. Prudential committee may call a school

To make report at March meeting.

14. Compensation of town superintendents.

OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

15. Each town to keep one or more schools.
16. Towns to be divided into school districts.
17. Districts to be numbered, &c.
18. Mode of organizing districts.

19.

in unorganized towns.

20.

meeting when, in their opinion, more than one teacher is required.

54. Meeting may vote to have more than one school, and to erect school houses.

55. Meeting may direct the "sciences or higher branches of a thorough education to be taught."

56. Committee may direct what school, scholars shall attend.

of forming and organizing districts.57. Children not residing in district, shall not be from two or more towns.

21. Inhabitants of one town may be set to a dis

trict in another.

22. Where taxed in such case.

permitted to attend the higher school, ex-
cept with consent of committee.

58. Union of school districts authorized.
59. Such districts to have corporate powers.

23. Districts to have powers of a corporation. 60. Meetings, how called.

40. Persons unable to pay may be omitted in 73. Statement of amount divided to each district

tax bill, in certain cases.

to be left with town clerk.

41. Prudential committee to assess tax, make 74. When district formed from two or more rate bill, &c.

towns, how money divided.

SECTION

75. Penalty for not assessing three cent tax. 76. How penalty to be appropriated.

77. Grand jury to indict towns for neglect, &c. 78. Penalty for embezzling school funds.

UNITED STATES DEPOSIT MONEY.

SECTION

er to put their shares on interest.

87. Trustees to give bonds.

28. Office to be considered vacant if honds are

refused.

89. Treasurer to pay moneys to trustees and
take receipt.

79. Treasurer to receive, from United States, 90. Towns, in such cases, accountable.
moneys, to be deposited, &c.
91. Trustees to loan money.

80. Moneys deposited divided among towns, 92. Loans not to be over one year.
93. Trustees may loan to the town.

according to population.

.

81, 82. Provision for unorganized towns and 94. Income of deposit money appropriated to gores. schools.

urer.

83. On a new census, new apportionment to be 95. When trustees to pay income to town treasmade. 84. On a new apportionment, treasurer to col- 96. Not to be appropriated to schools, in case, lect excess and pay over deficiencies of

towns.

85. Each town to elect trustees.

86. If towns neglect to choose trustees, treasur

&c.

97. Penalty on towns for neglect, &c.

98. Grand jury to inquire and indict towns, &c.

STATE AND TOWN SUPERINTENDENTS.

SECTION 1. There shall be a state superintendent of common schools, who shall be annually appointed by the joint assembly. (Sec. 3 of No. 37 of 1845.)

SECT. 2. It shall be the duty of the state superintendent to prepare and submit to the general assembly, at the opening of each annual session thereof, a report, containing a statement of the condition of the common schools of the state, and of the expenditures of the school moneys therein, plans for the better organization and instruction of the common schools, and in general, all such matters relating to his office, and to common schools, as he may deem it expedient to communicate.

He shall propose suitable forms and regulations for making all reports, and conducting all necessary proceedings under this act.

He shall also open such correspondence abroad, as may enable him to obtain, so far as practicable, information in regard to the system of common school improvement and instruction in other states and countries, which he shall embody in his annual reports to the general assembly. (Sec. 7 of No. 37 of 1845 as amended by No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 3. The state superintendent shall be required to devote his time and energies to the great work of improving the common schools of the state; and in addition to the duties assigned to him by the seventh section of an act relating to common schools, approved November 5, 1845, (§ 2 of this chap.) he shall visit and lecture in the several counties of the state; shall attend, as far as is practicable, the teachers' institutes, hereinafter provided for, and deliver or cause to be delivered before said institutes, a lecture on some subject connected with common schools, and seek, by all the means in his power, to awaken a broader and deeper interest in the subject of popular education. (Sec. 2 of No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 4. There shall be holden, in different parts of the state, teachers' institutes, under the direction of the state superintendent,

at such times and places, and under the care of such instructors, as he shall appoint, for the purpose of improving teachers and fitting them for their high and responsible duties; and a sum, not exceeding one hundred dollars for each institute so holden, is hereby appropriated from the state treasury, to be paid by the treasurer, upon the order of the state superintendent; but the number of institutes. in any one year shall not exceed twelve. (Sec. 3 of No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 5. The state superintendent shall be entitled to receive, from the treasury of the state, the sum of eight hundred dollars annually, payable quarterly, which shall be in full for his services as superintendent. All moneys expended by him for postages on letters connected with the duties of his office, and for the printing of his annual report, which shall be done before the meeting of the legislature, and be ready for distribution at the opening of each annual session thereof; and all moneys paid for the printing of forms and instructions, and transmitting the same to the town superintendents, shall be allowed him by the auditor of accounts, and paid out of the treasury of the state. (Sec. 4 of No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 6. There shall be one or more superintendents of common schools, not exceeding three, in each town in this state, to be appointed by the freemen thereof, at their March meeting, annually. (Sec. 1 of No. 37 of 1845.)

SECT. 7. When from any cause a vacancy shall occur in the office of town superintendent of common schools in any town, the selectmen shall supply such vacancy until a new election shall be made, and the superintendent or superintendents so appointed by the selectmen, shall have all the powers and be subject to all the duties and requirements of superintendents elected by the town. (No. 43 of 1850.)

SECT. 8. It shall be the duty of the town superintendents to visit all such common schools within their respective towns, as shall be organized according to law, at least once in each year, and oftener if they shall deem it necessary. At such visitation, the superintendents shall examine into the state and condition of such schools, as respects the progress of the school in learning, and the order and government of the schools; and they may give advice to the teachers of such schools as to the government thereof, and course of study to be pursued therein, and in general, to perform the duty relative to the inspection, examination, and regulation of the schools, and for the improvement of the scholars in learning, imposed on the prudential committee of the districts by the last clause of section eleven of chapter eighteen of the Revised Statutes, (§ 34 of this chap.)

The town superintendents shall require full and satisfactory evidence of the good moral character of all instructors who may be employed in the public schools, in their respective towns, and shall ascertain by personal examination, their qualifications and capacity for the instruction and government of schools.

Every instructor of a district school shall obtain of the town superintendent of such town, a certificate of his qualifications, before he opens such school, which certificate shall be available for one

year only. (Sec. 4 of No. 37 of 1845 as amended by No. 14 of 1849, and sec. 2 of No. 42 of 1850.)

SECT. 9. It shall be the duty of town superintendents of common schools to make out and lodge in the town clerk's office, in their respective towns, annually, on or before the first day of February, a list of the names of all the teachers to whom they have granted certificates during the preceding year, together with the respective dates of the certificates. (No. 42 of 1850.)

SECT. 10. In case a district shall be formed of parts of two towns, it shall, for all purposes of visitation and returns, and for the examination of school teachers, as provided for in the fourth section of this act, (§ 8 of this chap.) be taken and deemed to belong to the county and town in which the school house of such district shall be situated. (Sec. 6 of No. 37 of 1845 as amended by No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 11. The town superintendents shall give public notice of suitable times and places, that they will attend to the examination of teachers, before the commencement of the winter and summer schools. (Sec. 12 of No. 37 of 1845 as amended by No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 12. Any contract for teaching, made after the first day of March next, between the prudential committee of any school district, and any common school teacher, shall be null and void, if the said teacher shall fail to obtain a certificate of qualification of the superintendent of the town in which such district shall be situated, as provided for in the fourth section of this act, (§ 8 of this chap.) before the commencement of the school for which such contract shall have been made. (Sec. 8 of No. 37 of 1845 as amended by No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 13. The town superintendents of the several towns in each county shall constitute a board to examine and recommend suitable books to be used in the schools of their respective counties. And it shall be the duty of the town superintendents to make a detailed report of the condition of the schools, at the annual March meeting of their respective towns. (Sec. 5 of No. 14 of 1849.)

SECT. 14. The town superintendents shall receive a reasonable compensation for their services, not to exceed one dollar, for each day necessarily spent in the discharge of their duties.

Their accounts shall be audited and certified by the selectmen, or a majority of them, and paid out of the treasury of such towns. (Sec. 11 of No. 37 of 1845.)

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SECT. 15. Each organized town shall keep and support one or more schools, provided with competent teachers, of good morals, for the instruction of the young in orthography, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, history of the United States, and good behavior. (Sec. 1 of R. S.)

SECT. 16. When the inhabitants of any town cannot be conveniently accommodated in one school district, it shall be the duty of such town, at a legal meeting, notified for that purpose, to divide

such town into as many school districts as shall be judged most convenient; to define and determine their limits, and, from time to time, to divide such as are too large, unite such as are too small or otherwise to alter them, and make new districts, as shall be found expedient. (Sec. 2 of R. S.)

SECT. 17. The districts so formed shall be numbered, in a regular series, from number one upwards, and shall be known and designated by the name of their respective numbers; and their numbers and description, and all alterations made therein, from time to time, shall be recorded in the office of the town clerk. (Sec. 3 of R. S.)

SECT. 18. When it is necessary to organize any school district in any town, any three or more of the voters in such district may make application in writing to the selectmen of such town, and it shall be the duty of the selectmen to give notice for a meeting in such district, by posting up a notification thereof, specifying the time and place appointed, and the business of the meeting, in one or more of the most public places in such district, at least seven days before the time therein specified; and it shall be the duty of one of the selectmen to preside in the meeting until a moderator and clerk shall be chosen; after which, the district shall be deemed to be legally organized. (Sec. 4 of R. S.)

SECT. 19. The selectmen of any organized town, on the application of three or more voters, in an adjoining unorganized town, or gore, may organize school districts in such unorganized town, or gore, in the manner provided in section four of chapter eighteen of the Revised Statutes, ($ 18 of this chap.); and if more than one district is needed, such selectmen may divide such unorganized town, or gore, into as many districts as may be required, and may define and determine their limits and number them, as provided in sections two and three of said chapter, (§ 16 and 17 of this chap.); and such selectmen shall be paid a reasonable compensation for their services by the petitioners. (No. 35 of 1845.)

SECT. 20. When any number of inhabitants of two or more adjoining towns shall find it necessary or convenient to be formed into one district, for the purpose of supporting a school, such towns, by a concurrent vote for that purpose, may form the territory occupied by such inhabitants, into a district; and the first meeting may be notified, and the district organized by the selectmen of either of the towns, on application in writing for that purpose, by three or moie voters; and the meeting shall be notified, and the district organized, in the same manner as provided in the preceding section; and when organized, such district shall have the same powers, and be subject to the same liabilities, as other districts. (Sec. 5 of R. S.)

SECT. 21: Any town, by vote in town meeting, may set one or more persons, residing in such town, to a school district in an adjoining town, if such district shall, by vote, consent to receive such persons; and any persons, so united to a school district in another town, shall have the same rights, and be subject to the same liabilities, as if they had resided in the same town. (Sec. 6 of R. S.)

SECT. 22. Whenever a person residing in a school district in one town, shall be set to a school district in an adjoining town, as