School Laws
Washington Standard April 15, 1876
We have heard a good deal of inquiry regarding the changes made in the Common School Laws, at the last session, so we publish the following two short laws, which comprise all the legislation on the subject that was perfectd.
The first is an amendment to the Common School law, passed, in 1873, and reads as follows:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Washington, That section nine of chapter five or said act shall read as follows: “Districts having less than fifteen scholars between the ages of four and twenty-one years shall be exempt from the requirements of the three preceding sections, and may, by organizing and reporting to the superintendent according to law, draw their proportion of the school money without being required to comply with the provisions of the school law any farther than the said organization necessary reports and regular enumeration of children are concerned; and in such districts two legal voters shall be constitute a quorum to do business; and it shall be the duty of the clerk of such districts to let out all county school funds so received, at interest, for the use of the district, on good security, until such time as it may be required for school purposes in said district. The clerk of the district and his successor and securities shall also be responsible for such moneys.”
SECTION 2. It shall be the duty of the directors to appoint a place for holding all school meetings, and they may also appoint a clerk problem, in the absence of the clerk.
The second provides for levying a special school tax, as follows:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Washington, That the legal voters of any school district in this Territory, may, once in each year, levy a special school tax for the support of common schools, not exceeding two mills on the dollar on the tax levy for the current year, by submitting the same to the voters of said school district at an election to be called for that purpose; Provided, a majority of said voters vote in the affirmative, and not otherwise; Provided, That the provisions of this act shall not apply to Columbia County.