CHAPTER 1273. AN ACT to establish a system of public graded schools in the city of Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: § 1. That the boundaries of common school district Boundary. No. 1, which embraces the city of Somerset and its suburbs, in Pulaski county, shall be as follows: Beginning at the forks of the Mt. Vernon and London roads; thence to Davis Young's, included; thence to John Frazure's, not included; thence to the first milepost on the Stanford road; thence to the railroad crossing on the upper Fishing creek road; thence to the Moses Singleton house, not included; thence to Quarles Eastham's, included; thence to C. B. Loves', not included; thence to the Dunn Bogle place, not included; thence to widow Silas M. Hails', included; thence to the residence of the late Andrew Gibson, not included; thence with the ridge south of Somerset to the R. Gibson farm, included; thence to James Frazure place, included; thence to the beginning; the necessary school buildings to be located as nearly as practicable in the center of said district. The public Control. school affairs of white children of pupil age, residing within the limits of said district, shall hereafter be under the control and management of five trustees, to be elected by the qualified white voters of said school district; and any white widow or spinster owning land residing therein, who is a tax-payer therein, or who has a child or children to be educated, within the ages of six and twenty years, shall be deemed a qualified voter under this act. § 2. That the trustees so elected shall constitute and Trustees. be styled the "Board of Education of Somerset Public Graded Schools;" and by that name be a bodycorporate, with power to sue and be sued, contract and be contracted with, acquire by purchase, gift, devise or otherwise, any real or personal property, for public school purposes; sell and convey the same, and the title of such property acquired by said board. of trustees shall vest in them and their successors in office forever. 3. That said five trustees shall be elected at the court-house in Somerset on the first Saturday in June, 1888, to be held by the county superintendent of Pulaski county, or some person appointed by him, between the hours of six o'clock in the forenoon and six o'clock in the afternoon. Printed notices of the time, place and object of said election shall be posted by said superintendent in three or more conspicuousplaces in said district for at least ten days prior to the day of said election. § 4. That said trustees shall hold their offices for two years from their election, and until their successors are duly qualified; and an election shall be held every two years after the first election on the first Saturday in June, between the hours aforesaid. Each board of trustees so elected shall select from their number a chairman, who shall preside over their deliberations, and give the casting vote in case of a tie. After the first election, the board of trustees shall appoint the officers, and designate the place of holding all subsequent elections; but in case they fail or refuse to discharge said duty until less than ten days before the holding of said elections, the said county superintendent shall make such appointments, and designate the place for holding such election. The officers of said election shall consist of two judges, a clerk and sheriff, whose duties shall be similar to those of like officers under the general election laws of the State. 5. That said trustees, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, shall take an oath, before some officer authorized by law to administer oaths, faithfully, honestly and impartially to discharge the duties required of them under this act and the laws of the Commonwealth regulating public schools. § 6. No person shall be eligible to the office of trustee under this act unless he has been a continuous bona fide resident of said district for one year next preceding his election, and is a qualified voter, as provided in section 1 of this act. A majority of said trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact business; and they shall have power to fill vacancies. in their board until the next regular election; to appoint a secretary, treasurer, assessor and collector, and to require and take bonds, with approved security, from the same, for the faithful discharge by them of their duties; to make all by-laws, rules and regulations, for the government of themselves, their appointees, agents and teachers appointed by them, and for the management, control and government of the public schools for white pupils in said district, and for the protection and preservation of the property of said school corporation. They shall cause to be kept a journal of all their official acts and proceedings, which shall be open at all times to the inspection of any citizen interested in said schools. § 7. That said board of trustees shall appoint all teachers and other persons necessary to carry on said schools, and regulate their salaries and compensation ; and may suspend or dismiss any teacher or other appointee whenever they, in their discretion, deem it for the best interests of said schools to do so; but no teacher shall be employed in any public school for white pupils in said district by said board of trustees who has not received a certificate of qualification from the county board of examiners of said county for examining teachers for common schools. They shall grade said school or schools, and prescribe the branches of education to be taught in said schools and classes, and the necessary qualifications for, and mode of examination of, pupils or persons applying for ad mission into the different grades of said school; and also for the punishment, by expulsion or otherwise, of all pupils or other persons for a violation of the rules of government of said schools. § 8. That all the white children over six and under Who may attend twenty years of age, residing within the limits of said district, shall have equal right of admission to the public school or schools instituted by said board of trustees therein; but said board of trustees shall have power to require such pupils to attend the grade or school to which they may be respectively assigned under the rules made for the government of said public schools. But it is expressly enacted that the school or schools provided for by this act shall be exclusively for white children of pupil age in said district. Powers and rights. 9. That said board of trustees shall have the powers and rights, in addition to those expressly granted herein, and not inconsistent therewith, which pertain to trustees of common schools under the common school laws of the State. They shall make all enumerations and census reports or returns as may be required by law to the county superintendent of said county; and shall have the right to receive and appropriate to the white public school or schools in said district the fund due or to become due from the State, under the common school law, to the white pupils of said district; and it shall be the duty of said county superintendent to pay the same to the treasurer of said board of trustees, on its orders, to be by him disbursed to the teachers of said public school or schools as required by law. Said board of trustees shall have power to regulate and determine the length of terms and sessions of said schools, and for what length of time such schools shall be taught in each year; no term, however, to be less than five months; which year shall be held to begin on the first Monday in September. § 10. That said board of trustees shall also regulate the terms and conditions on which other white pupils, besides children of pupil age, residing in said district, or who are over age, in or out of said district, may become pupils in said schools; and all sums received for tuition from such pupils so admitted shall constitute a part of the school fund of said district, for the benefit of said school or schools instituted therein for white pupils. § 11. That said trustees, at the end of each school year, shall cause to be made out and published, in some newspaper of said city, if there be any, a report showing the condition and amount of property or funds belonging to said corporation, the amount and source of school funds received and disbursed for the year, and such other information regarding the said schools as they may deem necessary to publish for the advancement of public education. 12. That no catechism, or other form of religious or Catechism. political belief, shall be taught or circulated in, nor shall any class-book be used or adopted for, said schools which shall reflect upon any religious denomination; nor shall any class or schools be so conducted as to interfere with the religious belief of parents or pupils. § 13. That said board of trustees shall have power Tax. to assess, levy and collect an annual tax upon the fair market value of all the real and personal property owned by all white persons situated in or embraced by said district, including money and choses in action, owned by white persons residing therein, taxable under the equalization laws of the State, of not exceeding fifty cents upon each one hundred dollars' worth of said money, property, and choses in action so assessed, and a capitation tax, of not exceeding two dollars, upon each qualified white voter in said district, as defined by the first section of this act; and shall have the power to issue and sell the bonds of said said common school district corporation for 33-LOCAL LAWS, VOL. 3 |