the district. In New York, no allotment of the supervision quota is made to any city or district unless the commissioner of education is satisfied that such city or district employs a competent superintendent whose time is devoted exclusively to supervision. In Rhode Island, if a city or town employs an uncertificated teacher, the commissioner of public schools deducts from its share of the State apportionment a sum equal to the amount so paid. In Maryland, if any white teacher regularly employed receives an annual salary of less than $300, the controller must withhold from the offending county the March installment of the State school tax. In New Jersey, if districts fail to pay supervising principals or city superintendents a salary of at least $1,000 per year, the county superintendent withholds from the State apportionment allotted to such district the part designated for supervision purposes. In Wisconsin, if districts fail to pay teachers a salary of at least $40 per month for eight months, State school moneys are withheld. PROVISION OF SPECIFIED SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSORIES. Still another cause for withholding school moneys in six States is the failure of districts to provide necessary and proper school accommodations. Such accommodations are the building of schoolhouses sanitary in construction, the repairing and replacing of condemned property, the erection of fire escapes and of satisfactory outbuildings, the furnishing of schoolhouses, and the supplying of textbooks and other school apparatus. In Connecticut, the district must erect schoolhouses satisfactory to the local school board; in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin State authorities-the State superintendent, division superintendent (a State officer), or the State inspector acting under the direction of the State superintendent, respectively—are delegated to pass judgment upon the fitness of a schoolhouse and to enforce the law pertaining thereto. In Arkansas, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia, all State school moneys are withheld for a violation of this law; in Pennsylvania, all or any part may be withheld; in Wisconsin, the school district or school corporation forfeits its share of the 7-mill State tax. In Arkansas if school buildings are not equipped with fire escapes as provided by law, towns forfeit the State enumeration grant during the time such buildings are used. In Connecticut no district is entitled to receive any money from the State unless it has a schoolhouse and outbuildings satisfactory to the board of school visitors. In New York a failure on the part of school trustees or boards of education in union free school districts to comply with the law regarding the condemnation of a schoolhouse and the erection of a new schoolhouse in its place is sufficient ground for withholding from the district or city its share of the State appropriation. In Pennsylvania the State superintendent has power to condemn as unfit for use, on account of insanitary or other improper conditions, any school building, school site, or outbuilding in the State, and upon failure of the board of school directors to remedy such conditions he has power to withhold and declare forfeited all or any part of the annual State appropriation. In Virginia when a schoolhouse appears to the division superintendent to be unfit for occupancy it becomes his duty to condemn the same, and no 1 The provisions of this section apply to Garrett County only so far as to oblige that county to pay its teachers a minimum salary of $200 per year. part of the State school moneys may be applied to support any such school until the division superintendent is satisfied with the conditions of such building; further, no school district may receive any State school moneys until it has made proper provision for schoolhouses, furniture, apparatus, textbooks for indigent children, and all other means and appliances needful. In Wisconsin whenever school buildings are not kept in repair the State inspector must notify the school board or other officer or officers having control of the school district or school corporation to repair and improve such buildings; if such officers refuse to comply with the order, such district or corporation forfeits its apportionment of the seven-tenths-mill tax; further, such district or corporation continues to forfeit its regular apportionment from such fund until there is a full compliance with the law, unless the electors vote to close the school and to provide transportation and tuition for all children of school age desiring to attend a neighboring school. ENFORCEMENT OF THE COMPULSORY-ATTENDANCE LAW. State school moneys are withheld in three States-Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York-if localities or local officers fail to enforce the compulsory-attendance law. In Massachusetts all State school moneys are withheld; in New York the commissioner of education has discretionary power to withhold one-half of the State school moneys from offending localities; and in Delaware the State treasurer must withhold one-fourth of the public-school fund. INTRODUCTION OF SPECIFIED STUDIES INTO THE CURRICULUM 2 Another cause for withholding State school moneys is the failure of local school authorities to observe the law regarding the introduction of certain studies into the curriculum, 'as is the practice in seven States. In six of these States all State school moneys are withheld for a violation of the law regarding instruction in physiology and hygiene, or physiology and hygiene with especial reference to the nature and effects of alcoholic drinks; in Connecticut the commissioner of public schools may withhold all or any part of the State appropriation for the same offense. EXCLUSIVE USE OF STATE-ADOPTED TEXTS AND STATE COURSE OF STUDY. Another cause for withholding school moneys is the failure of local school authorities to use State-adopted texts and none other, or their failure to comply with the State course of study; this holds in six States. In Georgia all State school moneys are withheld for failure to enforce the law relating to textbooks; in California, Idaho, and Washington 25 per cent is withheld. In Oregon (in districts of the second and third classes) and in Washington 25 per cent is withheld when local school authorities fail to comply with the State course of study; in Wyoming, for the same reason, all State school moneys are withheld. 1 Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming. 2 New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming. OBSERVE LAW RELATIVE TO MEDICAL INSPECTION. In New York if districts willfully refuse or neglect to comply with the law relative to medical inspection of pupils in the public schools and to observe the rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioners of education and health, the commissioner of education may, in his discretion, withhold the public money due such offending districts. EXCLUSION OF INSTRUCTION IN FOREIGN TONGUES. In Minnesota no part of the public money may be apportioned to any school in which the instruction is given in a foreign language. EXCLUSION OF DENOMINATIONAL, SECTARIAN, OR PARTISAN INSTRUCTION. In order to guard against the introduction of denominational, sectarian, or partisan instruction into the public elementary schools, four States California, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada-withhold all State school funds from offending localities. NONSEPARATION OF PUPILS BECAUSE OF RACE OR SOCIAL POSITION. In Minnesota if any district classifies or segregates its pupils with reference to race, color, social position, or nationality, its share of the semiannual apportionment must be withheld. CLOSING OF SCHOOLS DURING INSTITUTE SESSION. Failure of district school boards to close schools during the time of holding teachers' institutes is sufficient cause in Montana for the withholding of all State school moneys, provided, however, that great distance of any school district from the place of holding the institute, or excessive loss of time, inconvenience, and cost are considered good grounds upon which the county superintendent, under the authority and direction of the State superintendent, may excuse any board of trustees from closing its schools. APPOINTMENT OF A SCHOOL AGENT OR TREASURER AND THE REPORTING OF THE SAME. In New Hampshire no unincorporated place may receive its portion of the literary fund until a treasurer or school agent has been chosen to receive and appropriate the same in the manner required by law. In Vermont no incorporated school district is entitled to receive its portion of the State school tax until its school board has furnished to the State treasurer the name of its treasurer. PERFORMANCE OF ALL DUTIES SPECIFIED BY LAW. Lastly, all school moneys are withheld in three States if localities fail to live up to all the requirements of the law. In Maine, when the governor and council have reason to believe that a town has neglected to comply with the laws prescribing the duties of towns in relation to public schools, they must direct the treasurer of the State to withhold the State school fund and the proceeds of the one and one-half mill tax until such town satisfies them that it has complied with the law. In Massachusetts no town may receive any part of the income of the State school moneys unless it has complied, to the satisfaction of the board of education, with all laws relating to the public schools. In New Jersey, when any officer or official body neglects or refuses to perform any legal duty, State school moneys are withheld upon the approval of the commissioner of education, and continue to be withheld until all laws have been complied with. Further, the commissioner of education may directly withhold from any district its share of the public money of the State for willfully disobeying any provision of the law or any decision, order, or regulation of the State board of education or of the commissioner. |