To Amend The School Charter

The Amendments in Full as Presented to Legislature

Important Changes

A Legislative Committee Will Consider the Bill This Evening - Every Citizen Should Read It

Below is given the bill amending the act incorporating the school district, which was brought before a committee of the legislature at Lansing Wednesday. M. J. Cavanaugh will appear as a representative of the Board of Education:

A Bill to amend an act of incorporation of school-district number one of the City of Ann Arbor.

Section 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That the city of Ann Arbor, and such contiguous territory as is now, or may hereafter be, thereunto annexed for school purposes, shall constitute a single school district and shall be known and designated as The Public Schools of the City of Ann Arbor, and such district shall have all the powers and privileges conferred upon school districts by general law, and in addition thereto such powers and privileges as have by special enactment been conferred upon it, under the name of "school district number eleven of the city and township of Ann Arbor," and of "school district number one of the city of Ann Arbor to all the rights and obligations of which districts it shall succeed.

Section 2. At the annual meeting of the said district, to be held on the first Monday of September next, the qualified voters thereof shall elect, by ballot, three members of the Board of Education for the term of three (3) years (who with the six (6) members holding over will constitute a board of nine (9), and annually thereafter, in the same manner, they shall elect three (3) members who shall hold their office three (3) years, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified.

Section 3. Within ten (10) days after each annual meeting the Board of Trustees hereafter to be known as the Board of Education shall meet to elect from their own number m President and appoint a person or persons to act as Secretary and Treasurer, who shall severally hold their offices one year, and until their successors are duly elected, and whose powers and duties shall be the same as those conferred upon and required of the moderator, director and assessor of school district in this State, except so far as the same are varied by this act, or other acts relating to said district, and who shall be ex-officio school inspectors of the City of Ann Arbor, with the powers and duties of school inspectors of townships, and shall make their reports directly to the clerk of the county of Washtenaw. Said Board of Education shall have the power to fill any vacancies which may occur in their number, by resignation or otherwise or in the officers elected by them, and the Secretary of said Board of Education shall, within five (5) days after such election, or the filling of any such vacancy, file with the City Clerk of the City of Ann Arbor, a certificate of such election, or of the filling of such vacancy. Said Board of Education shall, before hiring any teacher, examine into his or her qualifications, and all teachers employed by said Board, shall be considered legally qualified teachers, without further examination by the school inspectors.

Section 4. Said Board shall have power to appoint a Superintendent of Schools, and to define his powers and duties, to hire all necessary teacher and fix the amount of their compensation; to classify and grade the several schools, and determine the ages and qualifications for admission thereto, and the conditions for remaining therein, and which schools or departments pupils shall attend; to adopt courses of study and text-books; to make such rules and by-laws as they may deem necessary for the preservation of the property of the district, for the government of the schools thereof, and In reference to all other business connected therewith; and also to levy and collect such sums as they may deem proper for the tuition of each and every pupil taught in said schools who is not actually a resident of the district, or whose parents or guardians have not actually resided in said district six (6) months previous to the beginning of the current school year.

Section 5. The qualified voters of aid district may, by a majority vote of those present and voting at any annual meeting, or at any special meeting called for such purpose, raise by tax upon the taxable property of the district such sum or sums as shall be necessary to purchase lots, build school houses and furnish the same, provide apparatus and fuel, pay for repairs and all incidental expenses, and make the several schools of the district free of tuition in all the English branches to the resident scholars thereof; and at any animal or regularly called special meeting by a majority vote, such qualified voters may authorize the Board of Education to borrow money on the bonds of the district for such term of years, and at such rate of interest, as the meeting may direct, not to exceed six per cent per annum, for the purpose of building school houses and making additions thereto, or for be payment of bonds to become due;

Provided, That such indebtedness shall at no time exceed three-fourths of one per cent of the valuation of the district.

Section 6. The Treasurer of said district shall give bond in such sum as the Board of Education shall annually direct and the Secretary shall have power, in the name of the District, to collect all moneys due for tuition of scholars who are not actual residents thereof, or for tuition of resident scholars in such branches and studies as the Board of Education shall make chargeable against them, and for any damage done to the property of the district, by suit at law, under the direction of the Board of Education.

Section 7. The Board of Education shall require the Secretary to keep a record of its proceedings, and of the rules and by-laws it may from time to time enact, and shall cause the rules and by-laws it shall make for the government of the schools, and also notice of their alteration or repeal to be published tor one week, in at least one paper printed and circulated in the city of Ann Arbor.

Section 8. Any person elected to the office of the member of the Board of Education, who without sufficient cause, shall neglect or refuse to accept such office and discharge the duties thereof, shall forfeit, for the use of said district the sum of ten dollars ($10);

Provided, That no person shall be compelled to serve two (2) terms successively; and said Board of Education shall have power to make all needful rules and regulations relative to its proceedings.

Section 9. All acts and parts of acts, general or special conflicting with the provisions of this act, shall not be binding upon said district.

Section 10. This act shall take immediate effect.