without compensation, unless voted by the town out of the town treasury.

SEC. 5. Any town may appoint or may authorize its school committee to appoint a superintendent of the schools of the town, to perform, under the advice and direction of the committee, such duties and to exercise such powers as the committee may assign to him, and to receive such compensation out of the town treasury as the town may vote.

SEC. 6. The town treasurer shall receive the money due from the state treasury, and shall keep a separate account of all money appropriated by the state or town or otherwise for public schools, and shall pay the same to the order of the school committee.

SEC. 7. The town treasurer shall, within one week after the town meeting at which the committee are elected, submit to them a statement of all moneys in his hands belonging to schools, specifying the sources whence derived, and to what districts, if any, they belong.

SEC. 8. He shall, on or before the first day of July, annually, transmit to the commissioner of public schools a certificate of the amount which the town has voted to raise by tax for the support of public schools for the year; and also a statement of the amount paid out to the order of the school committee, and from what sources it was derived, for the year ending with the thirtieth of April next preceding.

SEC. 9. The town clerk shall record the boundaries of school districts and all alterations thereof, in a book to be kept for that purpose, and shall distribute such school documents and blanks as may be sent to him, to the persons for whom they are intended.

SECTION 1. Every school district shall be a body corporate, and shall be known by its number or other suitable or ordinary desig

nation.

SEC. 2. Every school district shall have power to prosecute and defend in all actions, to purchase, receive, hold and convey any

real or personal property for school purposes, and to establish and maintain a school library.

SEC. 3. Every such district may build, purchase, hire and repair school-houses, and supply the same with blackboards, maps, furniture and other necessary and useful appendages, and may insure the house and appendages against damage by fire: Provided, that the erection and repairs of the school-house shall be made according to the plans approved by the school committee or commissioner.

SEC. 4. Every such district may raise money by tax on the ratable property of the district, to support schools and to carry out the powers given them by any of the provisions of this title: Provided, that the amount of the tax shall be approved by the school committee of the town.

SEC. 5. Every such district shall elect a clerk, either one or three trustees as they may decide, a treasurer and collector, and may fill vacancies in either of said offices arising from death, declining, or refusing to serve, resignation, removal from office, or from the district, or otherwise; and if an election of any of said officers be not made at the time prescribed for the annual meeting, it may be made at any legally notified meeting afterward.

SEC. 6. The clerk, collector and treasurer shall have the like power and shall perform like duties as the clerk, collector and treasurer of a town; but the clerk, collector and treasurer need not give bond unless required by the district.

SEC. 7. All district taxes shall be collected by the district or town collector in the same manner as town taxes are collected.

SEC. 8. Any district may vote to place the collection of any district tax or rate bill in the hands of the collector of town taxes, who shall thereupon, without any new bond or engagement, be fully authorized to proceed and collect the same.

SEC. 9. If any school district shall neglect to organize, or if organized shall for any space of six months, neglect to establish a school and employ a teacher, the school committee of the town may themselves, or by an agent, establish a school in the district school-house or elsewhere, in their discretion, and employ a teacher.

SEC. 10. Any district may, with the consent of the committee, devolve all the powers and duties relating to public schools in the

district on the committee.

SECTION 1. Notice of the time, place and object of holding the first meeting of a district for organization, or for a meeting to choose officers or transact other business, in case there be no trustees authorized to call a meeting, shall be given by the school committee of the town, at such time, and in such manner as they may deem proper.

SEC. 2. Every school district when organized shall hold an annual meeting in the month of March, April or May of each year, for choice of officers and transaction of any other business relating to schools.

SEC. 3. The trustees may call a special meeting for election, or other business at any time, and shall call one to be held within seven days on the written request of any five qualified voters, stating the object for which they wish it called; and if the trustees neglect or refuse to call a special meeting when requested, the school committee may call it and fix the time therefor.

SEC. 4. District meetings shall be held at the school-house unless otherwise ordered by the district. If there be no school-house, or place appointed by the district, the trustees, or if there be no trustees, the school committee shall determine the place, which shall always be within the district.

SEC. 5. Notice of the time and place of every annual meeting, and of the time, place and object of every special meeting, shall be given for five days inclusive before holding the same.

SEC. 6. The trustees shall give notice of a district meeting, either by publishing the same in a newspaper published in the district, or by putting the notice on the district school-house or on a sign-post within the district, or if there be no newspaper, schoolhouse or sign-post, then in such manner as the school committee may direct: Provided, that the district may, from time to time, prescribe the mode of notifying meetings, and the trustees shall conform thereto.

SEC. 7. Every district meeting may appoint a moderator and adjourn from time to time.

SEC. 8. Every person residing in the district, may vote in district meetings to the same extent and with the same restrictions

as he would at the time be qualified to vote in town meeeting, but no person shall vote upon any question of taxation of property, or expending money raised thereby, unless he shall have paid, or be liable to pay, a portion of the tax.

SEC. 9. The clerk of the district shall record the number and names of the persons voting, and on which side of the question, at the request of any qualified voter.

SECTION 1. Any two or more adjoining primary school districts in the same or adjoining towns, may by a concurrent vote, agree to establish a secondary or grammar school, for the older and more advanced children of such districts.

SEC. 2. Such associating districts shall constitute a school district for all the purposes of providing a school-house, fuel, furniture and apparatus, and for the election of a board of trustees, to consist of one member from each associating district, and for the laying of a tax for school purposes, and fixing rates of tuition, with all the rights and privileges of a school district so far as the secondary school is concerned.

SEC. 3. The time and place for the meeting for organization of such associating districts may be fixed by the school committees, and any one or more of the associating districts may delegate to the trustees of the secondary school, the care and management of its primary school.

SEC. 4. The school committee of the town or towns in which such secondary school shall be established, shall draw an order in favor of the trustees of said school, to be paid out of the public

money appropriated to each district interested in the secondary school, in proportion to the number of scholars from each.

SEC. 5. Any two or more adjoining school districts in the same town, may by concurrent vote, with the approbation of the school committee, unite together and be consolidated into one district, for the purpose of supporting public schools, and such consolidated district shall have all the powers of a single district.

SEC. 6. Such consolidated district shall be entitled to receive the same proportion of public money the districts would receive if not united.

SEC. 7. The mode of organizing such consolidated district and calling the first meeting thereof shall be regulated or prescribed by the school committee.

SEC. 8. Two or more contiguous districts, or parts of districts in adjoining towns, may be formed into a joint school district by the school committees of such towns concurring therein, and all joint districts which have been or shall be formed, may by them be altered or discontinued.

SEC. 9. The meeting for organization of such joint district shall be called by notice signed by the school committees of such towns, and set up in one or more places in each district, or part of a district.

SEC. 10. Such joint district shall have all the powers of a single school district, and shall be regulated in the same manner, and shall be subject to the supervision and management of the school committee of the town in which the school is located.

SEC. 11. A whole district making a portion of such joint district shall be entitled to its portion of public money in the same manner as if it remained a single district; and when part of a district is taken to form a portion of such joint district, the school committee shall assign to it, its reasonable proportion.

SEC. 12. When any two or more districts shall be consolidated into one, the new district shall own all the corporate property of the several districts.

SEC. 13. When a district is divided, and a portion taken from it, the funds and property, or the income and proceeds thereof, shall be divided among the several parts in such manner as the school committee of the town or towns to which the districts belong, may determine.

SEC. 14. When a part of one district is added to another district or part of a district owning a school-house or other property, such part shall pay to the district or part of a district to which it is added, if demanded, such sum as the school committee may determine.