States, shall, besides the schools prescribed in the preceding section, maintain a high school to be kept by a master of competent ability and good morals, who, in addition to the branches of learning before mentioned, shall give instruction in general history, book-keeping, surveying, geometry, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, the civil polity of the Commonwealth and of the United States, and the Latin language. Such high school shall be kept for the benefit of all the inhabitants of the town, ten months at least, exclusive of vacations, in each year, and at such convenient place or alternately at such places in the town as the legal voters at their annual meeting determine. And in every town containing four thousand inhabitants, the teacher or teachers of the schools required by this section shall, in addition to the branches of instruction before required, be competent to give instruction in the Greek and French languages, astronomy, geology, rhetoric, logic, intellectual and moral science, and political economy. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 2.

Twenty days or forty half days of actual session shall be counted as one month of school. Pub. Sts., c. 46, § 7.

Every town and city having ten thousand or more inhabitants shall establish and maintain, in addition to the schools required by law to be maintained therein, evening schools for the

instruction of persons over twelve years of age in orthography, reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, drawing, the history of the United States, and good behavior. Such other branches of learning may be taught in such schools as the school committee of the town shall deem expedient. St. 1883, c. 174, § 1.

Any town may, and every city and town having more than ten thousand inhabitants shall, annually make provision for giving free instruction in industrial or mechanical drawing to persons over fifteen years of age, in either day or evening schools, under the direction of the school committee. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 7.

A town may establish and maintain one or more industrial schools, which shall be under the superintendence of the school committee, who shall employ the teachers, prescribe the arts, trades, and occupations to be taught therein, and have the general control and management thereof; but they shall not expend for any such school an amount exceeding the appropriation specifically made therefor, and shall not compel any scholar to study any trade, art, or occupation, without the consent of his parent or guardian; and attendance upon such school shall not take the place of the attendance upon public schools required by law. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 8.

A town may establish and maintain, upon shore or upon ships or other vessels, at the

option of the school committee, one or more schools for training young men or boys in nautical duties; such schools shall be subject to the provisions of the preceding section, except that the school committee may excuse boys attending such nautical schools from attendance on other schools. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 9.

A town may establish and maintain, in addition to the schools required by law to be maintained therein, schools for the education of persons over twelve years of age; may determine the term or terms of time in each year and the hours of the day or evening during which said school shall be kept; and may appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary for the support thereof. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 12.

Two adjacent towns, having each less than five hundred families or householders, may form one high school district for establishing such a school as is contemplated in the preceding section [2], when a majority of the legal voters of each town, in meetings called for that purpose, so determine. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 3.

Two or more towns may, by a vote of a majority of the legal voters in each town, unite in establishing union schools for the accommodation of such contiguous portions of each as shall be mutually agreed upon. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 10.

A town which refuses or neglects to raise money for the support of schools as required by

this chapter shall forfeit a sum equal to twice the highest sum ever before voted for the support of schools therein. A town which refuses or neglects to choose a school committee to superintend its schools, shall forfeit not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, to be paid into the treasury of the county. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 19.

SCHOOL-HOUSES.

Every town shall provide and maintain a sufficient number of school-houses, properly furnished and conveniently located for the accommodation of all the children therein entitled to attend the public schools; and the school committee, unless the town otherwise directs, shall keep such houses in good order, and shall procure a suitable place for the schools, where there is no school-house, and provide fuel and all other things necessary for the comfort of the scholars therein, at the expense of the town. A town which for one year refuses or neglects to comply with the requirements of this section shall forfeit not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, to be paid, apportioned, and appropriated as provided in sections 19 and 20. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 46.

A town, at a meeting legally called for the purpose, may determine the location of its schoolhouses, and adopt all necessary measures to pur

chase and procure land for the accommodation thereof. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 47.

When land has been designated by a town as a suitable place for the erection of a schoolhouse and necessary buildings, or for enlarging a school-house or school-house lot, the selectmen may proceed to select at their discretion, and to lay out a school-house lot or an enlargement thereof, and to appraise the damages to the owner of such land in the manner provided for laying out town-ways and appraising damages sustained thereby; and upon the approval and adoption by the town of such selection and laying out of such lot, or of any enlargement thereof, the land shall be taken, held, and used for such purpose. But no lot so taken or enlarged shall exceed in the whole eighty square rods, exlusive of the lands occupied by the school buildings. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 48.

A town is not authorized to delegate to its selectmen the duty of designating the land to be taken for a school-house lot; such designation must be by vote of the town. A town which illegally takes a lot of land for a school-house lot, and erects a school-house thereon, is not entitled to an allowance for improvements under Pub. Sts., c. 173, § 18. Spaulding v. Chelmsford, 117 Mass. 393.

The school committee of a town in which the school district system does not exist shall