CHAPTER 8. OF SCHOOLS IN THE TOWN OF PORTSMOUTH. 1. High schools to be kept. 9. Qualifications of teachers. 10. Class books, how determined. 11. Money, how apportioned. 12. Town may raise more money. 13. Neglect to assess, penalty. 14. General school laws in force. 15. This chapter adopted, how. 1. There shall be kept and maintained in the town of Portsmouth, in addition to the district schools, at least two high schools, one for males and the other for females; in which shall be taught all the branches usually taught in an English grammar school, with such additional branches as the town may direct. R. S. ch. 74, sec. 1; C. S. ch. 80, sec. 1. 2. The prudential committee of each district shall consist of three or more persons, to be chosen by. ballot by the district, the first named of whom shall be chairman, and to hold their office until the next annual meeting, and until others are chosen and qualified in their stead. Ibid., sec. 2. 3. They shall perform all the duties of the superintending school committee as well as of a prudential committee, except as is hereinafter specified, and shall determine and direct what class-books shall be used in their respective district schools, which shall be furnished by the parents, master or guardian of any child attending said school. Ibid., sec. 3. 4. The prudential committee of the several school districts in the town of Portsmouth shall together constitute a superintending committee, of which the chairman of the prudential committee in district number two shall be chairman, and shall possess and exercise all the powers given by law to superintending school committees in other towns in this State, so far as relates to determining and directing the class-books to be used in the district schools. Laws of 1847, ch. 497; C. S. ch. 80, sec. 4. 5. They shall examine and contract with the teachers of the high schools, fix and pay their salaries, provide all necessary fuel and apparatus for the schools, receive and appropriate the money assigned to such schools, regulate the admission of scholars, prescribe the class-books to be used, and transact all other business relating to the government of said schools. R. S. ch. 74, sec. 5; C. S. ch. 80, sec. 5. 6. If there shall be a vacancy in either of said committees, either from neglect to choose, or any other cause, the selectmen shall immediately fill such vacancy. Ibid., sec. 6. 7. Each prudential committee and the high school committee shall annually, on or before the first day of March, make a report of their doings to the selectmen, containing an account of their receipts and expenditures for the year, the number of schools under their control, the number of pupils of each sex belonging to each school, the average number of each sex attending school, their ages, the various branches of study taught in each school, and the number of scholars in each branch, and such other matters as may serve to present a general view of the condition of each school; and the selectmen shall lay such reports before the town at its annual meeting. Ibid., sec. 7. 8. Said high schools shall be for the common benefit of all the districts of said town, and each district may send an equal proportion of scholars, possessing the requisite qualifications, to each of the high schools, under such regulations as may from time to time be established by the high school committee, and this proportion shall be determined as nearly as may be by the number of pupils attending school in each district. Ibid., sec. 8. 9. No person shall be employed as a teacher in either of said high schools who is not qualified to teach English grammar, book-keeping, geometry, surveying, navigation, mensuration, algebra, astronomy and natural history, besides the qualifications required of teachers of district schools. The town or the high school committee may require such additional qualifications as they shall think expedient. Ibid., sec. 9. 10. The high school committee shall determine and direct what class-books shall be used in the several high schools, which shall be furnished by the parents, master or guardian of every child attending said schools. Ibid., sec. 10. 11. The selectmen shall annually assign and pay over to the high school committee such portion of the school money as they shall think sufficient for the support of said schools, or as the town shall direct; and shall assign and pay over the balance to the several district committees, as nearly as may be in proportion to the number of scholars in each district respectively. Ibid., sec. 11. 12. Said town, at its annual meeting, or at any meeting. called for that purpose, shall raise so much money as is necessary for erecting, enlarging, repairing, purchasing, removing or hiring school-houses and other buildings for the accommodation of schools therein, with necessary furniture and apparatus, and the selectmen shall assess such sum upon the polls and ratable estates within the town, and shall cause the same to be collected like other town taxes, and shall appropriate the same for the purposes for which it was raised. Ibid., sec. 12. 13. If the selectmen shall neglect to assess, collect, apportion, pay over or appropriate any sum of money in the manner prescribed by law; or if either of the committees aforesaid shall neglect so to appropriate, or shall misappropriate the same, the person so offending shall be liable to the same penalty provided in case of neglect of selectmen to assess and apportion school money. Ibid., sec. 13. 14. All the provisions contained in the general laws of this State relating to schools, shall be in force in the town of Portsmouth, except so far as the same are herein modified or rescinded. Ibid., sec: 14. 15. Any town, at its annual meeting, or at any meeting lawfully called for the purpose, may adopt the provisions of this chapter, which shall then extend and apply to such town as fully as to the town of Portsmouth. Ibid., sec. 15. 62 CHAPTER 9. OF COMMISSIONERS OF COMMON SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS' INSTITUTES. 1. County school commissioners to 10. Commissioners to be compen be appointed. 2. County school commissioners to meet in Concord. 3. Superintending school committees to make returns. 4. Penalty for not making returns. 6. Duty of commissioners. port. sated for stationery, &c. 11. Additional compensation of commissioners. 8. Compensation of commissioners. 17. 9. Salaries, when paid. to commence. Towns may raise money to support teachers' institutes. Towns to appropriate three per cent. Selectmen authorized to pay the same to county school commissioner. 1. The governor and council shall annually appoint a commissioner of common schools in each county of this State, who shall hold his office one year from the fifteenth day of July. Laws of 1850, ch. 955, sec. 1; C. S. ch. 82, sec. 1. 2. The several county commissioners shall meet in Concord, at the capitol of this State, on the third Wednesday of August, and shall in their associated capacity constitute a board of education, with the power of choosing a chairman and secretary; and shall recommend such books as may appear to them most suitable to be used in common schools, and such methods of instruction, modes of government and discipline to be pursued in said schools as may seem best adapted to promote their usefulness. Ibid., sec. 2. 3. The superintending school committee in each town shall, immediately after the close of the winter schools, and on or before the first day of April in each year, transmit to the secretary of state, to be by him delivered to the secretary of the board of education, a copy of the report presented by them to the town at its annual meeting, and also at the same time shall forward to the secretary of state for the same purpose, according to forms by him provided, answers to all such questions relating to the appropriation of money raised in the town, the studies pursued in the schools, the books used, the methods of instruction and discipline adopted, the condition of the school-houses, and such other subjects relating to the schools as shall from time to time be proposed by the board of education, by direction of the governor and council. Ibid., sec. 3. 4. No town from which such returns shall not have been · received by the secretary of state on or before the first day of April, shall be entitled to receive its portion of the literary fund for that year; and such portion of the fund shall be distributed among the towns entitled to receive the same, unless, before the third Tuesday of June following, it shall be made to appear to the governor and council that the neglect to make return was occasioned by some mistake or accident; provided, the secretary of state shall have notified the selectmen of such town, by the first day of May, that said return has not been received by him, and unless the said return shall be thereupon made to the secretary of state by the twentieth of the same month. Ibid., sec. 4. 5. The superintending school committee of any town, neglecting to make a return of the schools of said town to the secretary of state agreeably to the provisions of this chapter, shall be responsible to said town for the amount of the literary fund forfeited through his negligence. Laws of 1851, ch. 1102, sec. 1; C. S. ch. 82, sec. 5. 6. It shall be the duty of the county commissioners to spend not less than one day in each town of his county each year, for the purpose of promoting, by addresses, inquiries and other means, the cause of common school education, and to report his doings to the secretary of the board of education. It shall also be the duty of each county commissioner to take charge of any teachers' institute that may be held in his county. Laws of 1850, ch. 955, sec. 5; C. S. ch. 82, sec. 6. 7. The board of education shall annually, in the month of June, through their secretary, make to the general court a report upon the common schools of the State, comprising the substance of the returns from the several towns, and such information and suggestions as may seem useful to said board. And the secretary of the said board shall procure, at the expense of the State, the printing of six hundred copies of the |