Appointment of superintendent of supplies.

Duties.

Assistants.

Payments.

Apportionment

and distribution.

Procedure.

Procedure.

Basis.

Number of teachers.

Basis.

Number

of children.

Certificate as to number of teachers.

janitor now employed shall be displaced by the provisions of this act, except for cause.

Section 2233. A superintendent of supplies may be appointed by the board of public education as herein provided. He shall give such security for the faithful performance of his duties as the board shall prescribe. He shall be the executive agent of said board, for the purchase, custody, and distribution of all supplies needed for the schools, under such regulations as the board of school directors shall prescribe. He may ap point such assistants as the board of public education may authorize and approve. Such assistants shall receive such compensation as said board may determine and shall perform their duties to the satisfaction of said superintendent.

ARTICLE XXIII.

STATE APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 2301. All money appropriated by the General Assembly for the maintenance and support of the public schools of this Commonwealth shall be paid by order on the State Treasurer signed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Section 2302. All appropriations made for the maintenance and support of the public school system after the approval of this act shall be apportioned and distributed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as herein provided.

Section 2303. He shall first deduct from the appropriation all items specified in this act, and such other amounts as may be required to be deducted by any appropriation bill, and the remainder of the appropriation shall be apportioned and distributed as follows:Section 2304. One-half on the basis of the number of paid teachers regularly employed for the full annual term of the school district, not including substitute teachers, or teachers employed to fill vacancies which may occur during the school year; such number of teachers to be certified as herein provided.

Section 2305. One-half on the basis of the number of children between the ages of six and sixteen residing in the respective school districts of the several counties of this Commonwealth, as reported to the Superintendent of Public Instruction under the provisions of this act.

Section 2306. On or before the first day of October, one thousand nine hundred and eleven (1911), and annually thereafter, the president and secretary of each board of school directors shall, under oath, certify to the proper county or district superintendent the number of teachers in their school district, upon which onehalf of the State appropriation is apportioned as herein provided; and, at the same time, they shall also

children.

certify the number of children between the ages of six Number of and sixteen years residing in their school district, as shown by the enumeration last made, in compliance with the provisions of this act. On or before the first day of November, one thousand nine hundred and eleven (1911), and annually thereafter, the said county or district superintendent shall make to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, on such blanks as shall be furnished by him, a tabulated return, by districts, Tabulated of the aforesaid teachers and children of his county or district.

return.

is closed.

Section 2307. If any school district of the fourth In case a school class in this Commonwealth, since the passage of an act of Assembly approved April twenty-fifth, one thousand nine hundred and one (1901), (Pamphlet Laws, page one hundred and six (106), has closed one or more of its public schools, or may hereafter close one or more of the same under the provisions of this act, and provides proper free transportation for part or all of the pupils of such closed schools or school to other public transportation. schools or school, as required by this act, such district shall continue to receive from the State appropriation its proper share thereof for each such school thus closed, except that no minimum salary allowance shall be made therefor.

Free

certificate.

Section 2308. If any error in the certificates of the Error in number of teachers or children shall occur, whereby a school district would receive more or less of the State appropriation than is justly due to such district, the county or district superintendent shall have authority, and hereby is required, to forward immediately to the Superintendent of Public Instruction a correct enumeration of teachers or children, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall thereupon make it the basis of the appropriation due said district.

Section 2309. At the end of any year, any balance Balances. of the State appropriation remaining on hand through forfeiture, or otherwise, shall be added to the State appropriation made for the ensuing year.

to districts.

Section 2310. The annual State appropriation, ap- Payment portioned and distributed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to any school district in this Commonwealth, shall be paid to the school treasurer of the district, and shall be used by the district, through its board of school directors, for the use of the district for the purposes mentioned in this act.

When schools

Section 2311. When any board of school directors are not open. is compelled to close any school or schools, on account of any contagious disease, the destruction or damage of a school building by fire or otherwise, and therefore is unable to keep such school or schools open for the minimum term required by this act, the Superintendent

How fund is constituted.

Contributions from salaries,

Proviso.

Representation.

Annuities.

Management
and supervision.

Library trustees.

of Public Instruction may pay to such school district any or all of its share of the annual State appropriation, as he deems proper.

ARTICLE XXIV.

TEACHERS' RETIREMENT FUNDS.

Section 2401. The board of school directors of any district in this Commonwealth is hereby authorized and empowered to establish, contribute to, and administer as herein provided, a teachers' retirement fund. The said fund shall consist of all funds available for like purposes in said district at the time of the enactment of this law, together with such additions thereto as the board of school directors may, from time to time, appropriate for that purpose from the funds of the district, and such moneys or other property as may be donated, bequeathed, devised, or received from any other source for such purpose.

Section 2402. The board of school directors of any district may provide, in the contracts with its teachers, principals, or supervising officials, that they shall contribute a reasonable sum from their salaries each year to said retirement fund: Provided, That no person shall be required to contribute any part of his salary to any retirement fund, unless the same is provided for in the contract by which he is engaged.

Section 2403. Where the teachers, principals, or su pervising officials of any district contribute to any retirement fund, they shall be represented in making the regulations governing it, and in its control and management

Section 2404. Every teacher, principal, or supervis ing official who retires in accordance with the regulations prescribed shall be entitled to such annuity as said regulations provide.

ARTICLE XXV.

PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

Section 2501. In each school district of the second, third, or fourth class in this Commonwealth, in which there now is or hereafter may be a public school library established, such library may be under the management and supervision of the board of school directors of such district, or of a board of seven library trustees, as herein provided, as the board of school directors may determine.

Section 2502. In each school district of the second, third, or fourth class, where the public school library is put under the management and supervision of a board of seven library trustees, the board of library trustees shall be constituted as follows: Five library trustees, not members of the board of school directors,

Transfer

shall be elected, by a majority vote of the board of school directors, from the school district at large. The five trustees so elected, together with the president of the board of school directors, and the district superintendent, if any, or, if there be no district superintendent, then the vice-president of the board of school directors, shall constitute the board of seven library trustees. Section 2503. The board of school directors in any from directors. school district in this Commonwealth, where the public school library is under the management and supervision of the board of school directors therein, may, at any time hereafter, place such public school library under the management and supervision of a board of seven library trustees, as herein provided, by a resolution of the board of school directors in such district, adopted by a majority vote of the board.

Section 2504. The first appointment of five library Terms. trustees shall be made for one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively, from the first day of July following, and annually thereafter the board shall appoint one member for the term of five years; such appointments to be made during the month of June, and the terms of office to begin on the first day of July following.

regulations.

Section 2505. The board of library trustees herein Organization. provided shall organize annually, on the first Monday in July each year, by the election of a president, and the secretary of the board of school directors shall be ex officio secretary of the board of library trustees. Section 2506. The board of library trustees herein Rules and provided for in any school district may, subject to the approval of the board of school directors therein, make and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations for its own meetings and for the management and supervision of the public school library as it may deem proper, and shall have general charge, supervision, and management of the public school library in said district, purchase the books, maps, or other matter, appoint the librarian and other employes, and do all other things necessary for its government, preservation, and maintenance.

Section 2507. The board of school directors in any Appropriations. school district in this Commonwealth may annually appropriate for the support and maintenance of any public school library in its district, out of its annual school taxes, such sums as it may deem proper, not exceeding one mill on the dollar of the total valuation of taxable property in the district: Provided, That Proviso. when a library is first established, the board of school directors may provide for the building and establishment of such public library, or may provide for the enlargement of any library, in like manner as any public school building may be built or enlarged.

Orders.

Proviso.

Vacancies.

Free public non-sectarian library.

Branch libraries.

Book fund.

Duty of
Board.

For use and convenience of residents.

Receipts and expenditures.

Audit.

Section 2508. All money paid out on account of any public school library shall be paid by a regular school order, in like manner as other school funds are paid: Provided, That all accounts or sums paid out on account of any public school library shall be first approved by the board of library trustees, if there be such a board.

Section 2509. The library trustees shall serve without any compensation, and any vacancy in the board of library trustees shall be filled, by the board of school directors, for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Section 2510. Instead of establishing or maintaining a separate public school library, any board of school directors may, by a two-thirds vote, join with or aid any individual or association in the maintenance, or the establishment and maintenance, of a free, public nonsectarian library, under such written agreement as it may determine, which agreement shall be entered in full in its minutes. Such agreement shall specify the manner, terms, and conditions agreed upon, for the aiding, establishment, maintenance, or management of such joint library.

Section 2511.

The board of school directors or the library trustees, with the consent of the board of school directors, may circulate part or all of the books and other collections of a public school library among the several schools, or may establish branch libraries.

Section 2512. Whenever by subscription, or otherwise, a collection of books, or funds to purchase the same, has been obtained for a public school library for any school district, or for any school therein, it shall be the duty of the board of school directors thereof to provide a suitable place, and case or cases, for said library. But no books or other matter shall be put into any public school library, by gift or otherwise, without the approval of the library trustees, or, in lieu thereof, of the board of school directors.

Section 2513. For the use and convenience of the residents of the district, the board of school directors or the library trustees shall provide for keeping public school libraries open at such hours and times throughout the year as they may deem proper. The board of school directors of any school district maintaining a public school library may permit the use thereof by the residents of other school districts, under such conditions as it may prescribe.

Section 2514. All receipts and expenditures for any libraries established, maintained, or assisted as herein provided, and all appropriations made by any school districts for the establishment, maintenance, or assistance of any library, shall be regularly audited by the auditors of the proper school districts, and reports of the same be included in the reports of such auditors.