information, or give notice of convenient access thereto, in such manner that bidders can intelligently make bids for such contracts.

The board of school directors shall accept the lowest bid or bids, kind, quality, and material being equal, but shall have the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

or supplies.

Section 709. No person shall act as agent for school Agent for books books or school supplies, in any district in which he is engaged or employed as a superintendent, teacher, or employee of the school district in any capacity, or in which he was thus employed during the preceding school year.

Section 710. Every person, firm, association, or Bribery by seller. corporation that shall directly or indirectly, individually or through an agent or representative, give or promise to give to any school director, officer of any school board, superintendent, teacher, or any other person, any sum of money or other valuable thing, or shall make any promise of any appointment or position, in order to secure, procure, or influence the recommendation, adoption, rejection, or purchase of any books, school furniture, or supplies, by any superintendent, teacher, or school district in this Commonwealth, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be sentenced to pay a fine of Penalty. not less than five dollars ($5.00) or more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or be sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for not less than thirty days or more than one year, either or both, at the discretion of the court.

school officer.

Section 711. Any school director, officer, superin- Bribery by tendent, supervising principal, or teacher, who shall ask for or accept money or other valuable thing for his vote, recommendation, or influence, in order to secure the recommendation, adoption, rejection, or purchase of any school books, school furniture, or other school supplies, from any person, firm, association, or corporation, or any agent or representative thereof, either directly or indirectly, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than five dollars Penalty. ($5.00) or more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or to be sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for not less than thirty days or more than one year, either or both, at the discretion of the court.

ARTICLE VIII.

SCHOOL DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATIONS.

Convention of

Section 801. The school directors, in every county in this Commonwealth having a county superinten- rectors. dent of public schools, shall annually be called together at the county-seat or some other suitable place

Notice to directors.

Duty of County
Commissioners.

Directors shall attend annual conventions.

Compensation.

Duties at convention.

Executive
Committee.

within said county, by the county superintendent. The purpose of such annual conventions shall be the consideration and discussion, by the school directors and others, of questions and subjects pertaining to the welfare and promotion of the public schools in their respective counties, and such other business as may properly come before such conventions.

Section 802. The county superintendents of public schools shall give all school directors in their respective counties at least two weeks' notice, by mail, of the time, place, and hour of the meeting of the association. The county commissioners in every county where such convention is held shall furnish to the school directors of said county, free of charge, the court-house, in proper condition, or some other suitable place, for the purpose of holding such annual convention.

Section 803. It shall be the duty of school directors in each county of this Commonwealth to attend such annual convention of school directors called by the county superintendent, and each school director attending such convention shall receive, for his necessary expenses, the sum of two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day's attendance, and mileage at the rate of three cents per mile for the distance necessary to be traveled in going to and from such convention, once each year. Said amount shall be paid by an order drawn on the treasurer of the school district in which he acts as school director: Provided, however, That no school director shall be paid for more than two days at any annual convention.

Section 804. When the school directors have assembled, in such annual convention, they shall elect, from among the directors coming from school districts under the supervision of the county superintendent, the following officers; to wit, a president, two vicepresidents, a secretary and a treasurer, which officers shall serve until the end of the next annual convention of school directors in said county, or until their successors are chosen, and each of said officers shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him and as usually devolve upon such official. Every school director attending such convention shall have the right to vote in the election of said officers.

Section 805. The officers of the School Directors' Association in each county shall also act as an executive committee, and as such shall prepare and publish in advance a suitable program and order of business for the next annual convention, securing suitable speakers or lecturers, and other means of instructing the school directors present, and shall perform such other duties as may promote the success of the convention.

Section 806. The School Directors' Association at Auditor. its annual convention shall elect, each year, a proper person as auditor, who, with the two auditors elected by the county teachers' institute, shall audit the institute accounts as herein provided.

Section 807. It shall be the duty of the county County superintendent, and of the district and assistant Superintendent. county and district superintendents in the county, to attend such annual conventions, and they shall be members ex officio of the executive committee, and shall render such assistance and aid to the executive committee of such association as may be required of them: Provided, That they shall have no vote in the convention or in approving the selection of assistant county superintendents.

vention, how

paid.

Section 808. The county treasurer shall pay to the Expenses of contreasurer of such School Directors' Association, from the county funds, the necesary expenses incurred for the holding of such annual convention, including the cost of sending out the notices therefor. The total sum thus paid by the treasurer of any county shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each annual convention: Provided, That no payment shall be made to the treasurer of such School Directors' Association until he shall first have presented to the county Treasurer. treasurer an itemized verified statement of all the expenses connected with such convention, showing when and where the same was held, the number of directors present and the speakers engaged. The treasurer of such directors' association, within thirty days after receiving said payment, shall file with the county treasurer proper vouchers for all such expenses.

ARTICLE IX.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Duties of

Governor to
Point State

Board.

Section 901. Upon the approval of this act, the Governor of this Commonwealth shall, by and with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate, appoint six members of a State Board of Education, one of whom shall be appointed for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, one for five years, and one for six years; their terms Terms of office. of office to begin on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred and eleven. The Governor shall annually thereafter appoint a member of said State Board of Education, for the full term of six years, and any vacancy in said board shall be filled for the remainder of the term in the same manner. Three of the appointive members of the State Board of Education shall always be successful educators of high Qualifications of standing, connected with the public school system of the Commonwealth. Members of the State Board of

Vacancy.

three members.

Payment of expenses.

President.

Powers and duties.

Duties.

To equalize educational advantages.

To inspect and require reports.

Proviso.

Vocational education.

Sanitary equipment and inspection.

Officers of
State Board.

Office in Capitol.

Meetings.

Education shall serve without any compensation other than the payment of the necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the board.

Section 902. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be ex officio a member of the State Board of Education and president thereof.

Section 903. The State Board of Education shall have the following powers and duties, subject to the provisions of this act:

Section 904. To report and recommend to the Governor and the General Assembly legislation needed to make the public schools of this Commonwealth more efficient and useful.

Section 905. To equalize, through special appropriations for this purpose, or otherwise, the educational advantages of the different parts of this Commonwealth.

Section 906. To inspect, and require reports from the educational work in schools and institutions wholly or partly supported by the State, which are not supervised by the public school authorities: Provided, That a copy of the report of the inspection of any such institution which may be made to the State Board of Education shall be sent to the head of such institution.

Section 907. To encourage and promote agricul tural education, manual training, domestic science, and such other vocational and practical education as the needs of this Commonwealth may from time to time require.

Section 908. To prescribe rules and regulations for the sanitary equipment and inspection of school buildings, and to take such other action as it may deem necessary and expedient to promote the physical and moral welfare of the children in the public schools of this Commonwealth.

Section 909. The State Board of Education shall have such officers as it deems necessary, define their duties, and elect them annually. It shall fix the times of its regular meetings, and the manner of calling special meetings. It shall make its own by-laws and all regulations deemed necessary to carry on the proper work and affairs of the board.

Section 910. The office of the State Board of Education shall be in the State Capital, and it shall be the duty of the Board of Commissioners of Public Grounds and Buildings to provide it with suitable rooms, properly furnished and cared for.

Section 911. The regular place of meeting of the State Board of Education shall be in the State Capital, but the board may meet elsewhere when it is deemed necessary to do so.

assistance, etc.

Section 912. The State Board of Education shall Power to employ have the power to employ such assistance and incur such other expense as it finds necessary for the performance of its duties within limits of the appropriation made for its use.

ARTICLE X.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Section 1001. The Superintendent of Public In- Superintendent of struction, provided for in sections one and eight of Public Instruction. article four of the Constitution of this Common

duties.

wealth shall have supervision of all the public schools Powers and
of this Commonwealth, as well as the following powers
and duties:

on the State

Section 1002. He shall sign all orders on the State Sign all orders Treasurer for the payment of such moneys to the Treasurer. treasurers of the several school districts as they may be entitled to receive from the State, and for all other moneys to be paid out of the appropriation for public school purposes.

Section 1003. He shall prepare blank forms for the annual district reports, with suitable instructions and forms for conducting the various proceedings and details of the system in a uniform and efficient manner, and forward the same to the county and district superintendents, who shall distribute them to and among the proper district officers of their respective counties or school districts.

Prepare blank

forms for an

nual reports.

all papers.

Section 1004. He shall prepare and furnish to the Blanks for proper persons suitable banks and all other papers required by the provisions of this act.

Section 1005. He shall prepare and submit to the Legislature an annual report, containing a full account of the condition of the public schools of the State, the expenditures of the system during the year, the whole number of pupils, the average cost of instruction per pupil, the number of districts, plans for the improvement and maintenance of the system, and all other matters relating to the public schools and to the duties of his office which he may deem it expedient to communicate.

Annual report.

information.

Section 1006. He shall, whenever required, give Give advice and advice, explanations, construction, or information to the district officers and to citizens relative to the school laws, the duties of school officers, the rights and duties of parents, guardians, pupils, and officers, the management of the schools, and all other questions and matters calculated to promote the cause of education.

schools.

Section 1007. He shall classify the high schools of Classify high the State upon the basis of the reports of the direc tors and the State inspectors of high schools in compliance with the provisions of this act.