County School Board.

Composed of the County Superintendent (who is ex officio president) and the District School Trustees of the county—­“a body corporate”; shall make necessary bylaws and regulations, shall have a regular annual meeting between the 1st and 15th of August; shall prepare and file with the Superintendent before July 15th an estimate of the amount of money that will be needed for public school purposes in the county for the next year, also a similar list for each school district based on the estimate of the District Board, which lists the Superintendent shall lay before the Board of Supervisors; shall make settlement with treasurers and school officers; shall administer certain properties devoted to school purposes.

Ex officio is a Latin phrase meaning by virtue of office.  The county superintendent is president of the County School Board, not by election or appointment, but because of his office as county superintendent.

A body corporate is a corporation, the meaning of which term is explained on page 14.

Property of any kind, either public funds or donations from private persons, set apart or devoted to school purposes in the county is administered by the County School Board—­that is, managed and used by the board for the support of schools in the county.

District.—­School Districts.

Each county shall be divided into compactly located school districts, which shall correspond with the magisterial districts, unless specially subdivided; except that a town of five hundred or more inhabitants may form a separate school district.

School Trustees.

One shall be appointed annually for each district for a term of three years; must be able to read and write.

School trustees are appointed annually by the School Trustee Electoral Board, as explained above.

District Board of School Trustees.

“A body corporate”—­composed of the three trustees of the district; shall hold and manage the school property of the district; provide suitable school houses, etc.; enforce school laws; employ and dismiss teachers; suspend and dismiss pupils; see that census of children of school age (5 to 21) is taken every five years; submit to the County School Board annually an estimate of the amount of money needed for public school purposes in the district for the next scholastic year.

In cities the Board is composed of all the trustees in the city, and its duties and powers are modified and enlarged.

The census of children is the numbering or counting of the children residing in the district.

The scholastic year is the part of the year during which the schools are open.

The District Board of School Trustees has the whole care and administration of the schools in its charge, and is thus the most important local body in the civil government of the State.

School Funds.