CINCINNATI, OHIO.1

The board of education consists of 30 members, one from each ward. Each member must be an elector of the ward for which he is elected, and removal from the ward forfeits the membership of the member so removing. The term of service is three years.

Vacancies in the board are filled by the board until the next annual election.

The board of education annually determine by estimate, as nearly as practicable, the entire amount of money required for the schools, and certify the same to the county auditor. The auditor must levy the entire tax called for, and the county treasurer collects it in the same way and at the same time with the State and county taxes. The levy, however, must not exceed 5 mills on the dollar of assessed valuation, including 1 mill that may be levied for kindergartens. The city treasurer is ex officio treasurer of the board of education.

The board is a body politic and corporate, with the power to sue and be sued, hold or sell property, etc.

Contracts relating to schoolhouses and involving $1,500 or more may be made only after advertisement and competitive bids. Resort may be had to condemnation proceedings in case of disagreement as to price. of property necessary to the use of the schools. Property no longer required for school purposes may be sold by the board of education, and, if exceeding $300 in value, must be advertised and sold at public auction.

The board have full control of the public schools of the district, with power to appoint a superintendent, assistant superintendent, superintendent of buildings, janitors, and other employees, and fix their salaries, which may be increased but may not be diminished during the term for which the appointment is made; but no appointment may be made for a longer time than three years, that being the term of members of the board.

The members of the board may not, as individuals or as local committees, exercise supervisory authority over the schools of the several wards or have the selection or nomination of teachers. The city superintendent of public schools appoints all teachers, with the consent of the board, and either he or the board of education may remove for cause; but any teacher removed by the superintendent may appeal to the board for reinstatement.

The board of education must appoint a board of examiners, consisting of 3 or 6 persons [it consists of 6] for a term of three years, onethird being appointed each year. Two of the members must be experienced teachers. No teacher may be appointed without a certificate of fitness from this board or from the State board of examiners.

Compiled from laws relating to the schools of Cincinnati, published in Report of →blic Schools, 1893-94, pages 218 et seq., and the act of April 14, 1896.

Appointments as teachers are first for the period of one year; when made the second time they are for two years; and when made the third time, they are for four years. After teachers have served seven successive years in the city their next appointment holds good during good behavior.

The board of education must establish a sufficient number of schools to provide for the free education of the youth of school age in the city, and must provide evening schools when requested to do so by 25 or more persons of school age who can not attend the day schools. They must provide for the physical training of all pupils, and must cause the German language to be taught in any school when requested by 75 freeholders representing 40 pupils who desire to study the English and German languages together. The board may loan text-books free to pupils, and levy therefor such additional taxes as may be necessary; may provide for holding teachers' institutes yearly; may establish and maintain public kindergartens for children between 4 and 6 years of age, and may levy a tax of 1 mill therefor; may appropriate not exceeding $1,200 a year for school libraries and philosophical and other apparatus.

The board must require teachers and superintendent to keep such records and make such reports as may be necessary, and must prepare and publish annually a report of the condition of the schools. They must also report annually to the county auditor, who in turn reports to the State commissioner of common schools.

An enumeration must be taken annually, under the direction of the clerk of the board, of all children between 6 and 21 years of age, and a report of the enumeration must be made to the county auditor.

The board of education and the truant officers and superintendent appointed by them are charged with the enforcement of the compulsory education law.

The teachers' pension fund is under the management and control of a board of trustees composed of seven members, two of whom are elected by the board of education, one by the union board of high schools, three by the teachers of the city schools, and the superintendent, who is ex officio a member.

The high schools of the city are controlled by a separate board, called the union board of high schools. Teachers in these schools are appointed by the superintendent, with the advice and consent of the union board. High-school teachers are appointed for one year, but after five years' service they hold their positions during good behavior. They may be removed by the superintendent for cause, with the approval of the majority of the union board of high schools.

If so requested by the trustees of any orphan asylum, infirmary, or children's home established by law in the city, the board of education must establish a school especially for the inmates of said institution, and have control of same, but may incur no expense therefor except in the payment of teachers.

CLEVELAND, OHIO.1

The board of education consists of a school council and a director. Legislative power is vested in the school council, which consists of seven members elected by the qualified electors of the city. Their term of service is two years, four members being elected one year and three the next. The council elect their own president and clerk, the former being a member of the council and the latter not a member.

Legislation is by resolution, each resolution being submitted to the school director. His signature to the resolution, or his failure to return it to the council with his objections at their next meeting, makes it operative. But if he return it to the council at their next meeting with objections, the resolution fails, unless it is approved by two-thirds of all the members of the council, in which case it takes effect without the signature of the director. The approval of the director may be withheld from any part of a resolution appropriating money without affecting the remainder of the resolution.

The council have the power of providing for the appointment of all teachers and employees, of prescribing their duties, and of fixing their compensation.

The school director is elected by the electors of the city at large for a term of two years. He devotes all his time to the duties of the office and receives $5,000 a year, giving a bond of $25,000.

The director is the executive officer of the schools and performs all the duties usually assigned to boards of education in the cities of the State except as otherwise indicated herein. With the approval of the council he appoints a superintendent of public instruction, who serves during good behavior and may be removed for cause by the director. The superintendent has sole power to appoint and discharge all assistants and teachers authorized by the council. All other employees of the board of education are appointed by the director.

The director must attend all meetings of the council and may take part in the deliberations, but may not vote. The superintendent reports annually or oftener to the director, and the director reports to the council. The city auditor and city treasurer act respectively as auditor and treasurer of the board of education, and receive no additional compensation for doing so, though the clerical assistance necessary is furnished by the board.

The board of education have sole control of all moneys raised for school purposes and the title to all school property vests in them. They make an estimate each year of the amount of money required for the conduct of the schools and certify the same to the proper county officers, who must levy and collect the full amount required, provided it does not exceed 7 mills on the dollar of assessed valuation. The director may 1Compiled from Handbook of the Board of Education, 1893-94, page 96, and State

laws

make contracts and purchases not involving over $250 without adver tisement or written contract, but beyond that sum contracts are made after due advertisement and are signed by the school director and approved by the council.

Vacancies in the directorship or in the school council are filled by the council till the next municipal election, when the vacancy is filled by election for the unexpired term.

The director or any member of the council may be impeached for malfeasance in office by proceedings in the county probate court.

BUFFALO, N. Y.

There is no board of education in Buffalo, but the department of public instruction is one of the ten city departments, and the city superintendent is its head.

The city has legal power to establish, maintain, and regulate public schools.

The city is from time to time divided by ordinance into school districts, in each of which there must be maintained one or more primary or grammar schools. Such schools are open and free to all persons between 5 and 20 years of age residing in their respective districts. The city may also maintain and regulate one or more high schools and schools for manual and technical training.

The schools share in the apportionment of the school moneys of the State, and the amounts which fall to the share of Buffalo are paid to the proper city officers. All expenses of the school department are included in and paid out of the general fund.

The city comptroller is authorized to embrace in his estimates a sum not exceeding $150,000 annually to be used solely for the purchase of school lots and the erection, enlargement, repair, and furnishing of school buildings. An additional amount not exceeding $300,000 may be raised for the erection and furnishing of school buildings by the sale of bonds by a two-thirds vote of the common council.

The board of public works have charge of the construction, alteration, and repair of school buildings.

The superintendent of education, an officer elected by the people on the general ticket for a term of four years, is the head of the department of public instruction. He must give bond conditioned on the proper performance of his duties. If a vacancy occur in the office it is filled by the common council at a joint session, called by the mayor, of the two boards composing the same.

The superintendent must from time to time recommend to the common council the course of study to be pursued in the different public schools, and such measures as will, in his judgment, increase the use fulness and efficiency of the schools. He selects all new teachers to be

Compiled from the revised charter of Buffalo, 1891, and amendments of April 12, 1893, and May 27, 1895.

employed from the lists certified to him by the board of examiners. He must hire all teachers for the period of time and at the compensation and upon the conditions provided by ordinance. He must see that the courses of study and systems of education established by ordinance are observed. If none be so established he must direct the courses of study and systems of education to be pursued. The teachers are subject to his orders and direction. He may suspend, and for cause and after a hearing, with the concurrence of the mayor, dismiss any teacher. He must annually make a comprehensive report to the common council of the condition of the schools. He must appoint a citizen well versed in the German as well as the English language to superintend the teaching of the German language in the schools, and who must also act, when not otherwise employed, as secretary to the superintendent.

The board of examiners consists of five citizens of Buffalo appointed by the mayor for five years each, their terms of office being so arranged that one is appointed each year. The mayor may at any time suspend any member, and for cause and after a hearing may remove him. Vacancies are filled for the unexpired term by the mayor. The examiners must meet monthly, and their officers are a chairman and a secretary. It is their duty to visit and inspect all the schools at least once in each term.

The teachers are divided into three grades, namely, high-school, grammar-school, and primary-school grades. The superintendent must designate the subjects and the scope of the examination for teachers in each grade, and the examinations are conducted by the board of examiners. Those applicants who pass the examination are certified to the superintendent as eligible for appointment, and from that list the superintendent selects new teachers. The board of examiners must make annual report to the common council in regard to the condition, of the schools as ascertained by their inspection, the operation of the system of examinations, and any suggestions they deem proper for the more efficient accomplishment of the purposes of their appointment. All expenses of the board of examiners are paid by the city and included in the expenses of the school department.

THE PARISH OF ORLEANS (NEW ORLEANS), LA.'

The board of directors consists of 20 members, of whom 8 are appointed by the governor of the State, with the approval of the State board of education, and 12 are elected by the city council of New Orleans. The term of office is four years, one-fourth the number being selected each year. Vacancies among the appointees of the governor are filled by the governor, and vacancies among those elected by the city council are filled by that body. The mayor, the treasurer, the comptroller of the city, aud the superintendent of city schools are

1Compiled from act No. 81, 1888, in relation to free public schools, and to regulate public education in the State of Louisiana, and from acts No. 136, and No. 158, 1894.