Sec. 3. On the first Tuesday in May, one thousand nine 2 hundred and twenty-three, and every two years thereafter there 3 shall be an election held for the independent school district of 4 Sistersville, for the purpose of electing one or more commis5 sioners respectively of the board of education of the inde6 pendent school district of Sistersville. The said commissioners 7 shall be elected for, and hold their office four years, beginning 8 on the first day of July after said election, unless sooner re9 moved from office for cause. For the purpose of said election, 10 there shall not be less than two voting places in the said dis11 trict, which voting places shall be fixed by the said board, and 12 the places shall be designated by the president of said board 13 in his proclamation for an election as provided for in the next 14 section, and said election shall be held and conducted and the 15 result thereof ascertained and declared in all respects as now 16 provided by law for general elections in this state and as pro17 vided for in section five, excepting, however, that the said 18 board shall be vested with authority to appoint election offi19 cers and to perform all the duties and functions relative to 20 said election.

Sec. 4. Such elections shall be called by the president of the 2 board of education of the independent school district of Sis3 tersville, by a proclamation to the voters of said district, noti4 fying them of the time and place of holding the same, and the 5 purpose thereof, and the places fixed by said board in the said 6 district for holding the said election; said proclamation shall 7 be posted on the front door of the city building in the city of 8 Sistersville, and at two other conspicuous places in the said 9 district at least four weeks previous to the day designated for 10 the said election, or the same shall be published in a news11 paper published in Sistersville, once a week for two weeks next 12 previous to day of election.

Sec. 5. Such election or elections under this act shall be 2 held and conducted in the same manner as a municipal elec3 tion of the city of Sistersville, and shall be held and conducted. 4 by the officers appointed by the board of education to hold 5 such election, in accordance with the law of the state and the 6 rules and regulations governing the election of municipal of7 ficers of said city; and the officers conducting said election 8 shall ascertain and certify the results to the secretary of said

9 board, within three days thereafter. Such results shall, within 10 ten days after the same is so certified, be noted on the minutes, 11 and the certificates filed with the secretary. And the officer 12 so elected shall, within twenty days after his election or ap13 pointment, and before he shall enter upon the duties of his 14 office, take and subscribe the oath of office as prescribed for 15 district officers, as provided by general laws, which may be 16 done before any person authorized by law to administer oaths, 17 or before the president of the board of education of said in18 dependent school district, which said oath of office, together 19 with the certificate of the officer administering the same, shall 20 be filed with the said board of education.

Sec. 6. Any vacancy that may occur in the office of school 2 commissioner by death, resignation, refusal to serve or other3 wise, shall be filled by the board of education of the district 4 at their first regular meeting thereafter, or as soon as circum5 stances will permit, by the appointment of a suitable person, 6 who shall hold his office until the next election of school com7 missioners, when a commissioner shall be elected for the un8 expired term.

Sec. 7. The board of education shall elect annually, at the 2 first meeting, one of their members to act as president of said 3 board, who shall perform all the duties which are required to 4 be performed by such officer of any board of education, which 5 may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this act.

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The president shall have one vote as commissioner, and shall 7 not vote upon any question arising in the board by reason of 8 being said officer.

Sec. 8. At the first meeting, the board of education shall 2 elect annually, a suitable person to act as secretary of the 3 board and pay him a reasonable salary to be fixed by the board. 4 The secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the board and shall 5 not be a member thereof. He shall take the oath prescribed 6 by law and give bond if required by the board. He shall re7 cord in a book provided for the purpose, all the official acts 8 and proceedings of the board, which shall be a public record, 9 open to inspection to all persons interested therein. He shall 10 perform such other duties as may be required by the board of 11 education or are prescribed by law. He shall have custody 12 and care of all records and papers belonging to the board in

13 cluding evidences of title, contracts, and obligations and shall 14 preserve the same in the office of the board of education or 15 place designated by the board, properly arranged for refer16 ence. He shall annually make such reports to the county super17 intendent and other school officers as are required by the gen18 eral school law. In his absence, the board may appoint a sec19 retary pro tempore.

Sec. 9. The board of education shall hold regular meetings 2 at such times and places as it may designate by proper order 3 entered in its record; and special meetings may be called by the 4 president or at the request of any member, by the secretary. 5 For the transaction of business, a quorum of not less than two 6 members shall be required and the concurrence of two mem7 bers shall be required to elect a superintendent or teachers and 8 to decide all questions involving the expenditure of money. 9 Each member of the board of education shall receive as com10 pensation for his services the sum of five dollars for each reg11 ular or special meeting he attends; in addition thereto, the 12 president of the board shall receive fifty dollars per annum.

Sec. 10. The board of education of the independent school 2 district of Sistersville, shall be a body corporate in law, and 3 as such may purchase, hold, sell or convey real estate or per4 sonal property for the purpose of education within the district; 5 may receive any gifts, grant, donation or devise; may become 6 party to suits and contracts and do other corporate acts. They 7 shall have the management and be vested with the title to all 8 real and personal property for the use of the public schools 9 within the district, and shall manage and dispose of the same 10 as will, in their opinion, best subserve the interest of the dis11 trict.

Sec. 11. The board of education shall have exclusive con2 trol of all schools within the district; shall fix the length of the 3 school term and shall have power to make all necessary rules 4 and regulations for the government of the schools of the dis5 trict, for the admission of pupils therein and for the exclusion 6 of pupils whose attendance would be dangerous to the health 7 or detrimental to the morals or discipline of the school. Said 8 board shall arrange for the taking of the enumeration each 9 year of all the youth living within the district, between the 10 ages of six and twenty-one before the first day of July. They

11 may prescribe text books for the use of the schools in the dis12 trict, supplementing the list adopted for the county, and may 13 furnish books and stationery for the use of indigent children 14 in attendance at the schools. They may furnish all necessary 15 apparatus and books for the use of the schools and incur all 16 other expenses necessary to make the system efficient for the 17 purpose for which it was established, and pay the same from 18 the building fund of the district. They shall have power to 19 establish such other departments in said schools, such as man20 ual training, music, drawing, or other departments, as shall 21 be deemed advisable to the interest of said independent school 22 district.

Sec. 12. The board of education shall provide by purchase, 2 lease, building, or otherwise, a sufficient number of suitable. 3 school houses and other buildings to meet the educational needs 4 of the district, and shall also provide such furniture, fixtures, 5 and apparatus for said school houses and other buildings, as 6 may be necessary for the effectiveness of the schools and for 7 the convenience, health and cleanliness of the pupils, and shall 8 cause the school property to be kept in good order and repair. 9 The board of education shall have authority to sell any school 10 buildings when in its judgment, they are improperly located 11 or unsuitable for school purposes. Said board, may at its 12 discretion, provide proper medical and dental inspection of 13 pupils.

Sec. 13. The board of education shall establish within the 2 district one or more separate schools for colored children, 3 whenever they deem it necessary, so as to afford them so far 4 as practicable the advantages and privileges of a free school 5 education. All such schools shall be under the management 6 and control of the board of education, and shall be subject 7 to like general regulations as other schools of the district.

Sec. 14. The board of education shall have authority to 2 appoint a superintendent of schools for the independent school 3 district of Sistersville at any time after the first of January 4 in any year for a term of not more than four years. The 5 compensation of said superintendent shall be fixed by the 6 board of education. Said superintendent, in addition to the 7 duties specified in this act, shall perform such other appro8 priate duties with relation to the schools of Sistersville as 9 the board may prescribe. He shall be liable to removal by

10 the board of education for any palpable violation of the law 11 or omissions of duty, or for other good and sufficient cause, 12 but he shall not be removed unless charges be preferred' to 13 the board by a member thereof, and notice of a hearing, with 14 a copy of the charges delivered to him, and an opportunity 15 be given him to be heard in his defense.

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Said superintendent shall exercise general supervision over 17 all schools of the district and shall prepare and revise, with 18 the approval of the board, courses of study to be used in the 19 schools.

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He shall recommend for appointment teachers to be em21 ployed in the district schools and shall make all necessary 22 reports and, insofar as he is able, shall furnish such informa23 tion relating to the schools as the board of education may de24 sire.

Sec. 15. At any time after January first, the board of 2 education shall have power and authority to employ, for the 3 ensuing school year, teachers, janitors, truant officer and other 4 employes for the public schools of the district and fix their 5 salaries and shall establish rules and regulations to which they 6 shall be subjected and may be removed at any time for proper 7 cause. Said board shall have the power of prescribing the 8 qualifications of teachers in the schools of the district, and 9 may appoint an examining committee for the purpose of ex10 amining applicants for positions as teachers and granting cer11 tificates to those found qualified to teach in the schools.

Sec. 16. It shall be the duty of the board of education of 2 the independent school district of Sistersville annually, at the 3 same time and in the same manner now provided, or that may 4 hereafter be provided by the general school law of this state. 5 for the ascertaining and making of estimates and the fixing 6 and laying of school levies by the boards of education of the 7 various school districts within the state for the support of the 8 free schools therein, to ascertain and to make such estimates 9 of the amounts necessary for the support of the schools within 10 the said independent district, to determine, fix and lay such 11 levies on the property located within said independent dis12 trict, for the support therein. It shall be the duty of the board 13 of education annually, at such meeting to levy as many cents. 14 on each one hundred dollars of valuation of the taxable prop15 erty of the district, according to the last assessment thereof,