REG ENT SCHOOL LEGISLAT ION STATE OF IOWA Department of Public Instruction DES MOINES Extracts from the School Laws as Amended by the Thirty-seventh General Assembly. i^-^7 SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE SCHOOL LAWS OF 1915. (Dampen the edge with mucilage and insert following the title page of your law book. ) PFBLISHED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE DOCUMENT EDITOR. FOR USE OF SCHOOL BOARDS AND SCHOOL OFFICERS DISTRIBUTION OF LAWS. Volumes bound in paper covers shall be furnished to each school director to be turned over by the director to his successor in office. See section 2624. Each school officer, upon the termination of his term of office shall immediately surrender to his successor all books, papers and moneys pertaining or belonging to the office, taking a receipt therefor. See section 2770. To aid in the proper administration of the law concerning public schools, we publish herein the new laws and amendments of the Thir- ty-seventh General Assembly. A. M. DEYOE, May 28, 1917. Superintendent of Public Instruction. SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION— ELECTIVE. CH. 318—37 G. A. Senate File 494. Section 1. That the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is hereby made elective, and the election of said officer shall be sub- mitted to the qualified voters of Iowa at the general election of 1918 and every four years thereafter. The term of such officer so elected shall commence at the expiration of the Superintendent of Public In- struction now in office, and continue until his successor is elected and qualified. Sec. 2. Section twenty-six hundred twenty-seven-a (2627-a) supple- ment to the code, 1913, and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent here- with are hereby repealed. COMBINATION OF SCHOOL FUNDS. CH. 386—37 G. A. House File No. 565. Section 1. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hun- dred thirty-three la (2733-la), supplemental supplement to the code, 1915, be and the same is hereby amended by striking from line nine- teen (19) thereof the words- "and the average proportion of contingent expenses" and by striking from line twenty-two (22) thereof the words "out of the teachers' fund and the contingent fund or". Sec. 2. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred forty-nine (2749) of the code be and the same is hereby amended by striking out the words "teachers' or contingent" in line twelve (12) and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general". Sec. 3. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred sixty-seven (2767) of the code be and the same is hereby amended by striking out the words "contingent and teachers" in line two (2) and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general". Sec. 4. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred sixty-eight (2768), supplement to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby amended by striking therefrom lines seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), ten (10) and eleven (11) and inserting in lieu thereof the follow- ing: "The money collected by tax voted or the proceeds of the sale of bonds valid for the purpose of building schoolhouses shall be called the schoolhouse fund, and all other moneys received for any other purpose shall be called the general fund," also by striking out the word "contingent" in line twenty-three (23) and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general". Sec. 5. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred sixty-nine (2769), supplement to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby amended by striking from line five (5) the words "teachers' fund, the contingent" and substituting in lieu thereof the word "gen- eral". 0. of D* JAN 1918 — 3 — See. 6. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred ' seventy-four (2774) of the code be and the same is hereby amended by «[ striking from line twelve (12) the word "contingent" and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general", by striking from line eight (8) the word "teachers" and substituting in lieu thereof the word "gen- eral". Sec. 7. , That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hundred eighty-three (27S3), supplement to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby amended by striking from line two (2) the word "contingent" and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general", also by striking from line ten (10) the word "contingent" and substituting in lieu thereof the word "general". Sec. 8. That the law as it appears in section twenty-eight hundred three (2803) of the code be and the same is hereby amended by striking from lines twelve (12) and thirteen (13) the words "and an average proportion of contingent expenses". Sec. 9. That the law as it appears in section twenty-eight hundred six (2806), supplement to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby amended by striking out the following as it appears in lines four (4), five (5), six (6), seven (7), eight (S), nine (9), ten (10), eleven (11), twelve (12) and thirteen (13): "estimate the amount required for the contingent fund, not exceeding ten dollars for each person of school age, but each school corporation may estimate not exceeding seventy- five dollars for each school thereof, and such additional sum as may be necessary not exceeding five dollars for each person of school age for transporting children to and from school; and also such additional sum as may be authorized in the chapter on uniformity of text-books; also such sum as may be required for the teachers' fund, which shall not exceed thirty dollars for each person of school age therein, but each corporation may estimate not exceeding two hundred seventy dollars, for each regular school therein", and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "estimate the amount required for the general fund, not exceeding forty dollars for each pupil of school age, but each school corporation may estimate not to exceed five hundred twenty- five dollars for each schooj. thereof, and such additional sumi as may be necessary not exceeding five dollars for each person of school age for transporting children to and from schools; also such additional sum as may be authorized in section twenty-eight hundred twenty-five of the code." Sec. 10. That the law as it appears in section twenty : eight hundred twenty-five of the code be and the same is hereby amended by striking out the word "contingent" in line three (3) thereof and substituting the word "general", also by striking out the w T ord "contingent" in line five (5) thereof and substituting the word "general". Sec. 11. All funds on hand in the schoolhouse bond fund at the time of the taking effect of this act shall be transferred to the schoolhouse fund and all funds on hand in the teachers' fund and contingent fund on said date shall be transferred to the general fund of such corpora- tion. ' _4 — FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. CH. -223—37 G. A. House File No. 412. That section two thousand seven hundred eighty-one (2781) of the code, he and the same is hereby amended by inserting after the word "district" in line two, the words, "independent school district or school township." LAW FOR THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE, TRADES AND INDUSTRIES. CH. 300—37 G. A. House File No. 446. Section 1. That the provisions of the Act of Congress, enacted by the sixty-fifth congress at the second session thereof, entitled an "act to provide for the pi'omotion of vocational education; to provide for co-operation with the states in the promotion of such education in agri- culture and the trades and industries; to provide for co-operation with the states in the preparation of teachers of vocational subjects; and to appropriate money and regulate its expenditure", and approved Feb- ruary 23, 1917, be and the same is hereby accepted. Sec. 2 That the benefits of all funds appropriated under the provi- sions of such act are hereby accepted as provided in such act. Sec. 3. That the state board for vocational education is hereby designated as the state board as provided in such act, is charged with the duty and responsibility of co-operating with the Federal Board for Vocational Education in the administration of such act; and is given all power necessary to such co-operation. Sec. 4. That such state board is hereby authorized to make such expenditures for the salaries of assistants and for such office and other expenses as such state board may deem necessary to the proper administration of the funds allotted to the state of Iowa under the ministration of the funds allotted to the state of Iowa under the provisions of such act. Sec. 5. That the state treasurer is appointed as custodian of funds for vocational education, as provided in such act; and is charged with the duty and responsibility of receiving and providing for the proper custody and for the proper disbursements on vouchers drawn by such state board, of moneys paid to the state from the appropriations made under the provisions of such act. Sec. 6. That the state treasurer as custodian of funds for vocational education shall make to the general assembly, at each biennial session thereof, a report of the receipts and disbursements of moneys received by him under the provisions of such act and such state board shall make to the general assembly at each biennial session thereof a report of its administration of such act, and the expenditures of money allotted to the state under the provisions of such act. — 5 — Sec. 7. This act being deemed of immediate importance shall be in effect on and after its publication in the Des Moines Register, and the Des Moines Capital, newspapers published in Des Moines, Iowa. STATE BOARD OP VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. CH. 290—37 G. A. House File No. 445. Section 1. That the following words and phrases as used in this act shall have the following meanings: 1. 'Approved school, department or class" shall mean a school, de- partment or class approved by the state board for vocational education as entitled under the provisions of this act to federal moneys for the salaries of teachers of vocational subjects. 2. "Approved 'eachers' training school, department or class" shall mean a school, department or class approved by the state board for vocational education as entitled under the provisions of this act to federal moneys for the training of teachers of vocational subjects. Sec. 2. That a state board to be known as the state board for voca- tional education is hereby created. Such state board for vocational education shall consist of three members as follows: The state super- intendent of public instruction, who shall be chairman, the President of the State Board of Education, and the Commissioner of the bureau of labor statistics. Sec. 3. That such state board shall have the duty and be given all necessary power to provide for making studies and investigations re- lating to prevocational and vocational training in agricultural, indus- trial, home economics and commercial subjects; to promote and aid in the establishment of local communities of public schools, departments and classes giving instruction in such subjects; to co-operate with local communities in the maintenance of such schools, departments and classes; to establish standards for, test the qualifications of, and to certificate teachers of such subjects in such approved schools, depart- ments and classes; and to co-operate in the maintenance of teachers' training schools, departments and classes supported and controlled by the public for the training of teachers and supervisors of such subjects. Sec. 4. That such state board shall appoint a committee to be known as the state advisory committee for vocational education, consisting of nine members; three of these members to serve for one year, three for two years, and three for three years, and all members thereafter for three years each, The membership of such state advisory committee shall consist of one member experienced in agriculture, one employer, one representative of labor, one woman experienced in woman's work, one person experienced in business and commerce, one person of ex- perience in social work, and three educators. Such state advisory com- mittee shall meet in conference with such state board at least two times a year and at such other times as such state board shall deem advisable and shall have the duty and responsibility of giving advice and sug- — 6 — gestions to such state board concerning prevocational and vocational education, the training of teachers of agriculture, industrial, household arts and commercial subjects, and the administration of this act. The members of such state advisory committee shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in attending such conference. Sec. 5. That in order to meet the requirements that for each dollar of Federal money expended for the salaries of teachers in approved schools, departments and classes, the local community must expend an amount equal to the amount of Federal money which it receives for the same purpose for the same year. Sec. 6. That such board shall establish standards and annually in- spect, as a basis of approval, all schools, departments and classes ap- plying for Federal moneys for instruction in agriculture, industrial, home economics and commercial subjects under the provisions of this act; and all teachers' training schools, departments and classes apply- ing for Federal moneys for the training of teachers and supervisors of said subjects. Approved schools, departments and classes shall be entitled under the provisions of this act, to Federal moneys, and approved teachers' training schools, departments and classes shall be entitled to such Federal moneys, so long as they are approved by such board as to site, plant, equipment, number and qualification of teachers, employ- ment of teachers, admission and number of pupils, courses of study, methods of instruction and expenditure of money. All disbursements of Federal moneys to such approved schools, departments, and classes and to such approved teachers' training schools, departments and classes shall be made by the state treasurer on the requisition of such state board. Sec. 7. That the state superintendent of public instruction shall be the executive officer of such state board for the administration of this act. He shall, with the approval of such board, appoint such assistants as may be necessary to properly carry out the provisions of this act. Sec. 8. That the board of directors of any school district is hereby authorized to carry on prevocational and vocational instruction in agricultural, industrial, home economics, and commercial subjects and to pay the expense of such instruction in the same way as the expenses for other subjects in the public schools are now paid. Sec. 9. That the board of directors of any school district (having a population of more than 5,000 persons) maintaining a school, depart- ment or class receiving the benefit of Federal moneys under the provi- sions of this act shall, as a condition of approval by such state board as herein provided; appoint a local advisory committee for vocational education consisting of persons of experience in agriculture, industry, home economics or business to give advice and assistance to such board of directors in the establishment and maintenance of such schools, de- partments and classes. Such state board may require the board of directors of any school district that maintains such an approved school, department or class to appoint such an advisory committee. Such per- sons of experience shall serve on such advisory committee without com- pensation. Sec. 10. That such board is hereby authorized to make such expendi- ture for the actual expenses of the board and of such state advisory committee for vocational education incurred in the discharge of their duties as herein provided, for the salaries of assistants, and for such office and other expenses as in the judgment of such board are neces- sary to the proper administration of this act, and there is hereby ap- propriated out of any funds in the state treasury not otherwise appro- priated, the sum of $2,500 per annum for the actual expenses of said board of vocational education mentioned in this section. Sec. 11. That such board shall make to the general assembly at each biennial session thereof, a report on the administration of this act and on the expenditures of money under the provisions of this act. Sec. 12. That all acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. FREE TUITION IN HIGH SCHOOL. CH. 156—37 G. A. (Effective by publication April 16 ,1917.) House File No. 70. Section 1. That the law as it appears in section 2733-la Supple- mental Supplement to the Code, 1915, be and the same is hereby re- pealed and the following is enacted in lieu thereof: Any person of school age who is a resident of a school corporation which does not offer a four-year high school course and who has completed the course as approved by the department of public instruction for such corpora- tion shall be permitted to attend any public high school or county high school in the state approved in like manner that will receive him. Any person applying for admiission to any high school under the provisions of this act shall present the officials of said high school the affidavit of his or her father, mother, guardian, or if he have neither, his next friend that such applicant is of school age and a resident of a school district of this state, specifying the district. He shall also present a certificate signed by the county superintendent showing proficiency in the common school branches, reading, orthography, arithmetic, phy- siology, grammar, civics of Iowa, geography, United States history, pen- manship and music. The school corporation in which such student re- sides shall pay to the secretary of the corporation in which such student shall be permitted to enter a tuition fee of five dollars ($5.00) per month, but in districts in which there is a city of the first class a tuition fee of seven dollars ($7.00) per month may be charged, in the high school de- partment in the latter corporation during the time he so attends, not exceeding, however, a total period of four school years; provided that such tuition shall in no case exceed the average cost of said tuition in such high school; such payment to be made out of the teachers' fund and the contingent fund or out of the general fund of the debtor cor- poration and such tuition fee as collected by the secretary shall be turned over by him with an itemized statement, to the treasurer of the school funds on or before February fifteenth and June fifteenth of each year. If payment is refused or neglected the board of the creditor cor- poration shall file with the auditor of the county of the pupil's residence a statement certified by its president specifying the amount due for tuition and for contingent expenses respectively, and the time for which the same is claimed; and the auditor shall transmit to the county treas- urer an order directing such treasurer to transfer the amount of such account from the debtor corporation to the creditor corporation, and the treasurer shall pay the same in accordance therewith. No school cor- poration situated in a county maintaining a county high school shall be required to pay the tuition of pupils at any high school other than such county high school, but this shall not apply to pupils who, while residing at hoimie, attend some high school other than that of the school corporation in which they reside; and the tuition to be paid by school corporations in such county shall be three and one-half dollars ($3.50) per pupil per month, provided that, in counties having a high school where a child resides at home and attends a high school outside the dis- trict of his residence other than the county high school, and the school corporation where the child resides pays the tuition for such child, and at the end of the school year it is found that less pupils have at- tended the county high school from the district where such child re- sides than was entitled to attend under the county high school appor- tionment, then and in that case the school corporation where such child resides shall be entitled to be reimbursed from the county high school funds for the tuition so paid, not exceeding in the aggregate an amount equal to the taxes contributed by such district to said county high school funds for the tax year preceding, fair and equitable credit being given to the county high school fund for pupils actually attending said county high school during said school year from the district where said child resides. The county superintendent shall, on being applied to for such purpose, determine in writing the amount due such corporation from the county high school fund, and furnish such corporation with a copy of such finding. Within twenty days thereafter such corpora- tion may appeal to the district court from such finding. by serving written notice on the county superintendent of the taking of such ap- peal. On the service of said notice the county superintendent shall file a copy of his finding in the office of the clerk of the district court and the clerk shall docket the cause without fee. The matter shall be tried on appeal as in equity and without formal pleading. The decision of the district court shall be final. The treasurer shall, upon the filing with him of any final decision, immediately transfer from the county high school fund's to the credit of the corporation entitled to the same the amount directed to be transferred. Sec. 2. This act, being deemed of immediate importance, shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the Des Moines Register, a newspaper published in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Council Bluffs Nonpareil, a newspaper published in Council Bluffs, Iowa. — 9 FREE TEXT BOOKS— QUESTION SUBMITTED. CH. 56—37 G. A. House File No. 49. Section 1. That section twenty-eight hundred and thirty-six (2836) of the code be amended by striking out in the second line thereof fol- lowing the word "by" the words "one-third or more of the legal" and in- serting in lieu thereof the words "ten per cent of the qualified." PUBLIC EVENING SCHOOLS. CH. 97—37 G. A. Senate File No. 368. Section 1. The school board of any organized school district within the state is hereby authorized and empowered under the control and supervision of the city or county superintendent to establish and main- tain public evening schools as a branch of the public schools when said school board shall deem advisable for the public convenience and wel- fare, and said evening schools shall be available to all persons over six- teen (16) years of age, who from any cause are unable to attend the public day schools of such district. Sec. 2. "Whenever in any organized school district within the state there shall be residing ten or more persons over sixteen (16) years of age who desire instruction at an evening school in the common branches, it shall be the duty of the school board of such organized school district to establish and maintain an evening school for such instruction throughout a period of not less than three months of every school year and for not less than two hours at least two times each week during the term of such evening school, which school shall be under the control and supervision of the city or county superintendent. - CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS— PETITION. CH. 432—37 G. A. Senate File No. 579. Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: Section 1. That section twenty-seven hundred ninety-four-a (2794-a) of the supplemental supplement to the code, 1915, be and the same is hereby amended by striking therefrom subdivision "A" thereof and in- serting the following in lieu thereof: "When a petition describing the boundaries of contiguous territory, containing not less than sixteen sections within one or more counties is signed by one-third of the elec- tors residing in such territory, and filed with the county superintendent, or if the proposed consolidated district is made up of a part of two or more counties, then with the county superintendent of the county in which the greatest number of freeholders in the proposed district reside. The county superintendent with whom such petition is filed, shall fix -- 10 — a time not less than five nor more than fifteen days thereafter at which time written objections to the proposed boundaries of the proposed consolidated district may be filed with such county superintendent by any person residing or owning land within such proposed boundaries or any person living in any sub-district, a part of which is included in such proposed consolidated district. Notice of. the time and place shall be given in a newspaper published in such proposed consolidated dis- trict if there be such paper, and if there be none, then such notice shall be published in the official papers of the county in which the county superintendent giving such notice shall reside. At the time and place so fixed, all objections to said proposed bounda- ries then filed shall be heard by such county superintendent upon their merits, after which hearing, the said county superintendent shall fix and determine the boundaries of the proposed consolidated district. The ruling upon such objections and fixing of boundaries shall be made in writing within five days after the same have been finally submitted. Any person having filed such objections and being aggrieved by the ruling of the county superintendent may appeal therefrom to the county board of education within five days after the ruling is filed by the county superintendent and shall serve notice on said county superin- tendent. When the county superintendent is notified that an appeal has been taken from the ruling, such county superintendent shall within five days thereafter file with the county board of education all of the original papers together with the transcript of the proceedings before the county superintendent. When the time for taking such appeal has expired, the county board of education shall fix a time not later than ten days thereafter when all such appeals shall be heard; the persons taking such appeal shall serve notice thereof upon the persons or school cor- porations in interest by posting notices in five conspicuous places in said proposed district giving at least five days' notice of the time and place where such appeal will be heard. The county board of education shall determine such appeal within three days after the submission thereof, which decision shall be final as to said boundaries. If no objections be filed, or if, after final hearing, the objections are not sustained, and the said petition is approved, it shall be the duty of said board of directors within ten days, to call an election in the pro- posed consolidated district, notice of which shall be given by publica- tion in one issue of some paper published in the proposed consolidated district if one is so published. If there be no such paper, the notice shall be published in one issue of the official papers of the county or counties in which the proposed consolidated district is located, at which election all voters residing in the proposed consolidated district shall be entitled to vote by ballot for or against such separate organization. When it is proposed to include in such district a school corporation containing a city, town or village with a population of one hundred or more inhabitants, the voters residing upon the territory outside the limits of the said school corporation shall vote separately upon the proposition to create such new district. The judges of said election shall provide separate ballot boxes in which shall be deposited the votes — 11 — cast by the voters from their respective territory, and if a majority of the votes cast by the electors residing either within or without the limits of such city, town or village, is against the proposition to form a consolidated independent corporation, then the proposed corporation shall not be formed. If a majority of the votes so cast in each territory shall be in favor of such independent organization, the organization of the proposed consolidated independent school corporation shall be com- pleted by the election of a board of directors for said school corporation, as provided in section twenty-seven hundred ninety-five of the code, and when so organized shall not be reduced to less than sixteen sections un- less dissolved as provided by this act. No remaining portion of any school corporation from which territory is taken to form such a consolidated independent corporation shall, after the change, contain less than four government sections, which territory shall be contiguous and so situated as to form a suitable cor- poration. In the formation of such consolidated school corporation the boundary lines shall conform to those of corporations or district already established, so far as practicable, and in case the boundary of such dis- trict be a public highway, then the said consolidated district may include such tracts of 160 acres or less as are contiguous to the said highway and the county superintendent after a full and fair hearing gives his approval. And where after the formation of such consolidated school corporation, there is left in any school township one or more pieces of territory containing four or more government sections, each of such pieces of territory shall thereof become a rural independent school corporation, unless two or more sub-districts remain in a con- tiguous body, in which event such remaining portion of territory shall constitute a school township, and it shall be the duty of the officers of the former school township to call an election in each of such re- maining pieces of territory for the purpose of electing school officers in the manner provided by law for the election of officers in rural inde- pendent school and school township organizations. All costs incurred shall be paid by the school district in which such consolidation is proposed." By inserting after the comma in line six (6) of sub-division "e" thereof the following "or for the building of a superintendent's and teachers' house" and also by striking from line sixteen (16) of said sub- division "e" the word "incorporated" and also by inserting after the comma following the word "village" in said line sixteen (16) the fol- lowing "or upon lands contiguous to- such limits." Sec. 2. This act shall not affect, or be construed to affect action now pending in the formation of any consolidated school district. PUBLIC SCHOOL CORPORATIONS MAY MAINTAIN SCHOOLS FOR BLIND AND DEAF. CH. 308—37 G. A. Senate File No. 331. Section. 1. Any school corporation having residing therein five or more blind children of school age shall have authority to provide one — 12 — or more instructors to provide instruction for such blind pupils sub- stantially equivalent to the work required in the first eight grades of the graded schools. Such course of instruction and instructors to be approved by the superintendent of public instruction. Sec. 2. Any school corporation having residing therein five or more deaf children of school age shall have authority to provide one or more instructors to provide instructions for such deaf pupils substantially equivalent to the work required in the first eight grades of the graded schools. Such course of instruction and instructors to be approved by the superintendent of public instruction. Sec. 3. State aid, in the sum of one hundred dollars per year for each such blind or deaf pupil receiving instruction in any such school cor- poration, is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the state treasury not otherwise appropriated, the same to be paid to the treasurer of the school corporation at the end of each school year; provided, however, that to be entitled to such state aid such instruction shall be given for a period of at least ten school months each year. Sec. 4. To be entitled to such state aid the courses and methods of instruction must comply with such requirements as may be outlined by the superintendent of public instruction and shall include every modern method of instruction known to the professions. SCHOOL FUNDING BONDS, CH. 262—37 G. A. (Effective by publication May 1, 1917) Senate File No. 325. Section 1. That the law appearing as section 2812-c of the supple- ment to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby repealed and the fol- lowing enacted in lieu thereof: "For the purpose of providing for the payment of any indebtedness of any school corporation represented by judgments or bonds, the board of directors of such school corporation at any time or times may provide by resolution for the issuance of bonds of such school corporation to be known as funding or refunding bonds. The proceeds derived from the negotiation of such funding or refunding bonds shall be applied in pay- ment of such indebtedness; or said funding bonds or refunding bonds may be issued in exchange for the evidence of such indebtedness, par for par." Sec. 2. All bonds which have been heretofore issued under chapter one hundred fift3 r -two. (152) of the laws of the thirty-second (32d) gen- eral assembly of Iowa and which are subject to the objection that they were issued to refund bonds which has been issued subsequent to the adoption of said chapter one hundred fifty-two (152), are hereby legal- ized in respect to said objection, the same in effect as if the bonds re- funded had been issued prior to the adoption of said chapter one hun- dred fifty-two (152). Sec. 3. Nothing in this act shall affect any pending litigation. Sec. 4. This act, being deemed of immediate importance, shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the Des Moines — 13 — Register and in the Des Moines Capital, newspapers published at Des Moines, Iowa. RETIREMENT FUND. CH. 387—37 G. A. Senate File No. 298. Section 1. Any independent school district having a population of seventy-five thousand (75,000) or more >miay establish a pension and annuity retirement system for the public school teachers of such district. Sec. 2. The fund for such retirement system shall be created by an annual tax not exceeding two-tenths (2/10) of a mill on the dollar, by an assessment of the teachers not exceeding one per cent of their sal- aries in any one year, and by the interest on any permanent fund which may be created by gilt, bequest or otherwise. . Sec. 3. The board of directors of the independent school district shall constitute the board of trustees and shall formulate the plan of the retirement; and shall make necessary rules and regulations for the operation of said retirement system. TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE, MANUAL TRAINING AND DOMES- TIC SCIENCE IN RURAL SCHOOLS. CH. 319—37 G. A. Senate Fllf No. 238. Section 1. That the law as it appears in section twenty-seven hun- dred seventy-five-a (2775-a) of the supplemental supplement to the code, 1915, be and the same is hereby amended by adding after the period at the end of said sections the following: Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall prevent the board of directors from dispensing with the teaching of said subjects in rural schools at its discretion. SCHOOL HOUSE SITES— ACQUISITION. CH. 26—37 G. A. (Effective by publication March 12, 1917.) Sexate File No. 63. Section 1. That section two thousand eight hundred and fourteen (2814) of the supplement to the code, 1913, be and the same is hereby repealed and the following enacted as a substitute therefor: Any school corporation may take and hold so much real estate as rniay be required for school house sites, for the location or construction thereon of school houses, and the convenient use thereof, but not to ex- ceed two acres exclusive of public highway, except in a city, town or village it may include two blocks exclusive of the street or highway as the case may be, for any one site, and may