Chap. 207.—An ACT to amend and reenact Section 653-a 1 of the Code of
Virginia, as amended, relating to school trustee electoral boards and county
school boards, so as to permit additional compensation for certain ony 3]

Approved March 12, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section six hundred fifty-three-a one of the Code of
Virginia, as amended, be amended and reenacted as follows:

Section 653-a 1. In each county there shall be a board, to
be known as the school trustee electoral board, which shall be com-
posed of three resident qualified voters, who are not county or
State officers, to be appointed by the circuit court of each county,
or the judge in vacation, within thirty days after the first day of
July, nineteen hundred thirty, and every four years thereafter.
The members of the trustee electoral board shall each receive a
per diem of two dollars for each day actually employed, to be
paid out of the county school fund. Any vacancy occurring within
the term of the appointees shall be filled by the circuit court, or by
the judge in vacation, within thirty days thereafter. The county
school board shall consist of one member appointed from each
school district in the county by the school trustee electoral board,
provided that in towns constituting separate school districts and
operated by a school board of three members, one of the members
shall be designated annually by the town board as a member of
the county school board. The members of the county school board
from the several districts shall have no organization and duties
except such as may be assigned to them by the school board as
a whole. Before any appointment is made by the electoral board it
shall give notice, by publication for two successive weeks, in a
newspaper having general circulation in such county of the time
and place of any meeting for the purpose of appointing the members
of the county school board.

The members so appointed shall constitute the county school
board, and every such board is hereby declared a body corporate,
under the style of the county school board of county, and may, in
its corporate capacity, sue or be sued, contract or be contracted
with and, in general, is vested with all the powers, and charged
with all the duties, obligations and responsibilities imposed upon
such board as such by law. The members of the county school board
shall be appointed within sixty days prior to July first, nineteen
hundred forty-four, such appointments shall be for terms as fol-
lows: if there be three members, one shall be appointed for a term
of two years, one for a term of three years, and one for a term of
four years; if there be four members, one shall be appointed for
a term of one year, one for a term of two years, one for a term of
three years, and one for a term of four years; if there be more than
four members, one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one for
a term of two years, one for a term of three years, and one for a
term of four years, and the remaining members shall be appointed
for the longest terms possible, not exceeding four years, which
will result in having the terms of the least possible number of
members expire in any one year. Within sixty days prior to the
first day of July in each and every year thereafter, the school trustee
electoral board of each county, shall appoint for terms of four years
beginning the first day of July next following their appointment,
successors to the members of the county school boards of their
respective counties, whose terms of office expire on the thirtieth
day of June in each such year. Vacancies occurring in the member-
ship of the county school board of any county shall be filled
for the unexpired term, by the school trustee electoral board of
such county. The present trustee electoral boards and county
school boards now in office, shall continue to hold office until their
successors have been appointed and qualified. All of such school
trustees shall qualify before the county clerk, by taking the oath
prescribed for State officers. The county school board may in
its discretion pay each of its members an annual salary not exceed-
ing one hundred eighty dollars, payable in equal monthly install-
ments, and mileage to each member for each day he is in attend-
ance upon meetings of the board, not to exceed five cents per mile
for each mile of travel by the most direct route in going to and
returning from the place of meeting. Provided that the county
school board of any county may in its discretion, pay to any
members of such board who serve on the committee for control
of any joint school established under the provisions of section six
hundred seventy an additional amount not in excess of ninety
dollars per annum. Such salary and mileage shall be paid as other
school expenses are paid.

Provided that in counties adjacent to cities having, according
to the last preceding United States census, a population of one
hundred thousand or more, and in counties having a density of
population of more than five hundred per square mile, the county
school board may pay each of its members an annual salary of
three hundred dollars, payable in equal monthly installments, and
in each county having a population in excess of forty thousand and
having eight or more magisterial districts, the county school board
may pay each of its members a maximum annual salary of three
hundred dollars in equal monthly installments; and provided
further, that in cities having a population of not less than eighteen
thousand nor more than twenty-three thousand, and in cities
having a population of not less than thirty thousand nor more than
thirty-five thousand, in each case according to the United States
census latest preceding, the school board may provide and pay
a per diem not exceeding ten dollars to each member for each
day he is in attendance upon meetings of the board, not to exceed
twenty-four days in any one year.