Chap. 81.—An ACT authorizing the Division of School Districts into
Sub-Districts, and to provide for the Management uf the Public
Schools therein.

Approved February 5, 1875.

_ 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
_ the county school board of any county may, whenever they
may deem best, lay off any school district in their county
nto sub-districts, one division to be made for white, and an-
ther for colored schools, which sub-districts shall be num-
yered and named by the said board. Said sub-district shall
pe laid off in contemplation of establishing one permanent
public school in a convenient place therein, and located as
near the centre thereof as practicable. The boundaries
thereof, as well as any changes thereafter made, shall be
determined by a two-thirds’ vote of the members of said
board present. Said sub-districts shall be laid off with refer-
ence to the present and future convenienco of all portions of
the district sub-divided.

2. Whenever it is found necessary for the convenience of
the people, a sub-district may be formed, to include portions
of two or more school districts. In the same manner, a sub-
district may be formed to include portions pf two or more
counties, by the consent of the respective county boards. The
site of a school-hounse for a sub-district thus formed, shall be
selected by the joint action of the boards of district. school
trustees of the districts interested. And when such site has
been thus determined, all of said sub-districts shall be per-
manently attached, for public school purposes, to the dis-
tricts and counties in which the school-house site of said sub-
district is situated.

3. It shall be the duty of such officer as may be required
to take the census of all persons between the ages of five
and twenty-one years, to report the number of children
within his county or district in each sub-district or frac-
tional sub-district therein, to thea county superintendent of
schools. It shall be the duty of the county superintendent
of schools to furnish to the county treasurer a complete list
of all the districts and sub-districts in his county, with the
school population of each; and where any sub-district is
composed of portions of two or more counties, to the county
treasurer of each of said counties, a list of the school popu-
lation of that fractional sub-district lying within the county
in which such superintendent resides. It shall be the duty
of each county treasurer to open a separate account with
each sub-district and fractional sub-district; and he shall
place to the credit of each its proportion of the state, county,
and district funds in the ratio of the school population in
each, and shall pay out the same upon the warrant of the
district school board. Said warrants shall always state the
name and the number of the sub-district and fractional sub-
district upon whose account the same is drawn, and under
no circumstances shall the county or district funds belonging
to one sub-district or fractional sub-district be drawn to pay
the expenses of another.

4. In any sub-district, where the school funds are insuffi-
cient to run the school the length of time prescribed by the
board of education without being supplemented from other
sources, authority is hereby granted to, and it shall be the
duty of, the district school trustees, to adjust the time for the
continuance of the school in that particular sub-district, to
the school funds apportioned to the said sub-district.

5. In any of the schools of the sub-districts herein pro-
vided for, it shall be lawful for the county school board to
fix the minimum average attendance of pupils at ten, when
in their judgment the interest of public education may be
promoted thereby. )

6. It shall be the duty of the state board of education to
adopt any necessary regulations for carrying the provisions
of this act into effect.

7. This act shall be in force from its passage.