Chap. 412.—An ACT to provide (in certain cases) for the compulsory at-
tendance of children between the ages of eight and twelve years upon
the publie schools of Virginia and to repeal an act entitled an act te
provide (in certain cases) for the compulsory attendance of children
between the ages of eight and twelve years upon the publie schools of
Virginia, and providing penalties for failure, and designating the manner
of collecting such penalties, approved March 14, 1908. [H B 6]

Approved March 27, 1918.

1, Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
every parent, guardian or other person having charge or control of
any child between the ages of eight and twelve years, shall be re-
quired to send such child to a public school of this Commonwealth
for at least sixteen weeks in each school year, which attendance shall
commence at the beginning of the school term, unless otherwise or-
dered by the district school board, and shall be as nearly continuous
and consecutive as conditions will permit, provided, however, that
this act shall not apply in the case of any child weak in body or mind,
able to read and write or attending a private school, or living more
than two miles by the usually traveled route from the nearest public
school, or more than one mile from the line of an established public
free wagon route, or excused for cause by the district. school trustees.

92. Each district. school board in the State shall, within fifteen
days after the schools open in the fall, ascertain the condition of
all children between the ages of eight and twelve who are not in
attendance upon any public school, and shall report all violations
of this act to the division superintendent, who shall at once proceed
to prosecute each and every offense.

3. In all cases of non-enrollment and non-attendance reported
to him, the division superintendent shall make a careful investiga-
tion of the facts in the case, and where no valid reason for non-en-
rollment and non-attendance is found, he shall give written notice
to the parent, guardian. or other person having control of the child,
and in the event of the absence of the parent, or guardian or other
person having control of the child from his or her usual place of
residence, the division superintendent shall leave a copy of the
notice with some person over twelve years of age residing at the
usual place of residence of such parent, guardian, or other person
having control of such child with instructions to hand such notice
to such parent, guardian, or other person having control of such
child which notice shall require the attendance of such child at the
school therein named, within seven days from the date of said no-
tice.

4. If within seven days from the date of the service of the notice,
as aforesaid, the parent, guardian, or other person having control
of such child does not comply with the provisions of this act. then
the division superintendent shall make complaint in the name of the
Commonwealth of Virginia before a justice of the peace or a police
justice of the district or city in which such parent, guardian, or
other person having control of such child resides, or complaint may
be made in the corporation or circuit court of the city or county in
which such parent, guardian, or other person having control of
such child resides, which officers and courts are hereby clothed with
jurisdiction over all offenses and the proceedings under this act
with full power to hear and try all complaints, impose fines, penal-
ties and fully execute the provisions of this act.

5. Any parent, guardian, or other person who fails to comply
withwith the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty dollars for each
offense. Such fine shall be collected as other fines imposed in the
name of the Commonwealth of Virginia are collected.

6. The clerk of the district school board in each district shall
report to the division superintendent every offense against the pro-
visions of this act when a member of the district school board, or
any citizen of the district in which the offending party resides files
with him an affidavit setting forth the facts constituting the offense
and if he neglect to do so within fifteen days after such affidavit is
filed, he shal] be liable to a fine of not less than five nor more than
ten dollars for each case of such neglect, to be collected in the name
of the Commonwealth before any court of competent jurisdiction by
any person feeling agerieved thereby.

7. Two weeks’ attendance at half time or night school shall be
considered within the meaning of this act equivalent to an attend-
ance of one week at a day school.

8. The school board of any city shall have the right, in its dis-
cretion, to appoint a truant or attendance officer to perform in said
city the duties required of the clerk of the district school board and
division superintendent in the counties, which officer so appointed
shall in his city, have all of the rights and perform all of the duties
prescribed for the clerk of the district school board and division su-
perintendent in counties, as aforesaid; and in case no truant or at-
tendance officer is appointed in any city, as aforesaid, the rights and
duties prescribed for the clerk of the district school board and di-
vision superintendent in counties shall in such cities devolve upon
and be performed by the clerk of the city school board and division
superintendent.

Be it further enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
an act entitled an act to provide (in certain cases). for the compul-
sory attendance of children between the ages of eight and twelve
years upon the public schools of Virginia and providing penalties
for failure and designating the manner of collecting such penalties,
approved March fourteenth, nineteen hundred and eight, be and the
same is hereby repealed.