Chap. 139.—An ACT to provide for the holding of elections in the New-
castle school district of Craig county, Virginia, on the question of the
issuance of bonds for the purpose of acquiring buildings and building
sites, and erecting or repairing and furnishing school buildings in such
district; to provide for the issuance and sale of said bonds in accordance
with said elections; and to provide for the levying of a tax for the
purpose of paying the interest on said bonds and to create a sinking
fund for the payment of the principal thereof at maturity. [S B 148]

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Approved March 10, 1926.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That when-
ever the county school board of Craig county shall, by resolution duly
spread upon the minutes of the proceedings of such board, declare
that an additional schoolhouse or schoolhouses are necessary to pro-
vide additional public school facilities for the children of school age
in Newcastle school district in said county, and the school funds will
not be sufficient to provide such additional school building or buildings,
and to furnish the same, the county school board may, when author-
ized by a vote of a majority of the qualified voters of such district
voting, as hereinafter provided, borrow money for the purpose of pur-
chasing buildings or building sites and of erecting or repairing a school-
house or houses thereon and of furnishing the same, and may issue
either registered or coupon bonds for the sums of money so borrowed;
the said bonds to be payable at a period not exceeding thirty years
after their date, and to be made redeemable at the option of such
school board at such time after their date as may be specified in the
bonds, and such bonds shall bear interest at a rate not exceeding six
per centum per annum, payable either annually or semi-annually as
the school board may prescribe; but no such bonds shall be sold for
less than their par value.

2. The said bonds shall be of such form and denomination as the
county school board of Craig county, by resolution spread upon the
minutes of the board, may prescribe, and shall be signed by the
chairman and attested by the clerk of the board, and they shall be
a lien upon all the property in such district for the payment of the
principal thereof, and the interest to accrue thereon.

3. The proceeds realized from the sale of any bonds issued under
the provisions of this act shall not be used for any other purpose than
that of purchasing buildings, building sites, and erecting or repairing
school buildings and furnishing the same as may be set forth in the
petition for the election; provided, however, that the county school
board shall have authority by and with the approval of the circuit
court to employ counsel to represent and advise them concerning any
matters that may arise in connection with such bonds, and to pay
such counsel a reasonable fee therefor, out of the funds derived from
the sale of such bonds.

4. When a resolution of the county school board shall be certi-
fied to the circuit court of the county, or the judge thereof in vacation,
or upon a petition of one-fourth of the duly qualified voters of the
school district proposing to issue such bonds, together with the loca-
tion of the schoolhouse or houses to be erected, repaired or pur-
chased, with the general plans, specifications, and. estimated cost
thereof, approved by the division school superintendent, the said
court, or judge thereof in vacation, shall order a special election to
be held in such district at such time and after such notice (which shall
not be less than two weeks), as the court may prescribe by order en-
tered upon its minutes, to pass upon the questions whether such bonds
shall be issued or not, for the amount recommended by the school
board, or requested in such petition. And the clerk of the court
shall give the notice required by the court of such special election by
publication in some newspaper of the county, and by having the same
posted by the sheriff of the county in at least five conspicuous points
in said school district, which said notice shall state the amount of
bonds to be issued, the purpose of the proposed issue thereof, and the
estimated cost of the school building or buildings. The clerk and the
sheriff of the county shall each receive for their services hereunder
two dollars, to be paid out of the county treasury.

5. The electoral board shall prepare the tickets and shall provide
all other necessary details for such special election, and the board of
supervisors shall pay the expense thereof out of the funds of the
county, and any such election shall be conducted and held in like man-
ner as regular elections, and the laws of the State applying to general
elections shall apply to such special election, except as otherwise pro-
vided in this act, and the judges and clerks of the regular elections in
said district shall be the judges and clerks in such special election, and
shall receive the same compensation; and voting precincts in such
district for general elections shall also be the same for such special
election. At such election each qualified voter who shall approve
such issue of bonds shall deposit a ticket or ballot on which shall be
written the words ‘‘For bond issue,’’ and each qualified voter who
shall oppose such issue of bonds shall deposit a ticket or ballot on
which shall be written the words ‘‘Against bond issue.”’

6. The judges and clerks of such special election shall canvass
the vote and certify the same to the county clerk in the same manner
as required by law in general elections, and on the second day follow-
ing such special election it shall be the duty of the county clerk, the
Commonwealth’s attorney, and the commissioner of revenue, who
are hereby constituted a board of canvassers for that purpose, to
meet in the clerk’s office of said county and to canvass the returns of
such special election, and to certify the results ascertained by them
to the judge of the circuit court of said county, who shall have the
same spread upon the common law order book of his court, and to the
school board of said county, who shall spread the same upon the min-
utes of said board, and when this shall have been done, if no notice of
contest of said election shall have been filed within ten days after said
election, the certificates of the canvassing board hereby created, shall
be conclusive of the legality and regularity of said special election and
of the result thereof.

7. All registered voters of said school district who were qualified
by law to vote in the last preceding general election shall be qualified
to vote in any such special election.

8. The said bonds shall have written or printed on them the fol-
lowing sentences:

‘These bonds are issued for school improvements in Newcastle
district, but the full faith and credit of the entire county of Craig is
hereby pledged for their payment, and a tax is to be levied upon the
property subject to local taxation in said district to pay the interest
on them and to create a sinking fund sufficient in amount to pay them
upon maturity. The board of supervisors shall annually levy a
special tax not to exceed fifty cents on each one hundred dollars as-
sessed valuation on all the property subject to local taxation in such
district sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds so authorized and
to create a sinking fund for the payment of the principal at maturity,
such sinking fund shall be invested in the bonds hereby authorized,
or in such other securities as the said school board may, with the
approval of the division superintendent of schools for said county
select. The board of supervisors are hereby authorized and required
to lay the first annual special district levy to provide for the interest
and sinking fund for such bonds, on or before April thirtieth, nineteen
hundred and twenty-six, and to become effective only in the event the
bond issue election provided in this act shall be favorably voted.

9. Pupils of the Newcastle district shall be admitted without
tuition charge to the school established in accordance with this act.
Pupils from the other school districts of Craig county shall be admitted
to said school on the payment of a tuition charge not to exceed the
actual per capita cost of instruction; cost of instruction in the elemen-
tary grades and in the high school grades to be separately estimated;
provided, however, that said tuition charge may be paid by the
county school board out of any school fund at its disposal for the oper-
ation and maintenance of the school at Newcastle.

10. The said school board shall annually report to the board of
supervisors of the county the amount and condition of the sinking fund.

11. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its pas-
sage. |