Chap. 40.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 672, as heretofore amended,
of the Code of Virginia, relating to the establishment and conduct of public
high schools and their supervision by the State Board of Education, and the
payment of tuition and other charges in such schools. [H B 104]

Approved February 17, 1942

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
six hundred and seventy-two of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore
amended, be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 672. High schools; establishment and maintenance; stand-
ards; tuition; and other charges——(a) It shall be lawful for county
school boards or the school boards of counties and cities, to establish and
maintain public high schools at such places as may be both most conveni-
ent for the pupils to attend, and most suitable for the purposes of such
schools, provided the establishment of such high schools or the teaching of
such high school branches shall not be allowed to interfere with the regular
and efficient instruction in the elementary branches.

(b) <A high school may be conducted either in a separate building
or in the same building in which elementary grades are taught. The State
Board of Education shall prescribe rules and regulations governing the
conduct of high schools, and shall also prescribe requirements for admis-
sion, and the conditions on which properly prepared pupils may attend
such schools.

(c) The State Board of Education shall provide for the inspection
of high schools by a competent person, or persons, and shall see to it that
the high schools conform to the standards prescribed by such board.

(d) No tuition shall be charged for pupils attending high school ;
provided that county and city school boards may charge, under regula-
tions prescribed by the State Board of Education, tuition for pupils from
one county, or city, attending high school in some other county, or city,
and that the school boards of the cities of Norfolk and Hampton and the
town of Lexington may charge, under regulations prescribed by the State
Board of Education, tuition for pupils attending high schools therein, and
that the school board of a town constituting a separate school district and
operated by a school board may charge, under regulations prescribed by
the State Board of Education, tuition for pupils from any district of the
county or from another county attending high school in said town, pro-
vided such charge shall, in no case, exceed the actual per capita cost for
instruction and maintenance in the high school department. Except in the
special town school districts preserved under the provisions of section six
hundred and fifty-three, no laboratory or other special fees, or charges of
any kind, for school supplies or materials, other than library fees and
examination paper, pens, pencils and ink, shall be levied or collected from
resident pupils entitled to attend either primary, grade or high school of
the public school system, by any city, county or town school board, city or
town council or board of supervisors, or the State Board of Education or
any person employed in such school, nor shall any such fees be charged
for entrance, admission or attendance upon the class of any subject taught
in such schools; provided, however, nothing herein shall be construed to
prevent the collection of class dues or assessments charged for voluntary
student activities, tuition and fees incident to attendance on night schools,
post-graduate classes, classes in vocational or manual training, summer
schools, or to any city or county having a system of the rental of school
books to pupils of such schools, or any class or course outside of, or addi-
tional to, the regular course of study required for a high school certificate,
but no pupil’s scholastic report card or diploma shall be withheld because
of non-payment of any such voluntary dues or assessments, or any fee or
charge herein permitted, and, provided further however, that these pro-
visions as to special fees and charges shall not apply to any city or county
furnishing free textbooks to other than indigent pupils; provided, how-
ever, nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the school board
of any county, city or town from renting books, supplies and materials to
the pupils of any school within the jurisdiction of said board, and pro-
vided, further, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent
school boards from purchasing textbooks or bookkeeping, art, manual
training, and other consumable supplies at wholesale rates and selling
such books and supplies to pupils at cost; and provided further that each
pupil shall be required to reimburse the school for any actual breakage or
destruction of property done by such pupil in pursuit of his studies ; and
provided further, that a deposit of such sum of money as may be reason-
ably necessary for such purpose may be required of any pupil using labor-
atory or library material, equipment or supplies, which deposit, after de-
ducting therefrom any loss of or damages to such material, equipment or
supplies, caused by such pupil or pupils, shall be returned to the pupils at
the completion of the year or term as the case may be.