Chapter 140. To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 140.— An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. February 4, 1925.[[S. 2842](/us/bill/68/s/2842).][[Public, No. 361](/us/pl/68/361).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * District of Columbia.Compulsory school attendance. Article I.— Compulsory School Attendance. Section 1. Resident children of 7 to 16 to have instruction during school year.
Every parent, guardian, or other person residing permanently or temporarily in the District of Columbia who has custody or control of a child between the ages of seven and sixteen years shall cause said child to be regularly instructed in a public school or in a private or parochial school or instructed privately during the period of each year in which the public schools *Proviso*.Private instruction accepted.of the District of Columbia are in session: *Provided*, That instruction given in such private or parochial school, or privately, is deemed equivalent by the Board of Education to the instruction given in the public schools.
Sec. 2. Excused for employment after completing 8th grade, etc. Any child between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years who has completed satisfactorily the eighth-grade course of study prescribed for the public elementary schools of the District of Columbia, or a course of study deemed by the Board of Education equivalent thereto, may be excused by the superintendent of schools from further attendance at school under the provisions of this Act, provided he is actually, lawfully, and regularly employed.
Sec. 3. Certificate if mentally or physically unfit. The Board of Education of the District of Columbia may issue a certificate excusing from attendance at school a child who, upon examination ordered by such board, is found to be unable mentally *Proviso*.Special instruction to be provided.or physically to profit from attendance at school: *Provided, however*, That if such examination shows that such child may benefit from specialized instruction adapted to his needs, he shall attend upon such instruction.
Sec. 4. Absence without valid excuse unlawful. The Board of Education shall define in its rules and regulations valid excuses for absence from school, and the absence of a child between the ages of seven and sixteen years for any reason other than so defined as valid shall be unlawful. Sec. 5. Daily record of attendance to be kept by teachers. An accurate daily record of the attendance of all children between the ages of seven and sixteen years shall be kept by the teachers of every public, private, or parochial school and by every Inspection, etc.teacher giving instruction privately.
Such record shall at all times 807be open to the school-attendance officers or other persons authorized to enforce this Act, who may inspect and copy the same. Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of every principal or head teacher of Designated absence in a month to be reported.every public, private, or parochial school, or private teacher to report to the department of school attendance and work permits the name and address of any child between the ages of seven and sixteen years enrolled in his school whenever such child has been absent from school two day sessions or four one-half day sessions or more in any school month, together with the reason for such absence as far as known.
Sec. 7. The parent, guardian, or other person residing permanently Failure of parent, etc., to keep child at school, etc., a misdemeanor.or temporarily in the District of Columbia and having charge or control of any child between the ages of seven and sixteen years who is unlawfully absent from public or private school or private instruction shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction of failure to keep such child regularly in public or private school or to cause it to be regularly instructed in private, shall be punished Punishment for.by a fine of $10 or by commitment to jail for five days, or by both, at the discretion of the court: *Provided*, That each two days such *Provisos.*Each two days’ absence a separate offense.First offenses.child remains away from school unlawfully shall constitute a separate offense: *Provided further*, That upon conviction of the first offense, sentence may, upon payment of costs, be suspended and the defend-ant placed on probation.
Article II.—School census. School Census. Section 1. That it shall be the duty of the director of school Annual census of all resident children between 3 and 18, to be made.attendance and work permits, under instruction of the superintendent of schools, approved by the Board of Education, to cause to be made a complete census of all children between the ages of three and eighteen years permanently or temporarily residing in the District of Columbia, and annually thereafter or as frequently as may be found necessary or desirable.
Such census shall be amended from Daily record of changes, etc.day to day as changes of residence occur among children within the ages prescribed in this Act, and as other persons come within the ages prescribed, and as other persons within such ages shall become residents of the District. The record of such enumeration of children Details of enumeration record.shall give the full name, address, race, sex, and date and place of birth of every such child, the school attended by him, and if the child is not at school the name and address of his employer, if any, and the name, address, and occupation of the parents or guardian.
Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the principal or head teacher of Teachers to report all enrollments and withdrawals.every public, private, or parochial school or private teacher, in accordance with the rules adopted by the Board of Education, to report to the director of the department of school attendance and work permits the name, address, sex, age, and race of every child under eighteen years of age residing permanently or temporarily in the District of Columbia who enrolls in or withdraws from his school.
Sec. 3. Any parent, guardian, custodian, principal, or teacher of Refusal to give required information, etc., a misdemeanor.a child between the ages of three and eighteen who willfully neglects or refuses to provide the information required by this Act, or who knowingly makes any false or untrue statement, shall be guilty of a Punishment for.misdemeanor and on conviction shall be punished by a fine of $10 or by commitment to jail for five days, or by both, at the discretion of the court.
Article III.—Administration. Administration. Section 1. The Board of Education is hereby authorized to consolidate Department of school attendance and work permits created under Board of Education.the administrative duties incident to the enforcement of the provisions of this Act and of the Act to regulate child labor under 808a single division to be known as the department of school attendance and work permits. Sec. 2. Director of departments, etc., to be appointed by the Board.
The Board of Education is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to appoint a director of said department whose rank shall correspond to that of other directors who serve as officers of the Board of Education, and who shall be paid the same salary as said directors, and who shall be known as the director of the department of school attendance and work permits, and also to appoint such a number of attendance officers, inspectors, clerks, and other assistants as shall be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Competitive examinations for appointments.Such appointments, other than that of the director of said department and clerks, shall be made from a list of applicants obtained from open competitive examinations conducted by the respective boards of examiners of the Board of Education, and designed to test the fitness of the applicants for the duties to be performed. Sec. 3. Juvenile court given jurisdiction. That the juvenile court of the District of Columbia is hereby given jurisdiction in all cases arising from this Act.
Sec. 4. Former Act, etc., repealed.Vol. 34, p. 219, repealed. The Act of Congress approved June 8, 1906, entitled “An Act providing for compulsory education in the District of Columbia,” and all other Acts or parts of Acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed. Sec. 5. Effective from enactment. That this Act shall take effect from the date of its enactment. Approved, February 4, 1925.