township board by posting notices thereof in at least five public places in the township and at least one notice in each organized school district in the township, which notice shall state that at such election, giving the date, the question of the organization of the township into a single school district shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the township. The ballots upon which such question shall be submitted shall Ballots, be in the following form:

"Shall.....

Name of Township.

..township be organ

ized into a single school district?" () "Yes." "Shall....

Name of Township.

...township be organ

ized into a single school district?" () "No."

form of.

who con

Each ballot which has a cross marked in the square to the left of the word "Yes" on any such ballot shall be counted in favor of the organization of such township into a single school district, and each ballot which has a cross marked in the square to the left of the word "No" shall be counted against the organization of such township into a single school district. Any such election shall be conducted by the town- Election, ship board of election inspectors in the same manner in all ducted, etc. respects and the ballots shall be taken, counted and canvassed in the same manner that is now provided for the counting of ballots under the general election law. If a majority of the electors of such township voting at such election vote in favor of the proposition, such township shall, after the second Monday of July subsequent to such election, be considered a single school district and shall be governed by the provisions of this act. Whenever a majority of the qualified electors of any Trustees, township vote in favor of the organization of any township election of. into a single school district, it shall be the duty of the township board to call a township election for the second Monday of July, at which election the trustees for the township school district shall be elected by the qualified electors of such township. Notice of such election shall be given by the township Notice. board by posting notices thereof in at least five public places in the township and at least one notice in each organized school district that on the second Monday of July following trustees for the township school district shall be elected, and it shall be the duty of the township board of election in- Conduct of spectors of such township to conduct such first election and perform such duties in connection therewith as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act: Provided, That Proviso, if in such township, or as a part of such township, there are districts. fractional school districts already organized, the schoolhouse of which is within the boundaries of the township, such fractional districts shall be considered a part of the township for school purposes, and qualified electors residing anywhere in such fractional school districts shall be qualified to sign

election.

fractional

Certified copy of petition

where filed.

Custodian of property.

Proviso, meeting of officers, proceedings.

Exemptions.

Proviso, in case city or graded district be

come part of township district.

the petition for or vote upon the question of the organization of the township district. The township board shall make and file, both with the county clerk and with the county commissioner of schools of the county in which such township is located, a certified copy of the above mentioned petition together with its findings and decision thereon, and when the trustees or district officers shall have been duly elected and shall have filed a written acceptance of office with the township clerk of such township and shall have complied with the general provisions of this act pertaining to the election and acceptance of school officers, the said board of education shall immediately become the custodian of all the property pertaining to the public schools of the township and shall have all the powers and privileges conferred upon school officers by the general laws of this State, and said general laws shall apply and be in force in such district in all particulars not otherwise provided for in this act: Provided, That immediately upon the organization of the board of education herein provided for said board shall call a meeting of the officers of the school districts of the township as heretofore existing, if any, and at such meeting there shall be an accounting of the property, records and funds of such districts and a settlement of the same, and the officers of the several school districts of the township as heretofore existing shall immediately thereafter turn over to the said board of education all the books, records, money, property and other matter or material in their possession and belonging to the public schools of their respective districts to the township board of education, and said board shall give to such officers proper receipts, and the secretary of said board of education shall place a full statement of such several settlements in the records of the board of education for said township.

SEC. 2. All cities organized as school districts and all graded school districts shall be exempt from the provisions of this act. Their boundaries shall remain the same and they shall continue to administer the public schools of such city or graded district in the same manner as heretofore provided by statute: Provided, That if any such city or graded school district shall desire to give up its own organization as a school district and become a part of the township district, and such district and the other district or districts of the township shall respectively so express themselves by ballot by a majority vote of the legal voters of each district at an annual or special meeting of such districts, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall have authority to declare the organization of such city or graded school district for school purposes dissolved, and he shall make such declaration in writing and serve the same upon the officers of the township district and upon the officers of such city or graded district, and such officers shall immediately turn over to the board of education of such township all the buildings, property, appurtenances,

proviso,

territory, etc.

money and material heretofore belonging to such city or graded district to the board of education of the township district, and thereafter such city or graded district shall be a part of the township district and controlled by the township board of education as herein provided: Provided further, Further proviso, That where fractional school districts have been organized boundaries. beretofore, the organization of the township district for school purposes shall conform to the boundaries of such school districts, and that the said fractional districts shall become a part of the township district in which the schoolhouse of such district is located, and that in the election of school officers said boundaries shall be recognized by the officers of the township: Provided further, That in Further, any case where a fractional district has been organized here- division of tofore, such territory may be divided so that the township school district boundary lines shall conform to the township boundary lines, said division being made in their discretion by the township boards of the townships in which the territory may be located, said boards meeting in joint session for such purpose. When such division has been made, the township boards at said joint meeting shall immediately proceed to make an equitable division of the property and money, if any, belonging to such district between the townships in which such district was located. The township clerk of the township Clerk to give in which the schoolhouse of such fractional school district is located shall give at least ten days' notice to the township clerk of the other townships interested of the time and place of such meeting, and each township clerk upon receiving such notice shall notify each member of the township board of his township of the time and place of such meeting. The joint Joint meeting. meeting of the township boards when assembled shall elect from their number a chairman and a clerk, and a majority of the joint board shall be necessary to determine all questions submitted. The clerk of said joint board shall provide each township clerk with an exact record of the proceedings of said meeting.

notice.

education,

etc.

SEC. 3. The officers of said township district shall consist Board of of five trustees, elected at large, who shall constitute the board term, of education of said district, and the regular term of office qualifications, shall be three years. Any qualified voter in the district whose name appears upon the assessment roll and who is the owner in his own right of the property so assessed shall be eligible to election or appointment to office in such district: Provided, Proviso. That where a husband and wife own property jointly, if otherwise qualified, each shall be eligible to election or appointment to school office. At the first election held on the second Election of trustees, Monday of July under authority of this act, the qualified terms. electors of the township shall proceed to elect by ballot one trustee for the term of one year, two for the term of two years and two for the term of three years, and annually thereafter a successor or successors to the trustee or trustees whose

term or terms of office shall expire. The term of office intended for each person shall be designated on the ballot. At the first election and at all succeeding elections held in said township district, the township board shall act as a board of election inspectors and shall receive and canvass the votes, prepare ballots and conduct the election in the same manner as provided for in township elections held under the general law. The township clerk shall keep a record of all proceedings of said first meeting of the district and file a copy of the same in his office and turn over a copy of said proceedings to the secretary of the board of education when said board is organized. In the election of trustees, the person or persons receiving the highest number of votes cast shall be declared elected and he or they shall hold office until his or their successor or successors shall have been duly elected and shall have qualified as provided in this act. In all school elections every citizen of the United States of the age of twenty-one years, male or female, who owns property which is assessed for school taxes in the township district or who is the parent or legal guardian of any child of school age included in the school census of said district, and who has resided in said township district three months next preceding such election, shall be a qualified voter. On the question of voting school taxes, every citizen of the United States of the age of twentyone years, male or female, who owns property in fee, by contract or homestead right which is assessed for school taxes in the township district, and who has resided in the district as above stated shall be a qualified voter: Provided, That a husband and wife who own property jointly and which is assessed for school taxes in the school district may, if otherwise qualified, vote upon the question of raising money.

SEC. 4. The annual meeting of said township district shall occur on the second Monday of July in each year at the usual place of holding the township meeting, and the school year shall commence on that day. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the board to give notice of all annual meetings and of any special meetings of said district by posting a written or printed notice thereof in at least five conspicuous places in said township, and one notice on each school building, at least five days prior to said meeting. The notice of any annual or special meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting, the place, date and hour of holding the same. The notice of the annual meeting shall specify that during the last two hours, or between three and five o'clock, the general business of the district as to voting taxes will take place. In case the president or secretary of the board of education shall be absent, the voters present may appoint a temporary president or secretary. At the first school meeting, and at all succeeding annual meetings the polls shall open at ten o'clock a. m. and be kept open seven consecutive hours, and the election shall be conducted in a similar manner to the one in which

township officers are elected, and at the hour of closing the chairman of the board of election shall declare the polls closed, and the board shall immediately proceed to canvass and announce the result of the vote.

voter.

SEC. 5. If any person offering to vote at a township school Challenge of district meeting shall be challenged as unqualified by any legal voter in such district or by the presiding officer, the chairman presiding at such meeting shall declare to the person challenged the qualifications of a voter; and if such person shall state that he is qualified and the challenge is not withdrawn, the chairman shall tender to him an oath, in substance

as follows: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen Form of oath. of the United States, that you have been for the last three months an actual resident of this school district, or residing upon territory now attached to this school district, and that you own property assessed for school taxes therein;" and every person taking this oath shall be permitted to vote upon all questions proposed at such meetings, or he may take the following oath, to-wit: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen of the United States, that you have been for the last three months an actual resident of this school district, or residing upon territory now attached to this school district, and that you are the parent or legal guardian of one or more children now included in the school census of the district;" and he may vote upon all questions which do not directly involve the raising of money by tax. If any person so challenged shall refuse to take such oath his vote shall be rejected; and any person who shall wilfully take a false oath False or make a false affirmation under the provisions of this sec- swearing. tion, shall be deemed guilty of perjury. When any question is taken any other way than by ballot, a challenge immediately after the vote has been taken shall be deemed to be made when offering the vote, and treated in the same manner.

clerk to

persons

SEC. 6. Within five days after the first election under this Township act the township clerk shall notify in writing the persons notify elected as trustees of their election, and within five days there- elected, etc. after said trustees so elected shall file with the township clerk a written acceptance of the office, accompanied by an affidavit properly acknowledged that such person is a qualified voter on school questions, that his name appears on the assessment roll of the township for school taxes, and that he is the owner in his own right of the property in fee, by contract or homestead right, so assessed, and such acceptances and affidavits shall be filed by the township clerk in his office. All persons Acceptances, elected as trustees of the township school district after said where filed. first election shall file such written acceptances and affidavits with the secretary of the board of education and they shall be made a part of the records of the district.

SEC. 7. The members of the board of education shall meet Meeting of on the fourth Monday of July following the first election board, under this act, and at such meeting the trustee whose term

officers, etc.