That the certificate of any principal or teacher of a private school, or of any institution for the education of children, in which the common English branches are taught, setting forth that the work of said school is in compliance with the provisions of this act, shall be sufficient evidence thereof, and the teacher or principal of said school or institution shall have the power to excuse any child or children for nonattendance during temporary periods, in accordance with the provisions of this act.4

Neglect of duty a misdemeanor.

533. For every neglect of duty imposed by the first section of this act, the principal or teacher, or person in parental relation, offending, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall upon conviction thereof before a justice of the peace, magistrate or alderman, forfeit a fine not exceeding two dollars on first conviction, and a fine not exceeding five dollars for each subsequent conviction; and in default of payment of said fine, the defendant may be committed to the county prison for a period not exceeding two days for the first conviction, and for a period not exceeding five days for each subsequent conviction: Provided, Upon conviction, the defendant or defendants may appeal to the court of quarter sessions of the peace of the proper county, within five days, upon entering into recognizance with one surety for the amount of fines and costs.5

Notice to parent.

534. Before such penalty shall be incurred, the parent, guardian or other person liable therefore shall be notified in writing by the superintendent of schools, or the secretary of the school board, or by the attendance officer, if there be one, of such liability, and shall have opportunity, by compliance with the requirements of this act, within three school days, then and thereafter, to avoid the imposition of such penalty. But after such notice has been served, if the samne child is absent from school three days, or their equivalent in time, during the remaining period of compulsory attend

4. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 1, P. L. 658. 5. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 2, P. L. 658.

ance, without excuse as provided by section one (1) of this act, the parent, guardian, or person in parental relation, shall be liable to prosecution under this act, without further notice.6

Disposition of fines.

535. The fines provided for by this act shall, when collected, be paid over by the officers collecting the same into the school treasury of the respective districts, for the use of the said school district of the city, borough or township in which such person convicted resides, to be applied and accounted for by such treasurers in the same way as other moneys raised for school purposes; such fines shall be collected by a process of law similar to the collection of other fines.7

Power of attendance officers.

536. Board of school directors or school controllers shall in cities, and may in all other school districts, employ one or more persons to be known as attendance officers, who shall, in addition to the duties provided elsewhere in this act, have full police power without warrant, and whose duty it shall be to look after and arrest and apprehend truants and others who fail to attend school in accordance with the provisions of this act.8

Disposition of truants.

537. When an attendance officer arrests or apprehends any truant or other person, as herein set forth, he shall have power, immediately to place him or her in the school in which he or she is or should be enrolled, or at the expense of the parent, guardian or person in parental relation, in such private school, as provided by section one (1) of this act, as the parent, guardian or person in parental relation may select. And in case the parent, guardian or person in parental relation shall refuse or neglect, immediately to select such school, the school board or board of school con

trollers shall have full power to designate the school in which the child shall be placed.9

Compensation of officers.

538. The persons appointed such attendance officers shall be entitled to such compensation as shall be fixed by the boards appointing them; but, in townships, shall not exceed two dollars per day; and such compensation may be paid out of the school fund."1o

Boards may establish special schools.

539. Boards of directors or controllers of any school district, or of two or more districts jointly may establish special schools for children who are habitual truants, or who are insubordinate or disorderly during their attendance upon instruction in the public schools, and may provide for the proper care, maintenance and instruction of such children. in such schools, for such period of time as the board may prescribe. But before the pupil shall be placed in such special school, the parent, guardian or person in parental relation shall have opportunity to be heard."

Proceedings against truants for disorderly conduct.

540. All truancy and incorrigibility shall be deemed disorderly conduct. And in case no special school, as herein prescribed, has been established, the superintendent of schools or secretary, or attendance officer if there be one, shall proceed against such truant or incorrigible pupil as a disorderly person, before a justice of the peace, magistrate or alderman, and upon conviction the pupil may be sentenced to any special or reformatory school supported wholly or in part by the state, or at the option of the school board or board of controllers, be committed to the care of a society, duly incorporated, having for one of its objects the protection of children from cruelty or the placing of children, not otherwise provided for, in families; and in case of a commitment of a child or children to the care of such society, the board of directors or controllers of the district may provide for

the expense of the maintenance and education of such child or children out of that part of the school fund within its control which shall have been appropriated to said board by the local authorities of such district.12

Assessors to make list of children, etc.

541. It shall be the duty of the assessors of voters of every district, when not notified and directed to the contrary by the school board, at the spring registration of voters or as soon as possible thereafter, to make in a substantial book, provided by the superintendent of public institution at the expense of the state, for that purpose, a careful and correct list of all children between the ages of six and sixteen within his district, giving the full name, date of birth, age, sex, nationality, residence, sub-school district, name and address of parent or person in parental relation, and the name and location of the school where the child is enrolled, or the cause of non-enrollment, and the name and address of the employer of any child under sixteen years of age that is engaged in any regular employment or service; which enumeration, after approval by the secretary of the said school district, shall be returned by the said assessor to the county commissioners of the county in which the enumeration is made, whose duty it shall be to forward the same, or a certified copy thereof, to the secretary of the proper school district, prior to July fifteenth of each year, who shall immediately furnish the principal or teacher of each school with a correct list of all children in his or her district who are subject to the provisions of this act; and the said county commissioners shall furnish a summary of such statistics to the superintendent of public institution, upon blanks provided by the state. And the said assessors shall be paid, out of the county funds, a per diem compensation for their services, a sum equal to the compensation paid under existing laws for assessors of election; said services not to exceed ten days: Provided, That prior to February first of any year, any board of directors or controllers of any school district may authorize such enumeration to be

12. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 3, P. L. 658.

made by the attendance officers or other persons, at the expense of the school district, under the same conditions as herein provided for assessors: Provided further, That the attendance officers, if there be any, or the superintendent of schools, or the secretary of the school board, shall have the power to add to this register the names of children within the prescribed ages whose names do not appear thereon." Report of teacher. Notice. Costs of prosecution.

542 It shall be the duty of each teacher in the school district to report immediately to the attendance officer or the superintendent of schools, or the secretary of the board of directors or controllers, the names of all children, on the list previously furnished by said superintendent or secretary, who have been absent three days or their equivalent without lawful excuse; when, if it shall appear that any parent, guardian or other person having control of any child or children shall have failed to comply with the provisions of this act, after notification in writing as provided in section two, the superintendent or secretary, or attendance officer if there be one, in the name of the school district, shall proceed against the offending party or parties, in accordance with the provisions of this act: Provided further, That if sufficient cause be shown for the neglect of the requirements of this act, or if the costs of prosecution cannot be collected from the defendant, said cost may be paid out of the district funds upon a proper voucher approved by the board of di

rectors or controllors. 14

Refusal or neglect of officers a misdemeanor.

543. The superintendent of schools or secretary, or attendance officer if there be one, of any board of directors or controllers who wilfully refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, before an alderman, magistrate or justice of the peace, shall forfeit a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars. '5

13. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 4, P. L. 658. 14. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 5, P. L. 658. 15. Act July 11, 1901, Sec. 6, P. L. 658.