Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/575



is directed to organize districts in their respective counties whenever a petition may be presented for the purpose by a majority of the voters resident within such contemplated district.”

The districts were in charge of trustees who were required to maintain a school at least three months of each year. This was before many of the older States had provided for a public school system supported by taxation and made free to the pupils. The first act providing for taxation to meet the expenses of such schools required that a portion of the funds for their support should be assessed against the parents of the pupils in attendance.

From time to time more liberal taxes were authorized until the schools were finally sustained from the proceeds of the lands granted by the general government, and taxes levied upon the property of the district or townships. In addition to these sources of income the State received five per cent, of the net proceeds of the sale of all public lands lying within its limits. During the pioneer period this amounted to a large sum annually as the lands found purchasers.

The first State Constitution also provided that the estates of deceased persons who died without leaving a will, or heirs, should inure to the public school fund. That the money paid by persons as an equivalent for exemption from military duty, and the clear proceeds of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of penal laws, should go to the school fund. This provision was also incorporated in the Constitution of 1857. When the State was admitted into the Union in 1846, there were 20,000 children of school age and something more than four hundred school districts had been organized. In 1857 the number of districts had increased to 3,275. The State in 1858 authorized the holding of Teachers’ Institutes, lasting not less than six days, when not less than thirty teachers should desire them; and an appropriation of $1,000 was made to defray the expenses.