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Education/Schools - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

Board of Education

The following acts once affected the board of education in Coffee County but are no longer operative.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1909, Chapter 302, amended Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 25, which created a uniform system of public schools, to provide in Coffee County that the County Board of Education would be composed of one member elected biennially from each Civil District, the Judge or Chairman of the County Court, and the County Superintendent of Public Instruction who would be ex officio Chairman of said Board.  The duties of the Chairman, the Secretary and the Board were enumerated.  Board members would receive $1.50 per day for attendance at Board meetings and $1 per day for visiting schools of the District.
  2. Private Acts of 1917, Chapter 68, authorized the directors of the various public school districts in Coffee County to establish primary and secondary public schools which would teach the first ten grades of the public school curriculum.
  3. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 50, required the teaching of the first ten grades of the Public School Curriculum in Coffee County.
  4. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 545, amended Public Acts of 1921, Chapter 120, which created a County Board of Education in each County, by providing that in Coffee County one member would be elected biennially from each of the six Civil Districts to the County Board of Education.  The remainder of the general law was unaffected.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 564, Page 1437.
  5. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 749, amended Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 545, by directing the Quarterly County of Coffee County to divide the County into six school districts.  Members of the County Board of Education would be elected from the six School Districts.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 564.
  6. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 91, amended Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 749, by dividing Coffee County into six School Districts.  The County Court would elect a member to the County Board of Education from each district.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 555.
  7. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 302, amended Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 91, by deleting the provision that required the County Court to elect the six members of the County Board of Education.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 555.
  8. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 563, created a County Board of Education composed of seven members elected to two year terms.  The County Superintendent would act as Secretary to the Board without additional compensation.  The Board would have the duties and authority conferred by the general law.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1971, Chapter 7, Page 15.
  9. Private Acts of 1935 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 57, amended Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 563, to provide that the members of the County Board of Education would be elected by the voters of the respective school district.  The Act also divided the County into seven School Districts.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1971, Chapter 7, Page 15.
  10. Private Acts of 1959, Chapter 150, created a seven member County Board of Education with one member coming from each of the seven school districts described in the Act.  Members would be elected by the Quarterly Court to seven year terms.  This Act was not approved by the local authorities and never took effect. 
  11. Private Acts of 1970, Chapter 285, created a seven member County Board of Education which would be elected by the voters of the six school districts enumerated in the Act to two year terms.  One member of the Board would be elected at large from school districts numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6.  This Act was not approved by the local authorities and never took effect.

Superintendent or Director of Schools

The acts referenced below once affected the office of superintendent of education in Coffee County, but are no longer operative.  Also referenced below is an act which repeals prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 95, as amended by Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 367, Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 297, and Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 657, created the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for counties with certain population classes to be elected for a term of two years and whose term would begin on the 1st Thursday in August 1924.
  2. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 655, abolished the office of Attendance Officer in Coffee County and transferred the responsibility for enforcing the compulsory school attendance law to the County Superintendent of Public Instruction.  This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 711, Page 2600.
  3. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 763, required the Sheriff, deputy Sheriffs, and constables in Coffee County to execute warrants under the compulsory school attendance law at the instance of the County Superintendent.
  4. Private Acts of 1931 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 107, provided that the notice requirement in the compulsory school law (Public Acts of 1925, Chapter 115) could be met in Coffee County by the County Superintendent serving notice upon the parent or guardian, either in person or by mail, of the child.

General Reference

The following acts constitute part of the administrative and political heritage of the educational structure of Coffee County but are no longer operative since they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval.

  1. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 232, divided School District No. 19, as described in the Act, so as to create a new school district in Coffee County on the north side of the Duck River.
  2. Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 109, created an additional school district for Coffee County and designated it as No. 59.  Three Directors would be elected for this District.
  3. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 371, created the Sixty-second Public School District of Coffee County, to be known as the Bushy Branch School District.
  4. Private Acts of 1905, Chapter 495, created "The Viola Taxing District" out of portions of Warren, Grundy and Coffee Counties for the purpose of maintaining and operating a high school or schools.  A three member Board of Directors would be elected to two year terms and would perform the duties enumerated in the Act.  A tax of 25 cents per $100 of taxable property plus a poll tax of 25 cents on all males between the ages of 21 and 45 was authorized.  A referendum was required to approve the establishment of the District.
  5. Private Acts of 1907, Chapter 292, set the boundaries for the Twenty-second Public School District of Coffee County and designated it as the Hillsboro School District.
  6. Private Acts of 1913 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 106, established the Thompson Chapel Taxing District in Coffee County to be governed by an elected, three member Board of Directors.  A tax of 15 cents per $100 of taxable property was to be levied to maintain the schools of the District.
  7. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 560, established an independent school district to be known as Ramsey's School District No. 66 in part of Warren County and part of Coffee County.
  8. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 535, created a special school district to include the property of the Knights of Pythias Widows and Orphans Home, known as "Ovaca".  The district would be governed by a three member Board of Trustees who would hold their office ex officio as officers of the Knights of Pythias.