Education/Schools - Historical Notes

Board of Education

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

1. Private Acts of 1971, Chapter 75, established a 7 member Board of Education with one member elected from each of the seven voting districts.  This Act and its amendment were repealed by Private Acts of 1983, Chapter 141.
2. Private Acts of 1978, Chapter 214, reworded the 1971 Act, above so that the seven members would be elected from magisterial districts for a varying term with reelection for a 6 year term.
3. Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 347, would have amended the 1971 Act by creating six school districts with a candidate from each district and one candidate to serve at large.  There was no action taken on this by December 1, 1982 and is thereby ineffective under T.C.A. 8-3-202.

General Reference

The following acts constitute part of the administrative and political heritage of the educational structure of Grundy County but are no longer operative since they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Acts of 1847-48, Chapter 180, incorporated Jesse Wooten, John Myers, William Dangin, Stephen M. Griswold, and David Burrows, as a body corporate and politic to be known as the "Trustees of Altamont Academy," conferring upon them all the powers, privileges, and obligations incidental to corporate institutions in Tennessee.  The Trustees would select a President, Vice-President, and Secretary of the Board and would make all the rules and regulations concerning the internal management and affairs of the academy.  The Academy would be given its distributive share of the county school funds.
2. Acts of 1905, Chapter 495, provided that all the land area described in the Act which was located in Warren, Grundy, and Coffee Counties was created into and would hereafter constitute the "Viola Taxing District" which would maintain and operate a high school, or schools, for that area and District.  There would be three Directors and a Clerk, all to be elected by the voters of the District to two year terms, who would control, direct, and manage the school.  The Directors were granted all the powers incidental to corporation plus the special powers announced in the Act.  The special powers included the authority to accept the Viola Normal College facilities in which a high school was to be organized for the white children of the area who would attend without charge for the entire school year.  A special property tax rate for the school would be levied in the District of 25 cents per $100, property valuation, and a poll tax of 25 cents per eligible male would be assessed.  The Board members would not be paid anything for their services and they would set the compensation to be paid to the Clerk.  All of this was conditioned upon the successful outcome of a referendum to be held in the described area.
3. Acts of 1907, Chapter 236, abolished the office of District Directors in every county of the State and created Boards of Education and District Boards of Advisors in their places.  The County Court would divide each County into five school districts, or less, which would be composed of whole civil districts from each of which one member of the Board of Education would be elected.  The County Superintendent was named as the Secretary to the Board.  Any person who is a resident and voter of the district and who has at least a primary education would be eligible to serve on the Board on which the County Superintendent would fill any vacancies.  The duties of the Chairman, selected by the Board members, the Secretary, and the members are all stipulated in the Act.  Board members would receive from $1.50 to $3.00 per day for their services, the amount to be fixed by the County Court.  Each Advisory Board member, three in number, would be elected by the voters of their Districts and discharge the duties and responsibilities enumerated in this law.  This Act would not affect the city school systems in any way.  Several counties took themselves out from under the provisions of this Act but Grundy County was not among those doing so.
4. Acts of 1909, Chapter 494, stated that the parent or guardian of all children from eight to fourteen years of age, would cause them to attend school for four months, or eighty consecutive days, each year.  This Act would not apply if the child had completed the courses of study, or was being taught in private or parochial schools, or by a qualified private tutor.  The child could also be excused if its services were needed to ward off poverty and/or to help support the family.  The principal, or the teacher, was enabled to excuse a child for a temporary absence from school.  Penalties were established to apply to violators of this Act which would include the keeping of certain specified attendance records on each child.  The principal was required to notify the child's parents of any absence.  An errant child could be sent to a truant school if the situation warranted it.  This Act was made applicable to eighteen counties only, including Grundy, by the use of the 1900 Federal Census figures.
5. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 46, formed part of the Fourth Civil District of Grundy County, and part of the Eighth Civil District of Marion County, into a special school district with Monteagle to be called the "Monteagle Special School District" which would contain that portion of both counties described in the Bill.  The School District would be controlled and managed by a five member Board of School Trustees, elected by the people for two year terms beginning in August, 1916.  To serve until the election, the Act appointed W. H. Richmond, J. H. Shelters, V. I. Holcombe, C. H. Mankin, and Dr. D. H. Bryan, as the interim Board.  The Board would select a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary, who would keep proper and accurate records.  The Board would hold regular meetings of which ample public notice would be given, and they would be in charge of all properties and employees.  A special school tax of twenty cents on each $100 of property valuation, and a poll tax of $1.00 on eligible males were levied in order to extend the school year to nine months of free school.  The Board would establish and maintain a high school in the District in which a state approved curriculum would be taught.  This Act was repealed by Chapter 311, Private Acts of 1929, below.
6. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 15, amended Chapter 46, Private Acts of 1915, above, by lowering the property tax rate levied in that Act to support and maintain the schools of the Monteagle School District from twenty cents to ten cents per $100 property valuation.
7. Public Acts of 1925, Chapter 115, was a statewide educational Act which was the basis for Title 49, Tennessee Code Annotated.  Section 33 in that Act abolished all special school districts which were not taxing districts to hold referenda on the question of their abolition.  Any special school district would be permitted to become a part of the county school system when all of its debts were paid.
8. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 311, expressly repealed Chapter 46, Private Acts of 1915, which created the Monteagle Special School District, as it was amended in its entirety.
9. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 933, created the Tracy City Special School District as the same was described by metes and bounds in the Act.  This Act named Jess D. Fults, as Chairman, and Mrs. W. P. Stone, J. Cam Henley, Dewitt McCullough, and E. C. Shelton to serve as the first five member Board of Directors of the District until their successors are elected on October 15, 1930, to two year terms.  The Recorder shall report the scholastic population of the District and the Superintendent shall keep adequate records of school attendance in the District, upon which the Trustee was directed to apportion the school funds.  A special property tax rate of 25 cents per $100 property valuation was levied to raise the funds to operate the schools.  The Board would select their Chairman and Treasurer and meet at least four times per year exercising the specific powers granted to it as well as those state powers incidental thereto.  All State laws which were not in conflict with this Act would apply to this District.
10. Private Acts of 1931 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 111, amended Chapter 933, Private Acts of 1929, by correcting a directional error in the description of the land encompassing the land area of the Tracy City School District, and by placing all the schools in the District under Control of the County Board of Education of Grundy County.  The tax levy for the special school district was established at 25 cents per $100 property valuation and a poll tax of $1.00 was imposed on each male citizen between ages of 21 and 50 who were subject to the payment of poll taxes.  The Board was not permitted to prescribe a standard of conduct for any school in the area which was inferior to those prescribed for public education.
11. Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 66, divided Grundy County into five School Districts which were composed entirely of the whole Civil Districts from each of which would come one member of the Board of Education except the First District which would have three members.  This Act was rejected by the Quarterly Court and therefore never became an effective law under the provisions of the Home Rule Amendment to the State Constitution.
12. Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 347, would have amended Chapter 75, Private Acts of 1971, by rewriting Section one thereof relative to the composition and election of the members of the Board of Education.  The deadline for approval which was stated in this act was not met by the Grundy County Commission thus rendering this Chapter null and void.