A PROPOSITION

No. 15.

Introduced by Mr. B. B. Moeur, of Maricopa County.

EDUCATION.

Sec. 1. The stability of a Republican form of government depending mainly on the intelligence of the people it shall be the duty of the Legislature to establish and maintain a general and uniform system of public schools, which shall be open to all children of the State and free from all sectarian control.

Sec. 2. The proceeds of such lands as are now or hereafter may be granted by the United States to the State of Arizona for use of public schools in each township or school district shall remain in perpetual school fund of the State of Arizona and not more than one-third of said land may be sold in ten years and one-third in fifteen years and one-third in twenty years, but the land with the greatest valuation shall be sold first. Provided: that no portion of said land shall be sold otherwise than public sale. The principal of all funds arising on the sales of the disposition of lands or other property granted or intrusted to the State of Arizona in each township for educational purposes shall forever be preserved inviolate and undiminished and the income arising from the lease or the sale of said school lands shall be distributed to the different townships throughout the State in proportion to the number of scholars in each township between the ages of six and eighteen years, and shall be faithfully applied to the specific objects of the original grants and appropriations. Suitable laws shall be enacted by the Legislature for the safe investment of the principal of all funds which have heretofore arisen, or which may hereafter arise from the sale, lease or other disposition of such lands, or the income from such lands accruing in any way before the sale or disposition thereof. In intereste bearing bonds of the United States or the State of Arizona, or bonds of any other State as the Legislature may direct.

Sec. 3. Separate schools for white and colored children with like accommodations shall be provided by the Legislature and impartially maintained. The term colored children as used in this section shall be construed to mean children of African descent. The term white children shall include all other children.

Sec. 4. Neither the Legislature or any county, city, town, township, school district or other public corporation shall ever make any appropriation or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever in aid of any church or sectarian or religious society, or any sectarian or religious purpose, or to help support or sustain any schools, academy, seminary, colleges, universities, or other literary or scientific institutions controlled by any church or sectarian or religious denomination whatsoever, nor shall any grants or donations of any lands, moneys or other personal property ever be made by the State or any other such public corporation to any church, or any sectarian or religious purpose.

Sec. 6. No religious test or qualifications shall ever be required as a condition of admission into any public educational institution of the State either as a teacher or student, and no teacher or student of any such institutions shall ever be required to attend or participate in any religious service whatever. No sectarian or religious tenents or doctrine or doctrines shall ever be taught in public schools. No books, papers, tracts or documents of a political, sectarian or denominational character shall be used or introduced in any schools established under the provisions of the Legislature of the State of Arizona, nor shall any teacher of any district receive any of the public school money in which the schools have not been taught in accordance with the provisions of this section.

Sec. 7. The public school system shall include kindergarten, common or public schools, consisting of primary and grammar grades, high schools, normals, and universities, and such other schools as the Legislature may establish from time to time. The common school shall be free. The other departments of the system shall be supported as provided by law. Provided that High Schools may be maintained free in all cities of the first and second class now constituting school districts as may be designated by the Legislature, but where proportion of school money apportioned or accruing to any city or district shall not be sufficient to maintain all free schools in such city or district the High School shall be supported by local taxation.

Sec. 8. The proceeds of all property that may accrue to the State of Arizona by escheat or forfeiture and all unclaimed shares and dividends of incorporations incorporated under the laws of the State of Arizona, the proceeds of timber, mineral or the property from school or state lands other than those granted for specific purposes and five per centum of the net proceeds of all the sales of public lands lying within the State which shall be sold by the United States subsequent to admission of this State to the Union shall be and remain a perpetual fund to be called the State school fund, the interest of which only, together with such other means as the Legislature may provide, shall be distributed among the several school districts according to the school population residing therein.

Sec. 9. The general supervision of the public schools of the State shall be vested in the Board of Education whose powers and duties shall be prescribed by law. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General shall constitute the Board of which the Superintendent shall be the President.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, NOV. 11, 1910.

• Proposition Number 15 - Education (introduced on 1910-10-21 14:00:00 - CREATE_FROM - e934638) [This document] [view current proposal at this moment]
  • Motion to Read Proposition Number 15 a Second Time (introduced on 1910-10-21 14:00:00 - PROCEDURE - e934639) [view current proposal at this moment]
    • None (introduced on 1910-10-21 14:00:00 - ADOPT_PROPOSAL - e934640) [view current proposal at this moment]
  • None (introduced on 1910-10-21 14:00:00 - REPORT_PROPOSAL - e934641) [view current proposal at this moment]