22 Kan. 521 | Kan. | 1879
The question in this case is as to the powers of the district board of a school district in reference to repairs on a school house. The repairs consisted in fixing a door and window, and painting over some obscene writing on the wall, and the contract price therefor was five dollars. The contention of the defendant is, that the district board is limited to the amount of money voted for repairs at the school meeting, and to the kind of repairs specified in such vote, and the testimony shows that the board had already exhausted the moneys voted for the repairs specified. Hence it claims that the powers of the board were exhausted, and the contract not binding on the district. The statute provides (Laws 1876, p. 248, §11) that the.school meeting shall have power — “Fifth, To vote a tax annually, not exceeding-one per cent, on the taxable property in the district, as the meeting shall deem sufficient, to purchase or lease a site, . . . and to build, hire or purchase such school house, aud to keep in repair and furnish the same with the necessary fuel and appendages.” And (p. 253, § 22) that “ the district board shall have the care and keeping of the school house and other property belonging to the district;” and (page 254, §25) that “the district board shall provide the necessary appendages for the school house during the time a school is taught therein, and shall keep an accurate account of all expenses thus incurred, and present the same for allowance at any regular district meeting.”
These two sections impose a duty as well as grant a power. “Shall have the care and keeping of the school house,” not merely authorizes but requires the board to preserve and care for the school house. And this duty is not like that of a janitor, one of personal attention and manual labor, but like that of trustees, one of supervision. They are not personally to sweep and dust and clean, or bring wood and make fires, but to see that it is done, and to that end may employ assistants, and bind the district for their pay. They are not
The judgment will be reversed, and the case remanded for a new trial.