Education/Schools - Historical Notes

Board of Education

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

1. Acts of 1905, Chapter 234, established a County Board of Education in Lauderdale County, composed of one member 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 the Board of Education.
2. Acts of 1907, Chapter 236, established County Boards of Education in all counties except those which were declared exempt. Lauderdale County initially was exempt from the provisions of this act, but the act was amended by Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 564, to include Lauderdale County.
3. Acts of 1909, Chapter 471, amended Acts of 1905, Chapter 234, to authorize each member of the Lauderdale County Board of Education to make contracts of consolidation with public or private city schools, academies and the like for the education of children in his district.
4. Private Acts of 1911, Chapter 580, amended Acts of 1905, Chapter 234, to set the regular meetings of the County Board of Education in Lauderdale County on the first Thursdays in July, October, January and April.
5. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 693, created a County Board of Education in Lauderdale and Monroe Counties, with one member to be elected from each civil district in the county.
6. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 684, divided Lauderdale County into seven school districts and provided that each school district would elect one member of the County Board of Education. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 211.
7. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 280, amended Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 684, to authorize the County Board of Education to issue certificates to teachers who had continuously taught in the county school system for twenty years or more. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 211.
8. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 450, authorized the Lauderdale County Board of Education to set the salary of its Chairman at an amount not to exceed $25 per month.
9. Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 169, amended Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 684, to change the composition of the school districts and the terms of the school board members in Lauderdale County. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 211.
10. Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 211, authorized Lauderdale County to divide the county into school districts, provide for the number, election and terms of members of the board of education. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 2002, Chapter 79.
11. Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 222, was an alternate bill to Private Acts of 1982, Chapter 211 (reproduced hereinabove) which would have delayed the election of new school board members in certain districts so that no incumbent would have been removed from office prior to the expiration of his or her term. This act was not approved by the Lauderdale County Board of County Commissioners and never became effective.

Superintendent or Director of Schools

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

1. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 680, provided for the election of the Lauderdale County Superintendent of Public Instruction by the County Board of Education for a two year term, which would have repealed by implication those conflicting provisions of Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 696, providing for the election of the Superintendent of Public Instruction by popular vote. However, this act was superseded by the revival of the 1925 act in Private Acts of 1935 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 153 (reproduced hereinabove).
2. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 742, passed on the same day as Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 680, briefly repealed Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 696. This act was repealed approximately three months later by Private Acts of 1935 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 68.

General Reference

The following acts constitute part of the administrative and political heritage of the educational structure of Lauderdale 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 1853-54, Chapter 206, authorized the establishment of the Ripley Female Academy in Lauderdale County. The first Board of Trustees would consist of Hiram Partie, Isaac M. Steele, P. T. Glass, Edmond Fitzpatrick and R. F. Maclin.
2. Private Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 97, incorporated the Ripley Female Institute and confirmed the charter and stock subscriptions of Hiram Partee, H. H. Richardson, Joseph Wardlow, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Henry Pillow, M. F. Lake, P. T. Glass, James A. Lackey, R. H. Oldham, and any other stockholders. The shareholders were directed to elect nine Trustees for one-year terms. The duration of the corporation was 99 years. The act also incorporated the Lauderdale Female Institute in or near Durhamville, and Durhamville Male Academy, both in Lauderdale County with perpetual duration. The Articles of Association for each entity were set out in the act. The act also incorporated the Beech Grove Academy in Lauderdale County. The original Board of Trustees were Wm. B. Sawyer, James Lenard, Wm. P. Suggs, W. T. Roundtree and Benjamin T. Porter.
3. Private Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 1, authorized the Trustees of the male academy at Ripley which had burned to sell or exchange the real property of the academy, provided that they used the proceeds of the sale to buy another lot upon which to build another male academy.
4. Public Acts of 1882 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 10, authorized the Trustees of the Ripley Male Academy to transfer to the Trustees of the Lauderdale Institute any or all of its property to be used for school purposes within the civil district in which the town of Ripley was located.
5. Acts of 1907, Chapter 4, authorized the Board of Directors of Henning High School in Lauderdale County to sell the lot, buildings and all appurtenances of Henning High School.
6. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 615, established a Special School District of the 17th Civil District of Lauderdale County, including the town of Gates. The Special School District was authorized to purchase the school property of the town of Gates, and to assume the related debt if necessary, for the betterment of its schools. A five-member Board of Trustees was created, no more than three of whom could be residents of the town of Gates. The organization of the Board of Trustees and the duties of the Secretary-Treasurer and Chairman were enumerated. A tax levy and the issuance of bonds were authorized under specified conditions.
7. Private Acts of 1921, Chapter 45, is erroneously listed as applying to Lauderdale County. This act amends Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 252, which by population figures applies only to McMinn County, to allow the taxes authorized therein to be collected annually.
8. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 603, established Halls Special School District which comprised all of the 12th Civil District of Lauderdale County, including the town of Halls. The act authorized the issuance of bonds not exceeding $50,000 bearing interest not exceeding 5½% per annum and maturing in 20 years, and authorized a property tax of 20¢ on every $100 property value and a poll tax of $1 for so long as the bonds were outstanding.
9. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 122, established Ripley Special School District coextensive with the 2nd Civil District of Lauderdale County, including the town of Ripley. The act authorized the issuance of serial bonds not exceeding $100,000 bearing interest not exceeding 6% per annum and maturing in 20 years, conditioned upon voter approval, and authorized a property tax of 40¢ on every $100 property value for so long as the bonds were outstanding.
10. Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 726, amended Private Acts of 1925, Chapter 122, to provide that the bonds authorized thereunder would be serial bonds and that the interest thereon would be paid either annually or semi-annually.
11. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 13, established the Seventh Special School District coextensive with the 7th Civil District of Lauderdale County. The Board was authorized to issue up to $15,000 bonds bearing interest not more than 6% per annum, conditioned upon voter approval, the proceeds of which were to be used only for acquiring, building and equipping school properties and operating a public school system within the district. The act authorized a property tax of 30¢ per $100 taxable property for so long as any bonds remained outstanding. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 245.
12. Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 376, authorized Halls Special School district to issue coupon bonds in an amount not exceeding $15,000 bearing interest not more than 6% per year and maturing within 25 years, for the purpose of constructing or improving public school buildings, gymnasiums and manual training department buildings within the school district, conditioned upon voter approval. The act authorized a property tax of 8¢ per $100 taxable property for so long as the bonds remained outstanding.
13. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 645, raised the tax rate to 50¢ per $100 taxable property in Halls Special School District to pay the principal and interest on outstanding school bonds. This tax was in lieu of the property taxes authorized under Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 603, and Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 376.
14. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 281, authorized the 7th Special School District to issue refunding bonds not exceeding $12,000 to refund $12,000 coupon bonds previously issued, without voter approval, and authorized a special tax of 60¢ per $100 property value to pay the principal and interest on the bonds.
15. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 291, amended Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 13, to change the authorized property tax from 30¢ to 60¢ per $100 taxable property.
16. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 605, again created Halls Special School District embracing all of the 12th Civil District of Lauderdale County, including the town of Halls. The act authorized the issuance of bonds not exceeding $40,000 bearing interest not exceeding 5½% per annum and maturing in 20 years, conditioned upon voter approval, and authorized a property tax of 20¢ on every $100 property value and a poll tax of $1 for so long as the bonds were outstanding.
17. Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 848, again created Halls Special School District embracing all of the 12th Civil District of Lauderdale County, including the town of Halls. The act authorized the issuance of bonds not exceeding $80,000 bearing interest not exceeding 5½% per annum and maturing in 20 years, and authorized a property tax for so long as the bonds were outstanding in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. No other tax was authorized under the act so that when the bonds were paid in full, this special school district ceased to be a taxing district and would have been abolished pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-2-501.
18. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 245, repealed Private Acts of 1927, Chapter 13, and all amendatory acts, which created the Curve Special School District in the 7th Civil District of Lauderdale County. All of the assets of the special school district were transferred to the Board of Education of Lauderdale County to be used to improve the Curve Elementary School.