Education/Schools - Historical Notes

Board of Education

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

1. Acts of 1907, Chapter 236, abolished the office of district director of the schools and provided for a board of education for every county in the state. The county court would divide each county into five school districts, composed of whole civil districts, from each of which one member of the board of education would be elected, and the county superintendent would serve as secretary. The duties of the chairman, the secretary, and members of the board were all enumerated in the act. Each member of the board would make a full and complete report of the schools in his district. The members would be compensated from $1.50 to $3.00 per day as determined by the county court. The voters of each district shall elect three advisory board members in each one whose duties and responsibilities are also set up. Some counties exempted themselves from the operation of this act but Bedford was not among them. This act was construed by the court in Whitthome v. Turner , 155 Tenn. 303, 293 Sev 147 (1927).
2. Acts of 1909, Chapter 302, applied only to ten counties and Bedford County was one of them. This law amended Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 25, beginning with Section 10. It provided that the county board of education would consist of one member from each civil district, the judge, or chairman of the county court, and the superintendent of public instruction, who would be the ex-officio chairman. Each district member would be elected by the people in the district from whose number a secretary would be chosen. The duties, powers and obligations of the chairman, the secretary, and the members are all specified in the law. Each member would get $1.00 per day for each days attendance at board meetings and for each day spent in visiting schools.
3. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 341, amended Acts of 1907, Chapter 236, Section 17, which exempted certain counties from the operations of that chapter by adding the population figures appropriate to exempt Bedford, Marshall and Henderson counties.

Superintendent or Director of Schools

 The acts referenced below once affected the office of superintendent of education in Bedford County, but is no longer operative.

1. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 19, established the office of superintendent of public instruction for Bedford County to be popularly elected at the regular August election for a term of four years. This act was superseded by the general law requiring an appointed director of schools as described above.
2. Private Acts of 1987, Chapter 71, attempted to repeal the Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 19, and provide for a new method of electing the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction was to be nominated by the board of education and elected by the board of commissioners of Bedford County. This act was never acted upon however, being disapproved on June 4, 1987.