Education/Schools - Historical Notes

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

1. Acts of 1806, Chapter 8, established Speedwell Academy and appointed the first board of trustees to superintend the school.
2. Acts of 1807, Chapter 56, appointed William Graham and Abel Longham as additional trustees of Speedwell Academy.
3. Acts of 1827, Chapter 169, established a female academy in Claiborne County called the Pleasant Grove Female Academy.
4. Private Acts of 1827, Chapter 237, appointed John Hunt and John Hodge as trustees to Speedwell Academy in Claiborne County.
5. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 98, incorporated an academy in Claiborne County known as the Powell Valley Male Academy.
6. Acts of 1847-48, Chapter 196, directed the trustees of the counties of Claiborne and Hawkins to pay all school monies now in their hands to the trustees of Hancock County which were transferred to the common school commissioners of Hancock County.
7. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 213, incorporated the Tazewell Female Academy and appointed a board of trustees.  This act was subsequently amended by Public Acts of 1879, Chapter 41, to repeal sections 11, 12 and 13 of the act.
8. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 124, changed the name of Tazewell Academy to Tazewell College and made the necessary changes in degrees granted.
9. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 204, amended the act incorporating Tazewell Female Academy to provide that if the academy were to cease to function, then its moneys would go to any other academies in Tazewell.
10. Private Acts of 1897, Chapter 163, provided for the relief of Harrow School in Claiborne County which exempted the school from paying $21 in state, county, road and school taxes for 1893.
11. Acts of 1905, Chapter 483, was a compulsory school attendance law that required all parents to send their children to school at least 14 weeks a year.
12. Acts of 1907, Chapter 266, established a school district in Claiborne County out of parts of the sixth and seventh civil districts which became the Willow Springs School District.
13. Acts of 1911, Chapter 332, was another compulsory school attendance law that required all parents of children ages 8 through 16 to send their children to school at least 16 weeks a year.
14. Acts of 1911, Chapter 566, was an act to make each school a separate school district and to provide for election of school trustees, and to define their powers and duties.  This act was subsequently amended by Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 279, and Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 448, to clarify its provisions.
15. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 685, authorized the county superintendent to pay off all existing indebtedness of the common schools.
16. Private Acts of 1923, Chapter 479, gave the county superintendent of education responsibility for enforcing the compulsory attendance law and gave him a bonus of $5.00 for every conviction thereunder.
17. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 327, prohibited county boards of education from hiring a truant officer.  This act was subsequently repealed by Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 170.
18. Private Acts of 1953, Chapter 96, added two members to the county board of education.  This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 326.
19. Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 35, provided for the election of the county superintendent of education.  This act never took effect as it was not ratified locally.
20. Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 42, provided for a county school board and regulated their election.  This act did not become operative as it was rejected by the local authorities.
21. Private Acts of 1992, Chapter 149, authorized Claiborne County to contribute funds to the  Douglas Tripp Scholarship Fund.