Private Acts of 1917 Chapter 533

SECTION 1.  That a Special School District be and the same is hereby created and established, embracing All [sic] of the Ninth, Fourth and Twenty-Second Civil Districts of Carroll County, Tennessee, and including all of the City of McKenzie lying in Carroll County, Tennessee to be known and designated as the "McKenzie Special School District;" with the following boundaries:

Beginning at a point where the boundary lines of Carroll and Henry Counties meet the boundary lines of the Ninth and Tenth Civil Districts of Carroll County, running thence southwardly along the aforesaid boundary line of the Ninth and Tenth Civil Districts of Carroll County to a point where this line meets the Northwest corner of the Twenty-Third Civil District; thence Southwestwardly along the boundary between the Ninth and Eleventh Civil Districts to their intersection with Crooked Creek; thence following the south bank of Crooked Creek to its junction with the south for of the Obion River (Beaver Creek Drainage Canal); thence following the southwest bank of the Obion River (Beaver Creek Drainage Canal) in a northwestwardly direction to a point where the Third, Second, and Twenty-Second Civil Districts of Carroll County corner; thence north along the boundary line of the Third and Twenty-Second Civil Districts of Carroll County to a point where this line meets the boundary between Carroll and Weakley Counties; thence Eastwardly along the boundary line between Carroll and Weakley Counties to a point the Southeast corner of Weakley County; thence north with the Boundary line between Carroll and Weakley Counties to a point where the boundaries of Carroll, Weakley and Henry Counties corner; thence eastwardly along the boundary line between Carroll and Henry Counties to a point where the Ninth and Tenth Civil Districts of Carroll County corner, the point of beginning.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1959, Chapter 191
	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

SECTION 2.  That the officers of the McKenzie Special School District shall consist of a Board of Education composed of seven (7) members, all of whom shall be residents of the district, who, with their successors in office, shall constitute a body politic and corporate, a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Effective with the elections to be held in August, 2000, the term of each member of the Board shall be for a period of four (4) years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

As amended by:

Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31.

SECTION 3.  That members of the "The Board of Education of the McKenzie Special School District" are to be elected by the qualified voters residing within said district and such elections are to take place on the regular election day in August of such years as vacancies occur.

Said elections are to be called in due form and manner as all elections held in said county, by the duly qualified Election Commissioners or those in authority to call and regulate State and county elections in Tennessee, when the Board of Education of "The Mckenzie Special School District," shall certify to said Board of Election Commissioners the necessity for the holding of such election.  Vacancies occurring in  said Board of Education by death, removal or resignation, shall be filled by the remaining members of said Board until the next regular election, when the qualified voters of the district herein created will elect to fill such vacancy or vacancies.  Said Board of Education shall organize by the election of a President, Secretary and Treasurer, all of whom shall be members of said Board.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

SECTION 4.  That the said Board of Education herein created and their successors in office shall constitute and are hereby declared the Board of Education of "The McKenzie Special School District" and by that name may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded and have continual succession for the purposes hereinafter designated; may have a common seal and make such by-laws and regulations as they may deem proper herein and as is consistent with the authority herein conferred by the laws of the State of Tennessee, for the purpose of carrying into effect the object for which they are hereby created.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1988, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

SECTION 5.  That the powers and duties of said Board of Education are as above and hereinafter set out to-wit:

(1)  To establish and maintain a High School or Schools at McKenzie, in said district, wherein may be taught all branches now or hereafter required by Elementary and High School [sic] of the State, and in each may be taught a Commercial or Business Course, Agriculture, Home Economics, also a course preparatory to University work and other courses that said Board of Education may desire.

(2)  To employ competent teachers and as many as they see proper for said school or schools, fix their salaries and have power to discharge them.

(3)  To open and close the school or schools and determine the length thereof.

(4)  To build and keep in repair school buildings, out-buildings and grounds, and any other buildings, repairs or property that may be included in said district herein created, or that said Board may see fit to erect, take over and maintain.

(5)  To suspend and dismiss pupils when the occasion and efficiency of said school or schools demand it.

(6)  To use the school funds coming into their hands from whatever source, in such manner as will in their judgment and discretion, best promote the interest of said "McKenzie Special School District."

(7)  To order and have taken a census of the children within said district, according to the school laws of the State of Tennessee and report same, properly certified to the County Superintendent of Public Instruction and County Trustee of Carroll County, Tennessee, as soon as deemed necessary, after the taking effect of this Act.

(8)  To hold regular meetings at the time and place designated by them, and special meetings when called by the President or any one member of said Board of Education, four members of said Board to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(9)  To take over and hold in trust, any school property real and personal, if in the bounds of said district herein created and to dispose of same, the real estate by deed and the personal property by either public or private sale, as they may deem best, and to apply the proceeds for the benefit of the said district herein created.

(10)  Said Board of Education shall have the authority to cause to be made, at least once each year, a published statement of all revenues coming into their hands and expenditures made and for what purposes, said statement to be approved by a majority of said Board before publication.

(11)  The Board of Education shall also have the power to borrow money against the credit of the McKenzie Special School District as created by anticipated tax receipts and/or state receipts for capital outlay purposes.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1994, Chapter 175
	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

SECTION 6.  That after the making of the report of the school census, as provided for in Sub-section 7 of Section 5 of this Act, the County Trustee shall apportion to the said "McKenzie Special School District" for the maintenance of said school or schools, its per capita or prorata share of all school funds of the county then or thereafter in his hands, according to said census of 1917 of said McKenzie Special School District which it bears to that of Carroll County and the County Trustee shall also apportion to said district herein created, its per capita or prorata share of the State school fund paid to said county by the State for year 1917 and each subsequent year thereafter.  Said census are to be taken annually and the funds thus apportioned each year thereafter as herein provided by this Act.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136,
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31.

SECTION 7.  That for the purpose of supporting and maintaining the school or schools of the said "McKenzie Special School District," and for supplementing the school funds of the District herein created, so that school terms may be extended and continued nine months of each year, if possible, as a free public school or schools, there is hereby assessed for the year 1967, and for each subsequent year thereafter, a tax of two dollars ($2.00) on every one hundred dollars ($100.00) worth of taxable property, both real and personal, situated and being within the said "McKenzie Special School District".  The basis of assessment for said tax on such property shall be the assessed valuation as shown by the books of the County Trustee and all taxes assessed upon real estate are a lien upon said real estate.  The taxes herein assessed shall become due and be collected at the same time and in the same manner as taxes under the general laws of the State of Tennessee, by the County Trustee.  The said taxes herein provided for together with all other school funds received from the County Trustee shall constitute the school fund for the said "McKenzie Special School District," which funds shall be under the control of said Board of Education for the use and benefit of the said "McKenzie Special School District."  No part of said funds shall be paid out by the Treasurer of said Board of Education except upon warrants properly drawn and signed by the President and Secretary of said Board.  No personal property of the taxpayers within the District that is hereby created, shall be exempt from levy or execution for their said tax assessments on personalty herein assessed by this Act.  The County Tax Assessor shall prepare a separate and complete list of all taxable property, both real and personal within said District for the use of the County Trustee in making collections of said taxes.

The Board of Education of "McKenzie Special School District" shall have the authority to set the tax rate lower than that imposed by this act as amended or any other act setting a tax rate for "The McKenzie Special School District" but shall not have the power to impose a tax in excess of any statutory levy nor shall it have the power to lower any special levy assessed for the purpose of bond repayment.  In order to change the rate of taxation, the Board must certify on or before September 1 to the county trustee the new special school district tax rate not to exceed the rate imposed by any legislative act, and the county trustee shall collect only the taxes based on the rates so certified.

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 51
	Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 913
	Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 264
	Private Acts of 1975, Chapter 166
	Private Acts of 1981, Chapter 143
	Private Acts of 1987, Chapter 93
	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31
	Private Acts of 2001, Chapter 47
	Private Acts of 2002, Chapter 157

SECTION 8.  That all the children living within the boundaries of the said "McKenzie Special School District" shall be entitled to the benefit of the funds arising from the provisions of this Act and are entitled to free tuition in the school or schools operated by the said Board of Education as aforesaid; provided this shall apply to such children as are between the ages of 6 and 21 years of age; but no tuition shall be charged for any course of study as is taught in the free public schools of the State of Tennessee, as designated as being in or of the Elementary or High School courses.

The Board of Education of "The McKenzie Special School District” shall have power to admit by contract persons over school age or non-residents of the within district, county or State, upon the payment of such reasonable rates of tuition and under such rules and regulations as said Board may prescribe for persons not entitled t admission in the said school or schools free of charge.  Funds arising from such tuition shall be paid out as other funds collected and received by said "McKenzie Special School District."

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

As amended by:	Private Acts of 1998, Chapter 136
	Private Acts of 1999, Chapter 31

SECTION 10.  That any person employed by said Board of Education, as principal shall have general superintendency over all schools in operation under control of said Board of Education, with special reference to the grading and promotion of the pupils thereof.

SECTION 11.  That if any section, sub-section or clause in this Act be declared unconstitutional and invalid, that same will not affect or alter any other part or parts of this Act not so declared from their full operation and the carrying out of the intents of such part or parts of this Act as are constitutional.

SECTION 12.  That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act be, and the same are hereby repealed and that this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed:  April 5, 1917.