1724 PUBLIC EDUCATION. [ART. 77

greater area than four miles square, unless a part of it be located in a
thinly settled region. In the formation of the school districts the
committee shall take into consideration the most suitable site for the
school house, the general features of the country, and shall make each
school district of such size and form as will best accommodate the popu-
lation within its bounds. The committee shall make an accurate descrip-
tion of the bounds of the school districts, accompanied by a plat, and
shall report the same to the board of county school commissioners, who
shall thereupon give notice in all the newspapers of the county at what
time they will meet to hear applications for a change of boundaries,
which applications shall be made in writing and within two months
from the date of the first publication of such notice. When the appli-
cation shall have been made and considered, the board of county school
commissioners may then change the boundaries of school districts and
revise the description; or they may, without application, make such
change as may be deemed important, or they may ratify and confirm
the report of the committee. The description of the boundaries of
school districts shall be recorded in a book kept for that purpose by the
secretary of the board of county school commissioners. In those coun-
ties where no newspaper is published the notice of application for a
change of boundaries shall be published in such a manner as the board
of county school commissioners may decide. Whenever it may be
necessary, the board of county school commissioners shall employ a sur-
veyor to aid the committee in the performance of such duty, and they
shall allow the surveyor such compensation for his services as may be
just and proper; and the committee shall receive no compensation what-
ever for their services. The cost of dividing the county shall be paid
by the county school commissioners out of the school fund of the
county. If a county has already been divided into school districts, and
it may be necessary to revise the same, the board of county school com-
missioners shall have full power to make such revision or alteration as
may be necessary to accommodate the population and increase the effi-
ciency of the schools. A full description of such changes and altera-
tions shall also be made and recorded as aforesaid.

1904, art. 77, sec. 27. 1888, art. 77, sec. 24. 1872, ch. 377. 1890. ch. 324.

1904, ch. 584.

28. The board of county school commissioners shall, on or before
the first day of September in every year, make a report to the State
board of education, in such form as may be prescribed by the latter.
of the schools and all matters affecting the educational interests of the
county; they shall also publish annually, in the month of November, in
such form and manner as they may deem proper, a statement of their
receipts and disbursements, including the money received and expended
on account of text-books, and a statement of the indebtedness of the
board at the close of the fiscal year, and the items of expense of the
individual schools, and forward a copy to the State board of education.