1734 PUBLIC EDUCATION. [ART. 77

Chapter 10. Text-Books.

1904, art. 77, sec. 63. 1888, art 77, sec. 58. 1872, ch. 377.

67. School books shall contain nothing of a sectarian or partisan
character.

Ibid. sec. 64. 1888, art. 77, sec. 59. 1870, ch. 311. 1872, ch. 377
sub-ch. 10, sec. 3. 1874, ch. 463. 1896, ch. 135. 1904, ch. 584.

68. The board of public school commissioners of Baltimore city
and each board of county school commissioners shall adopt and pur-
chase text-books for use in the public schools of said city and of the
several counties of the State, as such new text-books are required, and
when so purchased the necessary text-books shall be furnished free of
cost for use in the public schools of the State, subject to the order of
said boards; but said boards shall have the right at any time to change
any series of text-books already in use or hereafter adopted; provided,
that text-books shall be furnished under the provisions of this article
to the several grades in the public schools successively, beginning with
the first grade; and provided, that the said board shall not be required
to expend during any school year for said text-books more than the
several amounts of money received by said boards respectively, under
the provisions of this article; and provided, that indigent pupils of all
grades shall receive text-books free of cost, as provided under provisions
of existing laws; and provided, the said respective boards shall adopt
means for the purchase of text-books by competitive bidding, and at
the lowest possible price; and provided, that parents or pupils may
purchase their own text-books when they may think proper; and pro-
vided, further, that the several boards of county school commissioners
shall furnish annually to the state board of education the title, the
name of the publisher and the net price paid for each text-book so pur-
chased, which information shall be set forth in full in the annual report
made to the state board of education.

Ibid. sec. 65. 1888, art. 77, sec. 60. 1872. ch. 377. 1896, ch. 135.

69. The said several boards shall authorize the delivery of text-
books to the various public schools under their supervision, respectively;
and shall provide for the issuing, safe keeping, care and return of the
same, under such rules and regulations as they may severally adopt.

Ibid. sec. 66. 1888. art. 77. sec. 61. 1872, ch. 377. 1896, ch. 135.
1904. ch. 584.

70. The said several boards shall keep an account of all moneys
expended under the provisions of this article, and report the same in
the annual financial account, as required by law; and no money so
received by them shall ever be used for any other purpose than for the
purchase of school books, as provided by the two preceding sections;
except in such counties where there may remain a surplus after the
purchase of necessary text-books, the boards may expend such surplus
amounts in the purchase of maps of the State of Maryland and supple-
mentary reading books for pupils.