MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                        903

7.    Seeking public interest in development of schools.

The State Board of Education shall exercise, through the State
Superintendent of Schools and his professional assistants, general
control and supervision over the public schools and educational in-
terest of the State; and they shall consult with and advise, through
the State Superintendent and his professional assistants, county
boards of education, county superintendents and their staffs, princi-
pals, teachers, and interested citizens, and shall seek in every way to
direct and develop public sentiment in support of public education.

8.    Investigation of educational needs.

The State Board of Education shall conduct, with and on the
advice of the State Superintendent of Schools, investigations relat-
ing to the educational needs of the State and the means of improving
educational conditions; they may employ additional expert assist-
ance for such investigations if needed.

9.    School construction.

(a)    Standards and Guides.—The State Board of Education shall
establish, upon the recommendation of the State Superintendent of
Schools, standards of, and guides for, the planning and construction
of school building projects. Such standards shall be used as the
basis for reviewing plans and specifications submitted to the State
Superintendent of Schools for approval.

(b)    Planning Service.—The State Board of Education shall main-
tain a school construction planning service for the purpose of as-
sistance in the developing and reviewing of the preliminary and
final plans and specifications for any public school building project
and the educational program which it is designed to house and for
the purpose of advising boards of education as to the suitability of
such construction plans on the basis of educational effectiveness,
construction, and reasonable economy of costs.

(c)    Collection and Distribution of Information.—The State
Board of Education shall arrange for the collection, publication, and
dissemination to the boards of education of information on school
construction procedures, methods, and materials.

10.    Ratio of Professional staff members to pupils.

The State Board of Education, from time to time, shall adopt by-
laws, rules and regulations for the ratio of professional staff members
to pupils enrolled in the elementary and high schools, or any com-
bination of grades thereof, within the overall ratios fixed in Section
69 68 of this Article.

11.    Rules and regulations for approval and accreditation.

(a)    The State Board of Education shall prescribe, with and on
the advice of the State Superintendent of Schools, bylaws, rules and
regulations for approval and accreditation of all public schools.

(b)    The State Board of Education shall prescribe the minimum
requirements for issuing all certificates and diplo