MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                          921

the county board of education shall for any cause be unable to con-
tract with the owner or owners thereof upon what they deem to be
a fair valuation thereof, the county board of education may institute
proceedings for the acquisition of such lands, in accordance with
Article 33A of the Annotated Code and the Maryland Rules of Pro-
cedure. The county board of education may request the assistance
of the county commissioners or county council in instituting con-
demnation proceedings.

52.    Schools on or near line of two counties.

Schools on or near the dividing line of two counties shall be free
to the children of each county; and the boards of education of the
respective counties shall have power to provide jointly for the main-
tenance of said schools.

Should the two boards of education fail to agree in determining
the support each should give to such school, the State Superintendent
of Schools shall decide the matter.

53.    Consolidation of schools.

The county board of education shall consolidate schools, wherever
in its judgment it is practicable. The county board of education shall
arrange for the transportation of pupils to and from such consoli-
dated schools, subject to the approval of the State Superintendent
of Schools.

54. Appointment and compensation of public school personnel.

The county board of education shall appoint, on the written recom-
mendation of the county superintendent of schools, all principals,
teachers, and all other certificated and noncertificated personnel, and
fix their salaries, subject to the provisions of this Article.

55.    Curriculum Guides and Courses of Study.

The county board of education, subject to the provisions of this
Article, the bylaws, basic policies, and guidelines established by the
State Board of Education, shall prescribe, on the written recommen-
dation of the county superintendent of schools curriculum guides
and courses of study including appropriate programs of instruction
or training for mentally or physically handicapped children for the
schools under their jurisdiction, and printed copies of these materials
shall be supplied to teachers and to interested citizens.

56.    School census and census of handicapped children.

The county board of education and the Board of School Commis-
sioners of Baltimore City may cause to be taken, under the direction
of the county superintendent of schools or the superintendent of
public instruction of Baltimore City, a school census of the children
under eighteen years of age, including a census of handicapped
children both of school age and of preschool age. Whosoever has
under his control a child under eighteen years of age and withholds
the information in his possession from any officer demanding it, re-
lating to the items aforesaid, or makes any false statement in regard
to the same, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be fined not
more than twenty dollars. Any data