§ 978. Payment of expenses of tuition and maintenance for deaf children. The expenses for the board, tuition and clothing for such deaf children, placed as county pupils in said institutions, not exceeding for each child, the amount of expense for maintenance allowed by the preceding section, shall be raised and collected as are other expenses of the county from which such children shall be received; and the bills therefor, properly authenticated by the principal or one of the officers of the institution, shall be paid to said institution by the said county; and its county treasurer or chamberlain, as the case may be, is hereby directed to pay the same on presentation, so that the amount thereof may be borne by the proper county. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) § 979. Persons eligible as pupils to institutions for instruction of the blind. All blind persons of suitable age and capacity and possessing the other qualifications prescribed for deaf and dumb state pupils under section nine hundred and twenty-one who shall have been residents in this state for one year immediately preceding the application or, if a minor, whose parent or parents, or, if an orphan, whose nearest friend shall have been a resident in this state for one year immediately preceding the application, shall be eligible to appointment as state pupils to the Institute for the Education of the Blind in the city of New York, or the New York State School for the Blind in the city of Batavia, as follows: 1. All such as are residents of the counties of New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland shall be sent to the Institute for the Education of the Blind in the city of New York. 2. All such as are residents in other counties of the state shall be sent to the New York State School for the Blind in the city of Batavia; provided, however, that any such persons as would regularly be appointed to the New York State School for the Blind in the city of Batavia may be appointed in the discretion of the commissioner of education and with the approval of the board of trustees of the New York State School for the Blind to the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind in the city of New York. 3. Blind babies and children, of the age of twelve years and under and possessing the other qualifications prescribed in this article and requiring kindergarten training or other special care and instruction shall be eligible to appointment as state pupils in one of the homes for blind babies and children maintained by the International Sunshine Society, Brooklyn Home for the Blind, Crippled and Defective Children, and the Catholic Institute for the Blind and shall be paid for at the rate of one dollar and fifty cents per day and any such child may be transferred to the Institute for the Education of the Blind in the city of New York or the New York State School for the Blind in the city of Batavia, to which he or she would otherwise be eligible to appointment, upon arriving at suitable age, in the discretion of the commissioner of education. All such appointments, with the exception of those to the New York State School for the Blind in the city of Batavia, shall be made by the commissioner of education. The requirement of this section as to length of residence in this state may be waived in the discretion of the commissioner of education. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) § 980. Support and term of instruction of blind state pupils. 1. Each pupil so received into any of the institutions specified in this article shall be provided with board, lodging and tuition; and the directors of the institution shall receive an annual appropriation for each pupil so provided for, in quarterly payments, to be paid by the treasurer of the state, on the warrant of the comptroller, to the treasurer of said institution, on his presenting a bill showing the actual time and number of pupils attending the institution, which bill shall be signed by the chief executive officer of the institution, and verified by his oath. 2. The regular term of instruction of any such blind pupil in the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind shall be eight years. The commissioner of education may in his discretion extend the term of any pupil for a period not exceeding three years. It shall also be lawful for the commissioner of education to continue such pupils as state pupils for an additional period of three years for the purpose of pursuing or completing a course of high school study; such pupils must be recommended by the trustees of the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind before such extension is granted. 3. The term of appointment for blind babies and children of the age of twelve years and under received into any institution in accordance with paragraph three of section nine hundred and seventy-nine of this article shall be at the discretion of the commissioner of education. 4. Children placed in any such institutions for the blind pursuant to section nine hundred and seventy-nine shall be maintained therein at the expense of the state. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) § 981. Clothing for blind state pupils. 1. The officer or board responsible for the care of destitute children in any county in this state from which state pupils may be appointed to any institution for the instruction of the blind, whose parents or guardians are unable to furnish them with suitable clothing, are hereby authorized and required to raise in each year for each such pupil from said county, the sum of fifty dollars and to pay the sum so raised to the said institution, to be by it applied to furnishing such pupils with suitable clothing while in said institution. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) § 982. Blind and deaf children. All children who are both blind and deaf shall be admitted as state pupils into one of the institutions described in this article for the instruction of the deaf and under the same conditions of eligibility as are provided for the admission of deaf state pupils. The rate per capita allowed for such blind and deaf state pupils shall be not less than double the annual rate per capita allowed for state pupils who are deaf and shall be paid in the same manner as prescribed for deaf state pupils. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) § 983. Aid for blind or deaf pupils. 1. Whenever a blind or deaf person, who is a citizen of this state and a pupil in actual attendance at a college, university, technical or professional school located in this state and authorized by law to grant degrees, other than an institution established for the regular instruction of the blind or deaf, shall be designated by the trustees thereof as a fit person to receive the aid hereinafter provided for, there shall be paid by the state for the use of such pupil the sum of three hundred dollars per annum with which to employ persons to read to such blind pupil from text-books and pamphlets used by such pupil in his studies at such college, university or school, or to aid a deaf student in receiving instruction in such studies. 2. Such moneys shall be paid annually, after the beginning of the school year of such institution, by the treasurer of the state on the warrant of the comptroller, to the treasurer of such institution, on his presenting an account showing the actual number of blind or deaf pupils matriculated and attending the institution, which account shall be verified by the president of the institution and accompanied by his certificate that the trustees have recommended the pupils named in said account as hereinbefore provided. 3. The trustees of any of the said institutions shall recommend no blind or deaf person, who is not regularly matriculated, and who is not in good and regular standing, and who is not working for a degree from the institution in which he is matriculated; and no blind or deaf person shall be recommended, who is not doing the work regularly prescribed by the institution for the degree for which he is a candidate. The moneys so paid to any such institution shall be disbursed for the purposes aforesaid by and under the direction of its board of trustees. (Added by L. 1923, ch. 163.) Education Law. (L. 1909, ch. 21; L. 1910, ch. 140) § 94-a. Transfer of powers of state board of charities in relation to the New York State School for the Blind to the commissioner of education. All the powers of regulation, supervision and control heretofore exercised by the state board of charities upon, over and in relation to the New York State School for the Blind at Batavia, by virtue of the state charities law, are hereby transferred to and vested in the commissioner of education in addition to his other powers and duties, and the commissioner of education shall hereafter exercise and perform in relation to such state school for the blind all the powers and duties heretofore exercised and performed by the state board of charities relating to the regulation, supervision and control of such school under the provisions of the state charities law. Nothing herein contained shall in any way deprive the state board of charities of its powers of visitation and inspection in regard to said school for the blind as provided in the constitution nor affect in any way the fiscal control of said school now exercised under the state charities law by the fiscal supervisor of state charities. (Added by L. 1919, ch. 136.) VII. FARM SCHOOLS. (L. 1909, ch. 21; L. 1910, ch. 140.) The board of super § 610. Establishment of farm schools. visors of any county outside of the city of New York may adopt. a resolution by a majority vote of the members of the board establishing a farm school for the purpose of giving instruction in the trades and in industrial, agricultural and homemaking subjects to children of the county not more than eighteen nor less than eight years of age who may be admitted thereto as provided by law. (Added by L. 1915, ch. 307.) § 611. Acquisition of lands and erection of buildings. Upon the adoption of the resolution as provided in the foregoing section the board of supervisors shall purchase land in some conveniently accessible place in the county to be used for the purpose of such school. They may acquire such land by gift, purchase or condemnation. The land when so acquired shall be held in the name of the county for the benefit of such school. Upon the acquisition of such land the board of supervisors shall erect the necessary buildings and suitably equip them for use. Such board may also provide for the improvement of existing buildings and make such repairs and alterations on the buildings upon the land used for the purpose of the school as may be necessary for the maintenance and operation thereof. (Added by L. 1915, ch. 307.) § 612. Board of managers. The board of managers of such school shall consist of not less than five members and shall be composed of all the city, village and district superintendents of schools of the county in which it is located, in addition to such other members as may be necessary to make a total membership of such board of not less than five. Such additional members of the board shall be appointed by the board of supervisors from the resident taxpayers of the county, who shall serve for terms of four years commencing on the first day of January succeeding their appointment. Such terms shall be so arranged that the terms of no two of the members so appointed shall expire in the same year, and for this purpose the terms of the members first appointed hereunder shall be as follows: In case one member shall be appointed, the term shall be four years, in case two members shall be appointed, the terms shall be four and two years, respectively, in case three members shall be appointed, the terms shall be four, three and two years, and in case four members shall be appointed, the terms shall be four, three, two and one year, respectively, which terms shall commence on the first day of January succeeding their appointment, and their successors shall be appointed for full terms of four years as above provided. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired portion of the terms. The members of the board shall serve without compensation. They shall receive their necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The amount of such expenses shall be charged against the county and shall be paid in the same manner as other county charges. The board shall organize by the election of one of its members as chairman and another as secretary. (Added by L. 1915, ch. 307.) § 613. Powers and duties of board. The board of managers of such school shall be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the school; employ a superintendent and such teachers and assistants as may be required for the operation and maintenance of the school when authorized so to do by the board of supervisors of the county; fix the compensation of such superintendent, teachers and assistants within the amount made available therefor by the said board of supervisors; prescribe rules and regulations for the management of the school and for the purpose of carrying into effect the object thereof; provide for the detention, maintenance and instruction of all children who are admitted to the school. (Added by L. 1915, ch. 307.) § 614. Powers of superintendent; discipline of school. The superintendent of the school shall, subject to the regulations of the board of managers: 1. Have the general management of the school and the land, buildings and equipment thereof, and devote his entire time to its affairs; 2. Be responsible for the welfare of pupils of the school and see that the regulations and directions of the board of managers are carried into effect; 3. Supervise and direct the methods of instruction and the performance of duties by the teachers, assistants and employees of such school; 4. Prescribe rules for the government and discipline of the pupils of the school and cause such rules to be enforced; 5. Protect and care for the property of the school; 6. Give special attention to the proper instruction, detention, restraint, discipline, comfort and physical and moral welfare of the pupils of the school, and perform such other duties as may be required of him by the board of managers, with a view of carrying out the purposes of this article. (Added by L. 1915, ch. 307.) § 615. Course of instruction. The board of managers shall prescribe the courses of instruction to be followed in such school, subject to the approval of the commissioner of education. Such |