It is hereby made the duty of the clerks of all school districts and boards of education within the state of New Mexico, to report to the school superintendent of their respective counties, the names, age, sex and residence of all deaf or hard-of-hearing persons of school age residing within their respective districts together with the post-office address of the parents or guardians of such children, this report to be incorporated in the regular report from such school district at the time provided by laws; and it shall be the duty of such school superintendent to at once send a report to the superintendent of the New Mexico school for the deaf, including the names and addresses of all such children within this county.

It shall then be the duty of the superintendent of the New Mexico school for the deaf to at once notify the parents or guardians of such children to send the same to this school for proper instruction at a time to be fixed by him.

If the parent or guardian of any such child shall make a statement that by reason of his limited financial circumstances he is unable to suitably clothe such child and provide means of transportation for it from its home to such school, or provide for medical care for said child, and a representative of the state department of public welfare or the county superintendent of schools, or the superintendent of any city, town, village or consolidated school, of such county in which the child lives shall certify that such is the fact, then and in that case the superintendent of the New Mexico school for the deaf is authorized to draw a voucher upon the board of trustees for a sufficient amount of money to suitably clothe such child and pay for its transportation to this school and provide for medical care for such child, which voucher shall be honored by such board, and such child shall thereupon be sent by its parents or guardian to such school for instruction; provided that the above statement and certificate shall be renewed each year. The provisions of the laws of New Mexico in regard to compulsory attendance upon the public schools shall be applicable to attendance upon some school for the deaf or the hard of hearing, and the school directors of the several districts are hereby required and directed to enforce the same with regard to this school in the same manner as is provided by those laws for enforcing attendance upon the district schools.

Any failure on the part of any person hereinbefore mentioned to comply with the duties herein provided shall be deemed a misdemeanor and punished as such.

History: Laws 1899, ch. 42, § 4; Code 1915, § 5104; C.S. 1929, § 130-406; 1941 Comp., § 55-2305; Laws 1947, ch. 40, § [1]; 1953 Comp., § 73-24-5.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 68 Am. Jur. 2d Schools §§ 228 to 239.

Extent of legislative power with respect to attendance and curriculum, 39 A.L.R. 477, 53 A.L.R. 832.

Transportation of school pupils at expense of public, 63 A.L.R. 413, 118 A.L.R. 806, 146 A.L.R. 625.

78 C.J.S. Schools and School Districts § 100 et seq.; 78A C.J.S. Schools and School Districts § 734 et seq.