Opinion No. 16-1895
November 3, 1916
TO: Miss Refugio Aragon, Rich Hall, Silver City, New Mexico.
Laundry bills not included in $ 20.00 per month allowed for expenses of student teachers.
OPINION
{*439} I have just received your letter of the first instant. Upon a reexamination of the statute I am of opinion that the letter of October 30 from this office to you is quite correct. The money provided in the statute can be used only for the purposes specified in the statute. Those purposes are "board, books and school supplies, lodging, matriculation and tuition, while in attendance." Three hundred dollars are appropriated for each student teacher for the purposes specified, and in the first part of the paragraph the expenditures are limited to actual and necessary expenses. I am unable to see how any part of that money can be used for any other purpose such as paying for laundry. In the latter part of the same paragraph there is a proviso that the amount allowed to each student teacher for board and lodging shall not be less than twenty dollars per month. Under this proviso I cannot see that it makes any difference where the student teacher boards or lodges. She is entitled to the twenty dollars per month, and from the twenty dollars she can pay any other expenses as she chooses outside of those specified in the statute.
I have not yet received any other letter from Mr. Enloe, but when I do, if I see any reason to change the opinion we have heretofore expressed to you, and as well to the governing board of the State Normal School at El Rito, in Rio Arriba county, we will inform you.