The development of secondary education in the United States since the beginning of the present century has been truly remarkable. Public high-school enrollment increased by 257 per cent in the 20 years between 1900 and 1920. An increase of 53 per cent was reported in only six years (from 1916 to 1922). Legal provisions now exist for the establishment and maintenance of schools of secondary grade in rural communities in every State of the Union. the material presented in this bulletin was compiled from the pamphlets of school laws published by State departments of education and from the published acts of State legislatures. The study is designed to treat only the external organization and general administration of secondary education; little or no attention is given to internal organization and curriculum arrangement. The main facts shown here relate to: (1) What kind of school corporation may establish a high school; (2) The nature of the board or body having administrative control; and (3) What means of support are provided in the law. Primarily, the study seeks to determine, in so far as practicable in a legal study, whether rural children are adequately provided with high-school opportunity. This bulletin also presents summaries of laws relating to the payment of tuition fees for high school pupils attending elsewhere than in their home districts. Following an Introduction this bulletin covers the following topics: (1) Recent high-school growth; (2) Purpose of the study; (3) Existing high-school laws; (4) High-school districts; (5) the county and the high school; (6) Boards of control; (7) High-school maintenance; (8) Tuition, transfers, transportation; (9) Observation and suggestions; (10) The county as a unit for high-school purposes; (11) Maintenance; (12) Tabular digest of laws; and (13) Summary of laws relating to tuition, transfers, and transportation. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]