(a) It shall be the duty of the State Board of Education to take or have taken a quadrennial census of school age children. The cost of taking and keeping the census shall be a legitimate item in the budget and shall be paid out of state funds. The state board shall have authority to adopt such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to maintain the school census between enumerations on a current basis.

(b) If any parent, guardian, or other person refuses to give any properly authorized census taker, teacher, school principal, or other school official charged with the duty of obtaining the school census in any county or independent school system the necessary information to enable such person to obtain an accurate and correct census or shall knowingly and willfully make any false statement to any person duly authorized to take the school census of any county or independent system, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $25.00 or by confinement not to exceed 30 days, or by both, in such manner as the court shall direct.