OFFICE OF THE Al7ORNEY GENERAL OF 7EXAS 

AUSTIN 

Ronorablo L. R. Phomp8on 

&Wf Auditor 

Doat Sir; 

38 us in reorlpt 

lQC0, in whioh potl ra$urr 

ryus common Oon*oltdatwl 

County. 

I to tha rtatum of 

t 80. 11 In Taylor 

act8 in forrr letter ot 

getit loll6 the 

oup thr two oaaOoIrfaon oon8olidatr6 

W l 6 the Xylf. COW 

irtrlot HOG. llr At 

088 wro mlbmlttr4 to 

, %r$a Coimon Yohool Diltriot 

olastlo population of 6s an6 

n Sohool Dlatriot 80. 11 had a 

polation 0r 847. There 4lrtrlotr 

as pray84 for in tha petition8 

riot thw orratrd ha8 opsnted 

rlnor a8 a oomon ooasolidatrd mhool dirtriot. 

=It is thought by &me that rhor therm 

blatrlotr wora ipoupad u8 t&y wrs by the 

county mar& t&at tbry form4 a rural high 
Honorable L. B. Tho=96on, Pa. 3 

rohool dlrtrlot but after thrlr grouping 

the Iborl6 Comon Sob001 DI8triot Ho. 33 

loat ita Identity and 110 sohool ram -intalnod In that dbtriot. In faot, building6 aid 6quIpms6t were all momd to th6 

2yllo ~ohool site. 

=~oOordlng to Art1016 e93t-A, PoblIo 

School Law of Terre, It 606166 to m6 that 

a raral high rchool dIetrIot of tha tyger 

nentlomd oorrLd not hare boa& legally 

oreatod. 

"Tim qraotlon al60 arose a6 to whether 

n6 had’l,egally created a sohool dlatrlot; 

tharefon, wo aoked that th6 LogIrlatur6 

raildate ouoh di8trfot a8 orrntsd in 1933. 

So at thr Ssoond Call S6s6ion ot the Portyfifth Loglslntuz’6 Eiou~r Ml1 Ho. 69, a 

valldatlag not ran pcresod talld6tlnq the 

dirtriot no oreated. 

R51noe it WUB the de8lre of tha patrons 

of thasr tm sohool dI6trIct6 to hare or66t6d 

a common oonrolidat6d dlrtrlot and not a rural 

high.oo~oldI8trlot and rl6oe ltwas the 

Iat~tlOn Or tb County Boat0 to oreate such 

a &latrlot, uo reel thit the atatua or the 

dI6trIct ohould be tbat.of s ooinumn oonrolldated amriot. 

'*It 60oa6 tkit tbs coarlty Board in its 

aotlon8 was riot oontrolled by any law glrtng 

thss the authority to aot ,a8 thay did. They 

aeamad to hare taken it SOT granted that they 

had 8ueh authority tihen they declared the d&qtriot8 so grouped.* 

At our request, yua hero al80 furnlebrrd a oopy of 

the minutor of the County Who01 Board dated hprll, 1933, at 

whloh tha aborr nuntioned aotlon uua taken. Said alnutsr 

read an r0u0w6: 

"Parties lntare8tod in the annexation of 

IbrrI6 to '6~110 SON prearnt a8king that tho 

annexation ba not mado. After dlsouarlon of 
149 

IbBOZdbl8 L. 8. Thoqwa, Pago 3 

the matter i&r. 8. T. FOrgtieon madO 6 notion 

that the matter k dorrrrrd to 6m0 futum 

-J-g”* The mtlonwaa loot having no 

yurthrr dIBCUO6iOa follorwd, SOfor ani 503O awlnet th8 pr0poaItlon. 

“After duo 0QBBfdO~tfOB, rinaJmg that 

thr prtltlon from t&O Ibrrlr Cozmo6 School 

Distrfot )38 bore thr signatures of a majority 

0r th6 ~~ualirf~a rotsrr In raid dl6trlot and 

l l6o had thr Sfg66tUreB of a majority Or tbr 

trUBtO~6 Of Said dirtriot t&id that Said petition rar in all r6oprotr l6@ aa hating thr 

ar0errary not100 of a0ooptaaor la writing iron 

thr by110 CoaaolIQtOd Conuwn School Diatriot 

ill, 6fgB~d by a majority of thr members of 

the Board of TrUJtea6 of the w$116 Di6trlot, 

the Board of CoUnty Sok~ol TruJteca ot Taylor 

Couaty, Taxne pacssd the following order: 

'The potitloa of J. 3. Lovatt and others 

asking that the Iberia Camon School Dirtriot 

336 b6 aanorod to t& V;yllO Coa6olldatOd Dl6- 

trIOt fill bo gr&Od, andtbat ~bOrf6 Comrpo6 

Sohool DiBtriOt &38 I6 hereby aMOx to th6 

'Uyllo ConaolidatOd DiBtriOt ill and that all 

t#rtitOr~ A01 lying Within t& bOUB&rfS# Of 

both the Yiy116 Coxmolidated District $11 and 

the Iberia Comaon :i0hool Dlatrlot $36 be InOludod ln thr ivy110 ConmlldatOd Dirtrict $11 

and thO ruao Ohall by rOdot1m.l to ocaformrlth 

this Ordrr an4 shall bO imown a6 Wyllr Consolldated DI6trIot ill sad Ohallbo rurther ddfB66 

by Wt.6 and bound6 88 foUnd in Reoord of School 

Ddp.c+tfmor Taylor county pago Book 

. 

By lottor opfnIo6 dated Saauary 84, 1938, thI6 department adliard the CouBty Sohool SupOrlntc%dOat of Taylor 

Courrtytkmt baa64 upon t.h~ tranrorlpt beice* this d*partnnat 

at that tlum, the l 6hool df6trlot was not a oonsolldat6d oamzaon 6ChOOl dirtriot and the writer expressed th6 opialon that 

It wa6 a rural high 6ohooldi8trlot. That lrttar apparently 

arooe out or the faot that tha Zylir School Diatriot had prrasntsd bonds to tblr dopeirtmont ror apprmal and they w0r6 

ro)sotad boeauso th6 propOr authorltiba tad not o6llOd the 

l lOotIoa, ou0h l l60tfon hatlniJ baoa called undrr~ tha law6 
150 

Honorabla L. R. Thompson, P666 4 

applicable to ~n6OlidatOd dI6triotr. 

Correepondonco in the off108 of tho Dopartmont 

of Education reveals th a l t ubaoquont to the above l OtIO6 

by the Attorney drnoral tho Fir& AMIrtant State SuporIntendant rdrlaod the County Superlatendont 0s Taylor 

Couoty t&t I6 hi6 OpIBlon the dlrtrlat W66 not a oon6olIdated 6ohooldi6ttlat, rlmo the &iLtUtoB grorlding 

the procedure ror consolidation had not been rollowl. 

After further oorro6pondenco and oon8ultatlon with th6 

rttoraay O6aoral*a orfi00 tbr tlrat A6616tant stat6 sugeerintsndont reaffixmod hi6 o'9IaIoa by lottor dated April 

11, 1958, t&t a oonrolldatod diatrfot ~a# aot oroatoa 

and cxjmcerd the oplnlon that tha County Board had tolpatha procedure u-4 In orsating rural high 6ohool dir- 

. Ee adrfsod that if a aa- aon6olldat.d school 

dlstrlot wa8 desired, such rural high school dl6ttrlct as 

had been formd, If my, should be blsolrod and an election 

orillod to oreate a ooaealldated diatriot under the proti6iOn6 Of ..iI’tiClS 2806, SeVi804 Glrll StatQt.6, 1925, md 

that the bond6 be ro~tot.4. 

?roatho rooorda before us, apparently no further 

aotlon ha6 bean taken. 

Conoolfdatcd dI6trIota are foraed upon tho approval 

of 6 3naJorlty of the wallflod rotor6 in eaoh di6triOt l ffOOtad, at an alootloa called for that purpo60. Tho l leotlon rotuna sre oazwasrcd by tha oommfe6ioaer6~ OOUH and Bach oourt 

declares the bletrlota consolidated. Se8 Artlolo 2806, Rovloed Cl~ll St.3tut06, 1935. clearly the County Board Of 

school Trusttea could SOt dlsrogard the p~OVI6lOlv Of the 

Statute6 end r0rp a ca66olldatod df#triCt Ia 'a cuaaaor unauthorlzed by law: We think tb OpIxiiOu of the Pirat ABBiBtaBt 

State 3upcrlatoadaBt and the fOn!N OPlnl011 by this deiartsont 

in this rcspeot are comot. 

Rural high #ah001 di8trIoto are foraod by ogrouplng* 

and %moxatlon* uadiw +tlolo 2922a. RotIaod Civil atatutor, 

1925. Xaoh of t bsso ooaaon 6OhooL. dl8trIots ha a aohola6tio 

p0opulatfoa of 1066 than roar h9rrdr.a (+oO),and if any authority orIstod at all, oould haro bean "group6b"to form a rural 

kiiep sahool di6trict by the County Board wftbout t& ~.666- 

sity ot a rote of th0 pooplo, ooaarat of t& local truotoea 

or any othr action 0u the pwt oi the 9o0oplo re6Iafag In 

said dirtriot. gou stat0 that no 001 intended to oroato a 
Iioaorablo L. R. Thompson, Paga 8 

rural high aohool dlatrlot and dib aot want ouoh a dirtrict. 

Proin tha rooord before M we think you ue oorreot in thlr 

rtakaont and 8ft8r a oarrrul 8oamh of the Statuttrr in 

fOrOa 6t thr tip8 the County 3oard acted, ~8 h-8 oome to 

th8 WllOh8iOn that th8 i?QUd attWlpt8d t0 fO~OU a SttitUta 

which authorized thr d8taOharat of territory frm on8 dietrfot 8ita eaaeratloa to another; ln other *orddo, 8 ch8a~e 

or boundary betwoon two ooatfsuour ai8triOt8. 

AQt8 1929, U8t trgi8l4tUre, Firat C811d 2k8810Br 

p. 106, oh. 47, 88 amended, AOt8 1931, 4Ead tegi818tUre, p. 

235, eh. 140, MO. 1 (app8arlng a8 Artial8 2742-F, Vernon18 

‘hXa8 CiVil S-tot88 2riOr t0 it8 OIWlldp8Ut by AOt8 1935, 

44th Lagl8latare, p. 790, ah. 339, 8eo. 2) provided in Sootlon 1 that the County Board ci TrU8tCe8 rhould have authority when petitioned, to dstaoh territory iron on8 8ohool 

dl8triot and aaau it to snother, provided the 2oard of Tnwt8e8 oi th8 dirtriot to which the annexation WE8 to be ilrade 

approrrd the transfer. xi th8 territory attachad.nhoQld efoe8d ten par oeat (10%) of the entire dlatriot the ~p8tition 

W(r8 r8qufrOd to be 8i(@XSd by a CllijOritr Of th8 'ZZU8kO8 snt 

of the qualified toter8 or the dietrlat rmn which the turltory ua8 taken. Dpoa reoeipt af tmoh petltion 8IId won notioa 

of' th8 approval in ~rltlng by’the Board Oi TrUst808 t0 whioh 

ths territory wall to be adaed, the County TrPotee8 odrd authorized to 9ass i.ta ordsr traart8rrlng aafd turitory aad 

redeflalag the boUndaria Oi the di8triOt8 8rr8Ot8d. It -8 

rnrther provided that no 8ekmo~ aistriat 8hoald br r8ducea to 

8il U8a Or lS88 tbaa llioe (9) 8pw0 ari188. 

Ceotioa 14, a8 aiucaded, provided ior ths d8tachdent of t8lTitOm irOm 8CTOrd CcWAt%yOUa bi8triOt8 by th8 

CoUaty Board Or TrU8tes8 sod aUthOriZ8d th83 t0 Orsate th#I'efrom a new inoorporatad or wmaoa 8ohool d 18tttlOt. 

Our eonolaalon that the Trurtee8 ware attempting 

to oonsolidate th8 di8triOt8 k qUO8tiOXl under thr aborl 

Stutute ir baaed apon th8 raOt that the miaate8 rhow that a 

prtltion 8f@8d by a 8taJority or the quellfled Voter8 Or 

tha fbetfs ilohool District W&8 presented, thst 8da petition 

8lw bore th8 8iglratWeC Or d SUjOrity Of th8 Tm8tW8 Of 

said dirtriot ad further tht it OoUtailled tha %8Od488rJ* 

wtiO8 0r 8ae89taac8 in writins ma the 7~118 s&o01 Dirtrlot 8ign8d by a maJority or the member8 of the Board 0r 

TrU8t888. iiidently th8 Board of Trunteas 8OIIllid8r8d thesa 

matter8 nsoasrary to th8ir aotloa and y8t no 8uoh rewirrment 

i8 pl'e88nt in “lJl%NQil@ 00-D 8OhcOl dirtrIOt with a 
Eoaorable t. B. Tho~8jmon, P8ue 6 

8OhOla8tiO population 1OSS than fOUr hundred (400) IUiAOr 

ArtIolr 292% whloh authorlzr8 the orerrtloa of rural hia 

8OhOO1d iBtriOt8. 1x0 oannot b8 eertaln it-oath0 raotr 

b8iOM UI that this 18 true but it doa8 t8ad t0 8oppOrt 

the ooaolu8ion that there ~08 not an attempt to oreate a 

rural high 8OhOol dI8trlOt. Thr taot that tromtho data 

Or the action by th8 CoUUtJ ROUd Utttil th8 pr888t tim 

tho d18trlot ha8 ~b8an oporat8d a8 a 0Oa8011dateA distrlot 

would aho 8upport thr ooaolo8ioa that there w118 an 8ttsqt 

to asat 8 rUr81 high 8OhOO1 di8triOt. 

The Validrti~ 80t to whloh JOU ref8r in four 

letter appe8r8 a8 EUU~O Bill HO. 59, Ch8ptOr 23, AoU 4Sth 

Legislature, Eeooad Call06 Sm8lon, Page 1898, and read8 

a8 r0u00rs: 

Y3eotioa 1. T&t the Wy110 ConrolIAateA 

Coprppoa SOboA Di8triOt lo. ll or Taylor County 

a8 l lsrged bt ordrr ot the Couaty Bard of 

ikhool TruetOe or Taylor County paurd and 

adopt86 on the 8th day of April, 193S annexing 

Ibor18 CozmOn SOhoOl D18trIOt No. 38 to said 

Wrlla COnaoliAated Comaon Sah001 D18trlctno. 

11 In re8ponoi to a p4tItloa signed by a majoritt Of the M8lb8r8 Or th8 ward Of ‘PrU8t808 Ot 

said IborI8 Common Bchool Dilrtrlot Ho. 98 aad 

by a majority Ot the NU.fIeA TOtet8 in 8aiA 

dirtriot ana by 6 loajorlt~ of the ple!&er8 0r 

thr Baard oi TrU8tW8 or ivylIe Coxmolldatod 

Common Bohool DLtriOt MO. 11, be and the 

8apI 18 in all r88JWOt8 ralIdat8d and 0Wfil-m.d. 

wSeotIoa 2. T&it the mat.8 and bound8 0r 

wy11r con00udatoa cormpon soho Di8triot no. 11, 

Taylor CoUntya Texar are and ehall hereaatter bo 

ilxed aaa drror1b86 a8 fOilOW81" (Hero fO11OW8 

tb 08t88 ad bouadr Or aald di8trIOt) 

Seotion 3 purport8 to vaIldaN the rrrnlt of aa 

018OtfOU ror the a88UniptiOU 0r the bonded inaebteane88 w’prlor 

to the fonatfon of the pt88Mt Xyli. Coasolldatwl COSmOa 

Sob01 Dilltriot No. urn aad to authOrir.8 the i88aanae at Oertala bond8 and tim Isrr or tarerr. 

Thi8 Xot 8UpQOrt8 OOT -lkOlU8fOn that t hOt8 Wa8 00 

lnteatloa or attempt to form a rural hl&h rahool dirtriot. 

sin08 th8 L8gf8lnture 5al not by 8paalal law oneto 
Honorable L. B. Tboap~on, Pago I 

or validate attsapt8d oreation8 of 8OhOO1 dirtriots the 

~roregoIng dot 18 olearly anoon8tItutlonal and did act ari8Ot the legal 8tatU8 Of th8 dlatrlot. T8X88 COn8titutiOn, 

hJtIole 7, i;eotlon S, stlole 3, Lootion 53; Trltter f. 

;!88t (nit IVfUSrd) 6s s. L. (2d) 414; ~rownflela T. Toagate, (T.C.A.) 109 S. 'h. (2d) 352. 

Aat8 1938, 44th Llgi8btU8, 3rd Called Se88iOll, 

Page 1992 (Art. 292%-l, Voraoa*8 TaXa CIVIl Statatem) 18 

a general ralldatbq aot ralidatIn& thr notion Or County 

3oflda *in orratlad or attwtlag to areate oon8olIdat8d 

rural high 8ohooldiatrIot8*. From the rooord brioro ~8, 

howover, we oannot with any Argrw of oertalnty AetermIao 

that the County Board in thi8 itutanoe ~88 attemgtfng to 

oreate a ~aoarolidat8d r9ral high 8OhOOl di8trf8t." 

It 18 our OpInIoa that the Lb8ri8 Conron Sahool 

Di8trfOt wa8 not ralldly annoxed to tho Wylie Johool DIE 

trlot or tb two dl8trIotr QOn8Olfbat8A uo er to i0m a de 

Jurr iuylle Coznon Coruolldatod Sob001 InoUAIlrg tho t8rrltory 

Or the Iberi8 GOiSWn 30hOO1 Di8triOt. 

Ba8ed O$iOO th. MOOtd bdOM U8 W. Ue Or th8 

0pInIon that the Wylie Cozmoa Cooaolldated Sabool DLtrIot, 

Iaoludingthe terrltary of the IbeT; Coisaion Sob001 DI8trIot, 

is not a rural high soh001 dl8trIot. 

The .8t8tUi Of thi8 district ba8 kin in qU8StiOn 

sSno* 193;3, and ha8 bean a 8o~rae of Alft8r8aoe 0r oplaloa In 

the oommualt$o8 ror noveral f8ar8, harIng bera oalled'to thr 

attontlQ.qn 0tpk8 AttOt-lt8t Gea8ral's Departwit 8nb tlm Demrtmeat of EAuoatlQn 8eT8Ml tflt88, th830 depart-at8 having 

raled that the aotloa oi the Couaty Board was rofd inroiar 

a8 It attempt04 to oroat a OOn8OlIdated dlstrlot whioh’you 

8tcite th8 &WO910. de8lre. 1so doubt th18 dirtriot will In thr 

ruture attempt to lrsuo bond8 or take othor aotloa whloh dll 

depoad upon th8 relidlty of the aotlon oi th8 County Board la 

1933. 88 thfBk the advia Or tb6 First A88i8tMt sate SUpsrInt8nAant M8 approprlatr'and timely Air8a, wherrla it wa8 reoomemdea that proper aotlon be taker under the grneral law 

to obviate th8 dlffioulty OOlkO~XliB&tbe 8tatU8 Of tb8e di8- 

trlat8. 

Your8 very trUly 

APPRC'ETAPR. 8, 1940 

ATTORNEY GENERAL 03? TmS w 

ccc:Rs