OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

cyg+O”ER SELLERS 

~q-Tc#RNEY GNrRAL 

gonomble T. ?4'. Trimble 

p&pat AaBiBttut 

st8to supt. Of Public Ica"truotion 

AUBtin, T8Xfi% 

Dear Slrl Opinion no. O-70&8 

Her Sale o?' rahool building of 

elemntery sohool district 

signed by the County Siqwr 

vere very zwlpful to this 

School Trustees of 

t by aimexing three 

pcmdent S&o01 Dlrioniareque8ted relate 

110 three dlatzicta by 

01 diBtZ';FICt.' The tWtB 

briefly summaxiced ea 

na1rJtalned no aoh 

0 th8 iorxaation oi the 

trict, all sahola~tlos 

the ele?nuntmy gradea, hrre attendB loaated in the Oity of San Wmaos. 

6me school bullding and a teauherage owned 

by A are not used and 8re rapidly deteriorating. 

2. School Dllitriat B mf.11 l&3 mainE+bsed for 
gmorrble T. W. Trlmble - page 2 

Anglo-Amoriaan BtUdWltB elementary 

school through the 7th grad. in its 

sohool bulldlng. xoveveP* for eight 

ysallr its hl$h school Btudentr have 

sttended the high school of San Marco6 

Independent Sahool DIetrict. Prior to 

the fozmtlen of the rum1 high school 

dletrlct, tultlon for BU@~ 8tudentB VW 

paid from local fundr OS rchool di,strlot 

B. After the forrurtlon of the rural high 

BchOol dlBtrlOt eQd beton the cOIIIIeDcement of the 1945-46 rahool year, it van 

determined that the An@o-Amerlcen eleleantory students should be traarported 

to and taught in the elementary rchool 

looeted vithln the City of San Jkroo~. 

Accordingly, thlr vaa done, md no muhool 

fop mob rtudenta vas malntalnod In mhool 

district BL A Spanleh-Ameploen elomemterg 

sat1001 her been maintained ln the dlmtrlct 

prior to urd mince the foxuatlon or the ~urrl high rchool dlstxlot. During the who01 

gem just oonaluded the 8veraga dctil~r attendauae of rush Spsnlsh-Amerloen studentr w&s 

This rohool vas the only Bahool ulntai.ned 

%tUn the distrQt during 1945-46. 

3. School district C lus maintained no school 

for ~lO-~PbUI BtUbnfB iOr 9OPB th& 

eight years. Al& wah Boholmstlor,~both ln 

elementary end fn high Bohoel gmder, heve 

attended city BehOOlB, and ttition VI8 paid 

until the forimtlon of the rural high eohool 

QlBtPlct. Aweleme~tery rohool fop SpenlrhAa~eriaen scholastlcr hrn been mainklnod both 

prior to and after fowatlon of the pupal high 

Bohool dl.rtrlct. 11n 194 

ment of thl.~ eahool vaa 5 

-16 the total enroll1; hovever, the everago daily attendance van only 18.2. 

In connection vlth these faot8 tbe following queetlonr 

(LPB askedr 

"Under the fact6 above-Btated ufm the tPUBtsOB 
h 

, . 

mmorable T. W. TrlmKb - w 3 

OS San Marcor I. S. D. (1) dlsaontinue esah end %.U 

of the school8 (or &I thereof eZeept the B%.id tV0 

Mexlasn sa.hools, 'If it Be des5rsble to oontlnue .the 

8ome) in the forn!er canuson BohaOl dlrtrsSot%~ 8nd (2) 

petition the county bawd ol' sahool trustees of H-8 

County, Texsm, to oonaolidste each of eoid folwer 

BChOOi distAat8 with San MsZ'a~s I. S. D. fOl' elementsry aahoolpwpose8? 3hOuld the aounty board 

see fit to nopln, the order affeatlng auah aonsolldstlQn, then vould the trUStseD of 8snUera08 I. S.D. 

be In position ta sell 8nd aowey snd psms goad tltl6'to Said prop%rty, sftUated la the said former 

aomuwn sahool distxlctsP . . .* 

You ssk iurther, if t&e county besrd does not see fit to 

pars ?ih8 con%olldE&lon order, vhst reaoume the Ssn Msmos bosrd of 

tmtmtsea would have, and 0180, if the 8lin XBXCOS bcsxd of tl’U%l;saB 

oaa#aot peer, title sa outlined In the 6bove quoted rwitter, Vhat pro- 

~&PO shouldbs fdllOti$ in the OCBV9~MtJO or ssid popsrty. 

Thatps?ttiArtlale ~22fdesllngtith sbollshings.nd 

aorwolldrtlng elensntary saha01 distriata szn¶ the disaantlnusnee 

at futh0018 vlthln elenentrry school diBtriOt% restis %8 ialZ~~%; 

"The countybosrd of sahe~ltrusteea ehsll not&me 

the authori 

?: 

to eballsh OF oon8olUs~ my elensnty 

school dlstr at %l*ssdy e%t%bllshed swept uwn the vote 

of aa arfalty of the quallfleb electors residing In such 

elementsry diiltrict3 p~ov3..ded th%t vhen s sahoo~ wlthln 

sn elewntsry dlmtrlct foils te hsve sn BAVB&@ dully Sttendsnoe the preaedlng year of st lesst twenty pupils it 

megbe di8oontlnuedby the board of trustee8 of Bsldrursl 

high sahool dlstrlot, snd sad pistriat Amy be uoasolldated 

bv the oountx b0s.t.d of sah~tmasteea tith aoms othe~dish&-or dlstr~ts ior ekeks.m 

(Emphs818 supplied) 

sahool purnosee; . . .I' 

Upon flrat @u-me it vould app%ex that if f&e everag dally 

sttendeaccr of w school vlthla sn elmtmtary dl%t~l& VBFC) below 

tventy, then thet m could by discontinued @?d the entim distriat could be consolidated with enother district oP distrlate for 

grium~~.o~~yx~~a. This, hovever, is obviously net VhiiTFAfmma that in sn element%P'y d3.striat 

four elmmntsry scimols mm3 raointd.ned, tkWe With 8@rt5 th*o 100 
~~orrble T. W. TrLrble - pasr 4 

stuuonts and 0110 vith 0aly 10. Thea a literal r0ii0vbg 0r the 

atetute vould pneax that the district oould be oonaolldated, aa 

outlined, vlth another dlatrtct for elementary school purpoaea. 

l%e abaurbity of such a conclualon la evident, It IS OUP opin1~ that the ~gialature intended, and the statute should ba interpreted to Inolude, all elementary aaholastIo8 reaidlng In the 

dirtriot. In other vorda, 1P the averaga daily attendaace of all 

l leatentary l cholaatica reaIdLnmg in the dlatrlct falls belov tventy, then the aohool OF achoola can be diaoontlnued and the dlatrlot caulda~o~naolld8ted vlth mother dlatrlot or dlatrlcta lor 

9-J--~- vuumoaea . 

Even vlth thI8 interpretation It vould appear tbet the 

l ltuatlon under conaldention would fall apumely vlthin the prcvlaioaa of the proviso providing ror the emaolldatlon of a school 

dlatrict wboae avera& daiJq rttetu%moe falls belov tventy, for in 

l abool district A no elemOnkry pup118 attended school vlthln the 

dj%triot, nnd in school diatriats B pnd C the overage dsily attendaaca in eaoh of the Spanlab-Amorhan elementary l choala, the caly 

onea malntaiaed, vas below tventy, 

Xovevor, let ua oxrpliao Artlole 29g21 furthor, vblch 

artlclo providea, In parta 

‘Whonevor cne or XOFB ccmmo~l school dlatrlcta me 

aaaexod to a cmoa school diatrlot or to an ladependent dlatrlot under the pr~vfaIoara of Section 1, auoh 

comea or Independent dlatrlot ahall maintain elemeatary 

achoola of such clasalfIcatIfm aa tho ocunty board amy 

dealgnate In each dlatrlct 80 umexod, ror the aaae 

i0ndth 0r ton8 prcvlded tar the acboola 0r tho aaid 

ommcn aohool dlatriot or Independeat dlatrlct. . .* 

In intsrpret5,a.g this provlalon the oourt In the caao of 

County Boerd of School Tmstees of Limatoae CountJ v. WIlacn et 

at (TOM. clv. App.), 5 S. U. (26) 805, aktod aa follwa: 

(I * . . l&en tvo or mor0 diatriota are eor~aolIdated under the articles sbovo referred to (Articles 

2806-2815), each dlrtrlct lore8 It8 oepwete ldentlty, 

unleaa It be ror oertein llmltod purpoaea In eonmotlcn vith taxation, end they togothsr thoreaftor oonatituts P single dlstrlot a8 Ehcugh they bad Mver had 

asparats exlatence. In auoh cai3o eleaentaxg aohoola 

may be looated by the hoard of trusteea of the ooaaoli- 
gcmor8ble T. M. Triable - page 5 

m2w-, itI sun tb a tundmthe r l tmtutm mtioi~ntey 8obootl a acbaola r a wt b e r r ia ta laia md l uh ef th ua mxa d 

dlmtrlotm. of aou2-ma, it 20 la&dad in turn mmndatm th a t l ma timfaotary mahool numtbmntmiatmZnmdma&mmohoolor mohoelm full.y a deq ua tl lemmatmry o r a r c i mBhaumti~mnm~~gwitun thm 

l lmmmntmry dirtrIot, re it vovld not b premmul that tha Lmgimlr?iurm intmaded thmt III unmmtiBf&~ l olwolor m l ohoolte~ 

my a a~eain oh88 or maho;Zutit38 0otlra 8atbry tb 8twutory 

nquirm*nt . 

Wehmvebmmnmdvimmdthmttbmelea mohcUmt%om or 

8ahool dl8trlotl, A, B @ad 0 wh@ &tWnb tb 018 mahoolleo&tad la thm GlQ or &mn Meoom do no by m&wommnt ktwmoa t&a 

hemrdor trurntm48 6r t&ruPml hi& mahea dlmtPfot(8ulumzofBm 

Iadepn&nt bahool D1mbriat) and thm re8ts*rrtm or muoh mlemmatary Qiatrlatm. wa bavm baa-4 aaviW& that prior to tbm tilm 

thmtawhpupila l tetmUrttmMUn$ thm olbf mohoolm, mush dimtWatbmd eclmuy mvmrm6m orilorr, tkma t-at7 gupile;mnd,rurIn Ueuer at ml., 0. BOSM cr wum*m or Wll*on Indep" 

mot soh00i mmw0t 0%~. APR., w. 6. w.), 184 8. w. 

iad) 864, a rni%lglalmPl~ 8 mituatiea to tha OIId uabr QOnrldoration wu km8 tb* 00m. la that oamm arural bighmahoo1 

dlmtrlat hd bmmn forsbdby thm Ummxmtbn OiMorgmn fndrrpmndent 

Mb001 Dl8t&t $0 wil8On f&.epWId& fMh@01 DIStPlot. WO qUOk 

fm8 ta 0pini0n or tb, court: 

” 

. . . 

"Anelenrstmry 8ehoolwmm a&nWnmd in tbm Uorgan 

eohool dimtriotror o~yearr~llewlug theelm~tioabut 

for 8ubmequeatymPm the elonsntmry pupil8 hwr attmnclmd 

the Wlron mcboo2, mnd ths I#orgra m~hoolpr~psrties hmvm 

not been ummd fw mehoo3, pwpk9mmmr i4tmt-m wheel mutherltlem 

hmvu reoognlcmd the nmv dlmtr%ot. Tbm two bullblngm 
mwtblo 2. II. l'risblm - pqm &I 

aUvertla*d for male are Leaabmrm@ hcae* log8tod 0~1 tbm 

Morijira sohoal (yauP&a. + .' 

The court i"rurth*r statal: 

* 

. . . 

‘Artide 2922s pxwf&+r, la aulmtuma that the 

couaty bawd or robool trQm4wm 8ha.l net iLYe tbo 

8utbo&4ty to ~bOU.da Uy amboo dlatrlat 

oftbe qUml%fledvvoterm 

(-#USSiB mypptlmd) 

i*YOr*d i%m mbmtittaa.. 

The oatm held, in eraot, t-bat the *ah001 dirtrict.8 

to- a rum1 bt@t l okool dlrtx%ot did sot lomr tbmir f&eatlty 

tbewby, did af8t #emm te hvm w# inQprnsraa ul*kew, utcl, furttur, tbattbm bum4 ortmutm*m or em rusd hl.@ maboor di+- 

triat hmd a o l uthorlt~ ta mmll tbm annmxti dtitofat'm l cbwl propmggy. SW also Cbmakta v. kuldfn (lbx. 4%~. kpp.), 52 EL. Y. (2d) 

* 

rwm~~ tbenfim, ad~i*mU ttw the pmrtorAx%.&Xh?f 

488fixqvlth ct~Q%8ctaatlmwttonofs&oola vtacwav82sge d8ll.x 

attetxlaaco was lwm tbaa treaty pUpl,lm mnd 00BmolS.4mtiag thm Urntriot vlth maother dlmt~lot OF dXmtv%etm by thm aouatt Wmrd oi 

a&o01 tmuteer rob l lramntwv school mm io net mppllcrble 

to the l lttnttaPr 

hats as outliabd % .seinwt& muboel dl.mtrMi ~~hdmfiwmrrsrgr 

der asasideutisn fer tbo y.g em tbak tmUar thm 

dally attmatlawm of 18~8 thma ty bmfam its atvdmntm rtarted 

attma&iPt: the sitr sh?vl, aad taa rwlaia, drill attN~ae ef 

ptrplla noiding in emoh dlmtrlat ubo a&tea& tbm dImtr&.ct l *houla 

and the oitp mh.od Ir in weema bi twnts. 

You are f%mttier a&f&mod t&t it is bhm opinion of this 

depmaawt that- bacld 5r truteam of t33mBmBlmxwem Xs.ad*W4nt 2iahhcel Matrfat has no auth~.oplty to 501X &km IrmildW and Imn& 

ef maheel diattiotm A, B mnd C onlea& pab vat11 mu eleotltm $8 

hold u&or Article i!%?$!f or Aptfalo @f&t% uh*rSby rucrb mebebool f&latr1cta are coaaolibat*d. State vsr Cadenheab&, 129 5. W. (2d) 743 
? 

P