OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Xay 8, 1939 

gonorabld T. ld. Trimble 

first Assistant State Superintendent 

Austin, Texas 

Dear 8lr: opinion x0. o-no 

eaaent Sob001 Did&t was orsated br 

authorized at an eleotion held Deaeaber 51, lQ2l. 

The 8prlnglake Indspcndent Sahool DlaWlot nae~omatea 

j&l925 by Hotwe Bill'Ho. 234, Chaptar 45, page.153, ThlrtpElghth 

Zeghlature, Re&er Session, eifeatlve Naroh 24, 1923. ,~,Thls Aat 

provides In part: 

Woo. 5.~A part of the territory deaoribed 

in Se&ion 1 of thle Aot ie takqn iram the Sudan Independent Sohool Dietriot of Lamb CoFIBtf, 
T. M. Thimble, May 8, 1939, Page 2 

Texas, and said territory so taken away from 

said Sudan Independent Sohool District ahall 

remain and be ohargeable with its prorata 

part of the indebtedness represented by any 

bonds heretofore voted by the Sudan Independent School DIetrIot In proportion as the taxable values of that part of the territory so 

taken away from the Sudan Independent Sohool 

Distriot bears to the total taxable values 

of the Sudan Independent Sohool District aoaordlng to the last officiaI approved asseasment role; provided, however, that the Board 

of Trustees ot the Sprlhglake Iadepsndant 

sahool Dlstrlot, wlthout the qeaeeslty or a 

petition therefor may cwder an eleotlon in 

said Uatrlot to detemlno rhether or not 

the said diatrlat M herein oreated as a 

~~&sl~tilqm much prorata part of outQuestion x0. 1. Doas ths Aot ors8tin6 the 8prln#lake InSahool Dlstriot aitsatlvely dataah that portion ot;ita 

rormsrly oontained in the Sudan Indspendsnt 8ohool.D18- 

triot l’mm the Zatter dlatriat? 

We amilvmr this queotlon. in the afflmmtive. we iot 

onat& the springlaka aidriot, uhioh la later lzitirs or enaotmnt.and eiieotlte date than either of the A&a atisoting tha Suaan amriot, ~4rp~f58ly doi8 M. A. iaia by xr. JugtiM critz la 

Xqfmi'd Indepemhmt suhool Dir&riot ~8. Willmmr Indepm&mt Sohool 

Diatriot (Terc Corn.. App.) 54S.W. (2d) 854: 

*It is witlea that a soho amriot ha6 

no oantraot or vested right in laws fixing the 

botmdarlea, and oaruwt assert that a.atatuta reau0ing its arsa riolate any ooatraot right. El 

Dorado Independent 8ohool Dietx$ot vs. Tlsdsle 

(Tex. COIL App.) 5 S.W. (2d) 420." 

Quoetion Wo. 2. What obligation, if any, relating to 

the (40.000.00 bond Issue or the Sudan dlstriot atkaohes to,the 

Sprlnglake dlstviot, or that part thereof aetaohed fmm the Sudan 

distrlot and made a part of the Springlaka dietriot? 

Seation S of the Aot &eating the Springlake dl8triot, 

Quoted above, provides that: 

"Said territwyawtsken awayrmm said Sudan Independent Sohool Distrlot shall remain and 

be ohargsable with Umprorata part of any bonds 
Honorable 'f. M. Trimble, May 8, 1939, Page 3 

heretofore voted by the Sudan Independent School 

lxstrict . . ." 

Mr. Boles states in his letter: 

Vhere was no agreement a8 to assumption 0r 

bonded indebtedness so far as the written reoords 

show and this copy of the County Board minutes 

coatsins the only County reoord of' the transaction. No assumption eleotion was over ordered or 

held. The involved territory has been oonsidered 

a part of the Springlake territory einae that date 

and the matter has not been bmught to the attention oi the County Board again-Until thle year.* . 

It appears, therefore, that no action -has bosn’3aken rOr 

$ha l a sump tlof o n any part of the #40,0CCAC 1nUebtedneas bytha 

gprlnm diatriot in oonromity with the above quoted awtloa 

of the Aot oroating the Sprlngl#&o diatriot. Nor has the Co?mty~ 

?oard of Truatoea of Lamb Couutytakan auy aotlon In thla oonneoon as authorizea by Aota 1987, 

lii$ 

Fortloth Legirlature, ?irat Called 

: ~aaloa, pow 228, Chapter 84, whi.oh Aot Walso aeslgnatea w Art- 

.P,942b, Revised Civil 8tatutee of Texas. We quote from seotlon 

&.that Aott 

"When the boundaries of may aohool dietriot 

having on outstanding bolded inaabtsunoss ha+s ~ ,~' 

beeu ohanged or its territory divi&ed, or. two 

or more of suoh diatriota oonaolidatod, It shalt. ~~,e 

bethe dutyof tha County Boardof Truateea to 

make auoh m adjustment oi ouoh ind~btedneaa and ' 

dietriot pr0portloa betraw the distrlets oftooted and betwepn the territory divided, dstaohed 

or added, aa may be Just end equitable, taking into oonolderatlon the value of aohool bmperti6s 

and the taxable wealth ot the diatriots effeoted 

and the territory so divided, detaohod or added 

as the oaae maybe. And when 8da.mard has arrived at a aatlafaotory baals ot +oh im adjustment, it shall have the power to make euch-orders 

in relation the-to as shell be oauolualvo and 

binding upon the distrioti and the territory thereby offeotod.R 

We also oell yoti &tontion to that portion of Seation t' 

of the above quoted Aot which oreated the Bpringlake distriot 8&l& 

P~ldos that the Sprfngleko diatriot ee a whole may assume this 

~Xmita share of the debt aeolared to be -ains t that portion 0r 

P@ alatriot which wa8 rormerly a part 0r the Sudan aiatrlot upon 

m elOQtion 80 deciuing hold in'the f&pr&n@ake dlatriot~ This eleo- 

%OO la expressly authorizsd ta be oalled by the ,Truateoa of the 
gosornble T. K. Trircblo, hay 8, 1959, Page 4 

Springlake district without the necessity of a petition. 

Almost the identical situation as here presented arose in 

the ease or Lyford Independent Sohool District vs. Wlllamar Indopendent School Distriat (Comm. App. of Tel.1 34 S.?:. (26) 854. In 

th& ease the Lyrord Independent Sohool Dlstriot was first created 

by apeoial act ot the Legislature. Thereafter the Willamar Indopendont Sahool Dlstriot was creeted by speoial aat, end the newly 

arested Willamar district was given a part of the territory roimerly belonging to the Lyford district. Section 4 of the Act creating 

the Willsmar district provided: 

Vhat the Willamar Independent Sohool Dlatrlot as created by this Aot ahall pay Its share 

or any indebtedness now duo to the Lytord ludepsadaat Sohool Dlstrlot to be pIw8ted aooordIllg 

to the aaaeased value or that part or thIa dIetrIot 

whioh Ia a part or said Lyford dIatrIot.* 

The COmmIaeIon Of Appeola ex#reSaad mom doubt as to tha 

oOnafItutIonalIty of the Aot OreatIag the Willamar dirtriot, but 

sala that all auob doubt had boon reamed by b aubaequent validating aat of tha~&gIalature, being Senate Bill Eo. SS4, Chapter S98, 

pw 666, General Lswa, Re&.ar Sosalon, Rmty-Flrat Legislature. 

Said validating aot being inoorporatea in Vernon’s hotatea Statutes *a hrtlole 2SC28. ThIa ralIdatIa.8 aat rotild apply with aqual 

foroe to the 8atsareatIngthe Sudaa a&t&s SprInglake dIat~~.aa~a. 

The COmmIasion Of Appeoli raa~lved all question8 ralatine tathe adJuataant of bondad indebte6ueaa between the tno aohool 

diatrIat8 by reterring to Art1010 2942b,~Ravl88d Clril Statutas, 

fgz 0r whi.ah wo quoted abare.- The 00urt u8ea the rsll~ 

Wnder Seotion 9 It is provided that whore 

the bmndarlea of say aohooldiatriot~ hsving 

au outstandIng band~d~lndebtoaneas ha6 been 

ohangedl or Its territory dividea, oto., It la 

the duty 0r~ the County Board 0r mmteiis to 

asks a Just and equitable addjuatment of the 

propertlee and inaebtodnosses lnvol~e&. Seotion 

10 of the Aot provides maus and methods ot oerrying into effect the orders of the County sohool 

Board made under Sootion 9. Seation 11 provides 

ror taking aare of Iadebtedneasaa IH oases where 

necessary refunding bonds ars voted down, or the 

County Board,is Othemlso unable tm arrange sn 

~adJaalaaent 0r suah aattors. Seoti.on 12 Ia general in its provlnlons and gives the Board parer 

to arrange such mattero in any lega and equit- 
Bonorsble T. M. Trimble, May 8, 1939, Page 5 

able manner." 

Ke therefore rerer you to Sections 10, 11 and 12 of Artiole 2742b, Revised Civil Statutes, wblch we quote as follows: 

Wee. 10. To carry into erreot orders adjustlag bonded Indebtedness when changes are 

made in 6ohool di6triot.6, the County Board Of 

Trust&es shall hp.ve the power to order the 

Trustees or the districts effected, to order 

6Il elsotion ror the 166Uitlg or suoh refUnd5ng 

bonds as may be neOe666ry to carry out the purpeso of suoh order; and, In su0h oaso, it shall 

be the duty of the dletrlot trustee to order 

such slaotion, oauso th4 s654 to bs hold, ana, 

ii the proposition i6 earrlsd; to iSSU4 the 

bOnda vetod. Sueh bonds shall be or the ssae 

denomination and oerry the s4m4 interest rete 

ana mature at the 6ams tlmo as the' outstnnd~ 

bonds orpIng by ths distriot issuing them; and 

wh4B 80 iSSUea, shdli if p0Stibh b4 OXOhfi@g4d 

for ths outstanding bonds for whioh thk dlstriet issuing thsa-shall still be liable, aoooralng to ths order adjusting suoh inaebtsdMM;. en& in 01848 tier4 suoh an -esohango oannot be made~-th4~new bonds Of the dlatriot, to the 

munt Oftho 016 bonds fOE whloh It is still 

liable and to whioh no oxOhsng4 oan be made, shall 

be deposited in ths County Treasury to the aoeount 

of suoh di8trfot. l’herotaftertar~s shall belrrl4d' 

and earneased 0tily forth4 paymat Or lnt47?48t, 

sinking i’bnd and prinolpal of the now bonds se lo8uad; and the' iMds arlslng from suoh taxatlori 

shall be used to alsohergs the prinolpel ona intoceat of suoh now bonds an ham been lssuod ana OXoheugad and suoh old bonds as have aot beon oxohangodi ?shsn taxes qre 00114Ofed applloebla to. 

n4~ bonds not sxohangea aa the pro044as applied 

to payment on old bonds not exohangod, the oorrmponding now bonds in the County Troasurf shsll b4 

oredlted with ouoh payment nnd retired was the old 

unoxohangod bonds 4r4 retired. 

"'940. 11. In oe646 wbero ohaog46 ar4 maa4 

and distriots having outstanding bonded lndobtadnose and wber4 the neoesaary refunding bonds are ' 

voted down or where ths County B~ardlgt~Trustess 

ark ~therwlss un&bls to arrange an tidjUstI64nt Or
Honorable T. M. Thimble, Hay 8, 19?+, Page 6 

settlement of 6uoh bonded indebtedness, it shall 

ba the duty Of.the tXXl6t446 t0 OOrtify the r4Ot 

and the territories alrooted by suoh ohanges, to 

the Commissioners* Court and thereupon it shall 

beoomo the ctuty of the CO~iSSiOnOrS' Court to 

thereaftsr annually levy and c6u64 to bs a66o68- 

ed and oolleotsd from the taxpayer6 or euoh distriota es they existed before the ohanges were 

made, the tax neosasery to pay the interest, the 

sinking fund and discharge the pripoipal of suoh 

indsbtedness aa it mat&roe. And it shallbs the 

duty of eeoh Independent Sohool Distriot so offeotoa, to oeuso all fund8 ln fts hands, whether 

sinks ftmde or otherwise, tiloh have beon ool140t8a on eooount of euoh bonded lndebtedneee,~ 

t0 b4 tmhti8r8ma t0 the county Treaeuror 0r the 

ootzaty in whioh 8uoh aistriot is situated aa euoh 

dietriot ehall thereafter oean to levy arrd oolloot en$ tar on aooamt of eu0h bondei ena it 

ehellbe the duty of th4 county Treesurer fo k44p 

the funas se treneforroa sndfhose arising trar 

taxation, la 8eparete *000unte eed applrthe eeme 

only to the dleaharge of e?mh bonded inaebteane88 

sad the inte~et thsmm, 88 th4 l eme eieturee. 

%40. le. Rothins la the pmvis~on oi this 

llot eh 

% 

:$u?event the County Board oS~Truet488 . 

rr06iarr ag any other method for the edJustmsnt end'bettloment of outstanding bonded ipdebt4aa488 or soho ai8tri0t8 in whfoh ohangee er8 mea8 

abut ther shell hey4 full power ena euthority ta 

meke any legsl and equlteble adjustment,+6 set+ 

tlenent In suoh 0~48 that oen bs erfoogd.* 

'Applying the above quoted 8eotlons'~i Artlol8~874Sb, R.C. 

8. t0 the ~qu4stlone asksa by Mr. Boise, ,m r48peotfUly eavlee that 

the County Board or Sohool Truet.448 shell meke en #djustment,ot the 

indebtodxwie between the Sudan and’thq Sprin@ske dietriots, aad itj 

may Uirsot ths trustess of the Sprlnglako dletrlot @ oell sn.eleotioa within the said dietriot ror the assumption or its prorate 

8har4-of,ths $4O,OOO.OO.,bondea lndobtodness of the Sudan dlstriot. 

Should suoh an aseumptian of Indebtednose be voted down by the 

Springlako dietriot, the County Board of Sohool Trusteoe shell Obrti?y the fact to the Ocmmiseioaera * court or Lamb county 88 airoot4a by Seotlon 11, above quotsd. The Commlssionsra~ Oourt of Lamb 

County shall tharsupon *oauso fo be 8864684a and oolleoted frw the 

tarpdyers of euoh dietriots as they exieted bofors th4 ahengos war4 

111164, .tho tar nooeeeary to pay the tnteMst, the 8-a fund and 

disoharg4 the principal. or BUOh lndobtodnsss as it matures.: Sootion 

11, supra. 
@norable T. X. Thimble, Liay 0, 1939, Fag4 7 

;uostlon Eo.Zi. If territory is detached 

district and edded to another, does tht territory 

from one school 

hkvo an interest 

In the school properties ol the first district (which have been phfd, 

for by taxes or bond issues) end is the llrst district obll@ted to 

reimburse the district to vblch the territory is attached ror the 

prorata Interest ol' the detached territory in the properties of the 

first school district? 

This question is one which the County Board of School 

Trustees, or the County Commlsaioners ' tiourt rzy take Into consideration in aajustlng the indebtedness between the two dlstriots. 

Brmmer, "there le 00 euthorlty eStabliShed by law for deter&&q 

the VaLoe or the coa8lder8tloa to be recelred by an ext4nA4d dietrlot for as 8uOh iIid~bt&llaSS" 

&at Sohool 

- - M. -O&t 3ldSpOllR. (Ed) Sl4, efflr&wd by ColoDission of 

AppBb, s4 

&lStiOS CX'itz in &,#CU'd 33Ld8~4!ll&Wlt sOhOC& DJstr%st 78. 

wlllale8r In aepeaamt School Distriot, 34.s. vi. (2a) Em, ssidr 

"U~~frorthe~fhat~~op- 

.. ertiees original4 oumd by the Lyfoml distrlat 

rrcnt lett SitUaw in suoh diSt.dCt a8 Ohan@ 

by the Aet ereatlng the ~lllamar afetrlat end 

thSl-8 $8 M dhpUt8 bStWSW2 the twa al@&t* 

as to the owmxwhlp OS the88 ~rqert28s.~ 

bee e~btarast~anyof~t?i8ihfpl~ ~188 

S&Y&U yw thet the SprX8gl8ka aetrl.et 

of the Sudan Ub5triat. 

BKK:YC 

BY m Q9& 

Belt4r 8. f 

A48l8t8nt