‘776 

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS 

G-=.- AUSTIN 

A-- 

Ronorablo H. 1. Pitman 

county hlditor 

lrayette County 

Ia Orangr, Texar 

Dear Sir: 

partment on the above 

opinion rrom th3.8 deII been reaelved. 

of Trustee8 aonslstlng 

oher properly laeued when signed 

sided and Seoretary of the Board or 

igned by a znajority o? the Board WmArt1010 8808, Vornon’e Annotated Ulvll Statutea, 

pmvldss thatr 

*The board of county sahool trustee@ at itr 

next meeting after suoh oonrolldation oi sohool dietrlots is deolarad, rhall appoint a boardllof z:ven 

trurteor ror tha oonsolldatrd distriat. 
777 

Honorabls H. W. Pitman, pags C 

Artiols 8805, VernonL’s Annotate4 Civil Statutss, 

provldss *ths term ‘didriot’ a8 used in thfs and ths suoossding ninr artialss means *oonsolidatsd oommon eohool distriots* 

OP ‘oonsolidatsd indspsndsot sohool 4lstrlot~.~ This artlols 

also provides for ths number or sohool trustees for those dintriot ooasolidatod under said artiols. 

Artioles E749, 87Sl and g758, Vernon’s Annotated 

Statutes, read, as r0ii0w8t 

“ht. g729, Bald trustees shall havs fhs 

management snd oontrol oi ths publio sohools an4 

the publfo sohool grounds8 and thsy -shall dstsrmins 

how many sohools shall bs maintains4 tn their sohool 

dlstrlot, snd at what points thop shall bs looa)rdl 

provided, t&t not more than ens sohool for whit. 

ohlldrrn end 011s sohool ior oolorsd ohildrsn shall 

bo’sstabllshs4 ror saoh sixtosn squsrs milss or territory or major irsotion thereof, within sush dlstriotl and they shall dstermins when fhs sohools 

shall be opened and when olossd. They shall harm 

the power to smploy and dismiss tsaohsrs1 but in 

oass ot 4lsmiesal, tsaohers shall have ths right or 

appssl to ths oounty an4 State Superintendsnts, They 

shall oontraot with tssohers and manage an4 supsniss 

ths sohools, subjsot to ths rules and regulations of 

the oounty an4 Btats Superintendsntsl thsy shall approve all olaims against sahool funds or their dirtriot; providsd, that tho truatess, in making oontracts with taaohsrs, shall not oraate a dsfioienoy 

4sbt against the district.* 

l &t. 8751. Th4 amount oontraatad by truatess 

to bs paid a teaohrr shall bs paid on a check drswn 

on the oounty treasurer by a majority of the trustsss 

an4 approved by ths oounty superlntan4ent,W 

“Art. g75g. The trwtses or a sohool dietriot 

shall oontraot for ths amotion or the buildings and 

suparlntend ths oonstruotion ot ths samej and the oounty 

supsrintsndsnt shall draw his warrant upon ths sohool 

run4 so appropriated only upon the aooounts first approved by thsm. No mrohanlo, oontraotor, material man, 

OT other person, oan oontraot for, or in‘ any other manner have or aoqulm, any lien upon the houso so ersatsd 

or ths land upon whloh ths ssms ti situatadl an4 all 

oontraots with suoh parties shall sxprsssly stipulatr 

ror a waiver of suoh llsn.* 
Eonorabls H. W. Pitman, pago 3 

Artiole 2948, Vernon’s Annotated Statutss, 

p~ovl4es that: 

*Said trustees shall be a body polltlo 

and oorporate in law, and shall br known by and 

under the tltls and name Of 41striot trMtOe8 

oi 4lstrlot number ,and county 0r 

Stats oi Texas! and as suoh may oontraot andbr’ 

oontraoted with, aus and bs sue4, plea4 OP br 

implsadrd, in any court 0r this State of propsr 

juris4iotion, and may xwoeivo any girt, grant, 

donation OP drvisr made ror the use of tho publio 

sohools or the dietriot. All reports and other 

orfioial papers shall bs heads4 with tha number 

0r district and name 0r 0ounty.s 

It will ba notod under Artiole E949, supra, that 

the Board of Trustees shall approve all olaims against sohool 

rtm48 of their 418triot; provided that ths trustres,ln making 

oontraots with teaohers, shall not oreate a deiioienoy debt 

against ths distriot. It will bs sssn that under Artiolo 3751, 

supra, that thr amount contraate bt trustees to br paid to 

tsaohers shall be paid on a oheoh drawn on the oounty trsasurer 

by a majority of the trueteas and approved by tha oounty superiatsndrnt. In oontraoting for buildings and supsrinten4ing the 

oonstruotlon of the dams, ths oounty superintendsnt shall draw 

his warrant upon ths sahool funds so appropriated only upon 

ths aooounts rirat approvad by the trustees or the sohool distriot oontraoting ior buildings and ths superlntanding or ths 

oonstruotion thsrsof. 

A rohool boar4 1s a orsature of the len and has 

only suoh jurisdiotion as expreaaly given by the statutes OP 

nsosssarily lmplle4 therein. Among tha l umeratsd powers or 

trustses of oomraon sohool dlstriots are ths managamsnt and 

control of the publio sohools and grounds, the dstrwinatioa 

or the looation and number or sohools, the employment of teaohore, and the approval oi all olaims against sohool run&s of 

their 4istrlots. Sohool boards may adopt suoh reasonable rulss 

ana rsguletions as are neaessary ior the managemsnt and control 

or the sohools. Au4 in general they may administer the sohool 

airairs unde their au ervlaion An *u*h muw~r ** 

judgment, wlfl aaoompl&ah ths wholesome objeots 0) %‘%ational poliolas. Indspandant Sahool Distriot vs. Salvatierra. 

33 S. W. (2nd) 790, appeal dismisse4 and osrtiorari dsnisd, 

tS4 U. 8. SSO Mesquite Indspsndsnt ~ohoal Dietriot vu. Ore**, 

57 8. W. (83-14 f &4Zi La* v*. Laonard. In&. Sah. Dist., 24 8. W. 

(2Ua) 449. Texas J’urisprudenaa, Vol. 37, p, 938. 
779 

Honorable H. W. Pitman, page 4 

In visw oi the roregoing authorities you are 

respeotfully advised that it is the opinion of this dspartmant that oheaks drawn on the oounty trsasursr to pay teaohsrs their salaries as oontraoted by the trustee6 must be 

signed by a majority of the trustees and approve4 by the 

oounty superintendent. IOU are further a4vlsr4 that in the 

oonstruotlon oi buildings and superlnten4lng the oonstruation 

thereof, that ths oounty superintendent ahall draw his warrant upon the sohool fund so apportioned only upon the aoaousts first balng approvrd by the trustees of the 00mm05 

sohool distrio t . 

You are further advlaod that it is our opinion 

that the sohool boar4 or oommon sohool dlstriots must approve 

all olaims agalnet the sohool funds of thrlr dlstriots and 

that said sohool bcerde may adopt suoh reasonable rules and 

regulations as ara neaeasary for the oontrol and management 

or the sohools and unles8 speoirioally prohibited by statute 

as in the oaso of oheoks to pay the salaries of 6ohool teaohere 

and to pay for the oonstruatlon Or building8 the 6ohOol boar4 

may approve suoh olalms and authoriaa the president and seoretary or the boar4 or trustees to rign voucher8 or aheoke ror 

other neOO66ary and inoidental expenditures. 

Truatlng that the foregoing fully answers your 

Inquiry, ws are 

Yours very truly 

ATTORNEY UNNENAL OF TEXAS 

AM011 Willlana 

Assistant 

AWIEP