OFFICE OF TNE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

y$+” 

*ear Slrr ovmon NO. o-w7 - 

in the disputed 

effect dslded t&t tua dLtputed area vee AOt In 

Oalnes County but vaa in Yoakum County. 

We queatlon haa wlaen 89 to whather 

thle dlaputsd~arwa is still in the Seminole Co860A 

School Disrrlet; vhether ouch diotrrat can exercise - . ~~.~ ~L.~~-. 
Honorable H. Ql. ~oopes - page 2 

taxea collaated on said area for school purpoaea 

we to be paid OYOC to tha Seminole distriot. 

“The county sohool Board s8k$dt~~oA 

vhich I gava verkrlly aa rollovaa 

school diatrfata aan only be set up by the Comw66iOZieZV COUPt Or the COU!dyamUXIghthsy OtiUI 

later be aubdivlded by th6 County Board. Th6t a 

Comnlaaionera Court dan otiy met pi dlatrlcta 

vithln the county, hrlrfng no $lrlsdlction vhatever outside of it6 bound6rlea. That the erred 

or the holding of the Supreme court Ln the above 

mentionad c6ae vaa that the strip had neveb been 

n part or 06fnea County. That therefore the 

ColrPnia8ionera Court of Oafaaea County, nor fhe 

School Board 0r ssLd County have never exerolaed 

leg61 authority over arid atpip of dibputad area 

6lthough they heve exerei6ed actual authoclty 

tot aah purpoae6. 

“I have further advised oup i3oard that 

the only vsg t&t atrip coiald legally be lncorpamted ia t&e s6tiole dlatrint vould be for a 

COUUty line di6tt'fCt tO b0 6Ot Up thl'Otlgh the 

I 

COLIOUrMnt :IW6OiUtiOM Of th6 8ChOOi b&&5 Or 

bath poakum 6ud Qalne6 Couatlea, vhich action hse 

never been taken; 

baaed upon the above I advised them that 

the disputed strip la vlthin tM aoILp3op school 

WWI Or YOLkup COUntp &5d undar the YUWWVi6iOn 

anil control of the Yoakam County Hoard. Further 

that all taxes peld over to the 3atPinol.e dlatrict, 

2.n vlev or the recant hold- of the Suprezzm Court, 

Were illegally paid and could probably be Mcovered il the proper aation ia braught. 

WI6 SahOOl gosrcia 0r both 04untiea b6ve 

met. They wish your department to either cotilrm 

my oplnlon or to correct It nnd that they ~111 

abide by yoour decision vlthout further prOC6edl5g6. 

?ie vi11 apgreclate your consfderntloa 

ancl opl5105.' 
Bonorsble Ii. M. Hooper - Pete 3 

We aloo acknovleclge receipt of your favor date4 

Gctober 6, 1942. fron vhIch ve quote In -art aa follovsr 

"Thin letter Is to furthor rdvfre you that 

the territot'y lnvolvod in t& 8cbo0l di8trlot diSQUtS 

liar, acoordIng to th8 dealalon oi the Suprew Court 

of Tsxu in the a880 Of YoskUm & Terry C,oUntIer va. 

CWnem countr, vholly vlthfn yonkum county and 1s 

north of the Harri8 lbw a8 set out in such dea1810n.R 

We have read the opinion of the Supreme Court In the 

anEa Of O&tine8 COUnty v. Yaakum and T4W-y COUIitie8, r8pOrted 

In 163 S. W. (2) 393, hdvanoe Sheet, The effect of th18 deolrlon, 88 ve interprrt ft in aonneotloq vith the information 

contaInPod Ln your letter dnted October 0, 1942, froa~ vhlch ve 

!aaVU quoted in part, I8 t0 Qlaoe the 8trIQ Of land In qUelrtIoI& 

in Yoakum county. Rovever, It app@mrr that it had not been . 

deffnItO1~ determined vhsther thI8 8tFIQ Of kkd vae in OaiXiO8 

County or In Yoakum County prior to the opinion of the Supream 

Court ln the above 0888. The f3RinOS COlUlty 8ChOO1 4bUthOritiO8, 

bellaviq mid area to bo in @insa County, included It In the 

SSISfnO1e COrnoKIn School Di8tl'ict of eaid OOUnty and &88e88Od 

end colleoted 8ChoOl taxes thereon SOP a number 0s year8. 

ThsrefOre, In Including 8nId area In th8 8eId ~emImle com~n 

school Di8triCt Of Qel&e8 COW&y, Oha 8otlod authoriticr Of 88Id 

COUUt7, v8 think, Yore aCting UXId8r aOlOr Of lt%V, and it 18 our 

oglnlon that tho exsraime or authority by the SchooL Board of 

O~lnes County over satd area cannot be asid to be illegal. 

Ym sag In your letter of dnto September 14. 1342, 

reqmethg nn opinion from rhls department, that you have 

V8rbtlll7 EdVISed the CO&lIlty SCtloOl board that OomOP 8ChOO1 

diutrCct8 cam otiy be 8f3t up by the Cos!mtr8ionsrr1 Court of the 

county zilthough tSey cm later be subdivided by the County 

-8fct arpd that a COlEMhS1OIi8l'8' COUl't OS= Ofiy 8Ot UQ dietlriQt8 

vlthln the county bav1n.g no jurisdiction outsld8 of It8 boundJrles. 

The nuthoritg to estrbllsh school districta roets’~ 

In tse Ccuntp school mrtees. Article 2&l, Rcrleed civil 

Statutes. This statute Vouki not authorize the estnblf.shuent of 1 

school L:lstrlct to Include territorp vlt%n wo or ~1~8 countlea. 

Sovever , county line comon ~clzool Sistrbts my be crceted 

to embrace te?r‘Ftory vlthin tvo or more co~iltles In the manner 

prescribed by Article 27k3, 3sviaed Civil :tatutt(fa, VIth th8 
Honorable R. H. Roopor - Pago 4 

rights. QOVW8 and QriVilego8 8st out in Article 2744 of 88id 

atztutes. 

oQInIont 

TherOfO~0, irOE Vhat VO haV0 8aId, it i8 0~ 

(1) Phrt th@ 8triQ Of land Ia quoetloa 18 vlthla 

th0 COpllulLl 8ohOO1 arM Or YOahra CountJ~ (2) t&It the 8ChoO1 

taxe8 that have beea oollootmd in 8aId area and paid over to 

the SsmfnOl* Cmmoa Sahool Di8triCt Ye?8 sot illegally collootod 

and mid; and (3) the SOha BO4Wd8 Of the COUlltfe8 Of' Yoakum 

cnc? (%iat?8 can establf8h 8 county 11~ Gommon 8ohool district 

80 aa to laolude the arm fn quaatlon therein by proceeding 

In accordaaue vith tho provi8lons of said mticle 2743, 

Bovissd Civil Statutes. 

youra V8ry truly 

hTl'ORXi3YQEZERN, 0FTFX4S 

E?P: ST 

& 

BY 

, ’ 

E. P. Prlae 

A88i8tUt