### 887

**Ol=FlCEOFTHEAlTORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS**

EonorableT. Lt. Plmt derlstant Aurtln, T e .xa
Dear Sir:

**YOU hare**  

### repuerted an opinion fropl t Irtg the matter rererred to your department Honorable Y. C. Irom Sohoola. Said **AUSTIN Fe.l?ruary**  1, 1946

Trlmblr SuperintendentOS iduoation
a 

### Opinion No. O-6989

Be: NW the QuiW IndependentSohool

aot it set up a

n Soho Di8trlot



### . -59, and Clover e all ommolldated IatrlOt.iVlththis pre8ent Board of lred that a #even ttsr services to the school

0r among some that this number **&E**

bers under the dependent 3x0~1 reque sti:ig you ling from the General as ta tne legalityof the proposition.
“If the above camot be done se request ififormation as to Wst proaaedure should be fallo;ued in order that this ructbar

may & raised irod five to saven.”Ben. T. Y. Trimblr,pace 2

IA reply thereto we advise you as follouar
The Quitman IndependentSohool DiStriotwas **oreated** by, S. B. 106, Chapter 61, Looal and Speolal Laws of the SeooAd Called Session ot the 

### 36th L&alature. Said 9. B. 106 was approved July 22, 1919, aAd beoame lfiootiva the same date. SeotioA 

### 3 of
saidl

ot rested the management and oontrol of the pub110 rree l ohoola within raid independent diatriot in a board **ot trustees**  **of Sire**  membero, Said l eotion

Further

prorldaa

Sortwo

### year terms of moe ior eaoh trustee, three to be l looted at the gonoral truatae l

lootlon in April of 1920, **and.therUiter,** tno and three 

### trurrtoeo,

rea F otitoly, to bo l

looted at the 6oaonl trutoe l lootloA IA a ternate years. There are other provisiona ot said sot rhioh ued not be referred to, as they hare AObearing upon this 

### opinion.

**ht.** 2806, **B*** **a. 8..**  ,49th Leglalature, page 416, 1925 as armndod br. **Aot** of 1945, Cha protiding the method ior.oenaol 

### pD $64, Par. li ;m&h&r,eraa **dating** l

**e1wa** rohool.diatriota, or oontiguou~ lndependent~ l ohool diatriotr, or one or more indopendont aohool dlatriota **end** one OTaore oom0r1 l ohool dlatrlota ooaatituting as a whole one oontlguour 

### territory. Said aot 

### furtherprovides 

### ln part as follou8~

.. “Where oM or more inbrpendent abhodl dirtriots are ooAaolidated together or with One Of 

### more 00mmOn8ehool dirtriots, the oonaolidated dlatrlat rhall oonatitute an **and** ahemo IAl the Vista, d to independonf l ohool dlatrlota by the laws OS this State. “If only oAe indopeAdent aohool dlatrlot is oonaolidated ivith oAe or aore comon school districts the consolidated district mall bear the nam of auoh iAdep6AdeAt sohool distriot, and the board of trustees of aaid Independentaohool dlatriot ahall serve as the board of trusteesof the oonaolidated diatriotuntil the next regular election of trustees, as prescribedby generallaw, at wzich time the consolidated distriot shall elect a board of seven (7) trustees, whose ;;owers, duties, and term of office shall be ir, aooordanoe with ths proviskus of the general laws governing independent aohool diatriota, as they AOW exist or may be tnereafter enaoted;---A* (&aphasia ours.)
Said Art. 2806, before it was amended in 1945, read iA part a8 r0iiows;Hon. T. b1. Trimble, pa;;e 3

nC~mmon sohool dietriotsmay in like naMer be oonaolidatedwith ooAtiguoua~indepeAdent aohool diatriota,eAd the diatrlot so orrated ahall be known by the name of the iAdepeAd8Ataohool diatrlot iAeluded therein, and the nmnagement OS the new diatriot shall be under the aXlatin board of truatsea of the indeeaent,rohx m6t.r o -+!, and 811 the rrchtraiiii pr 1 egea ga to independentaohool diatriotaby i i1 the laws of this State shall be given to the OOAaolidated independentdiatriot Or88t8d under th8 proviaioAa of this law;---." (imphaala oura.)
It will thus be noted that under said Art. 2806, before and rlnoe lta rlnal amendment by the 49th Leglalatw, when one or more indoueendent l ohool dietriots are oonaolldated tOR8th8r with oAe or iore ooauao~ aohool diatrlota,the oonaol1dat~d diatrlot ooAatltutea aA &Ad8P8AdeAtaohool dlatrlot, and has au the rlghta and prT - ~~~ Til8R88RraAt8ddindeu8Ad8At aohool dlotrlota by the laws o? this State. Theraron, under the protlalona ot Art. 2806,,.R. 0. s., 1925( as Snmded. the 

### Quitnan IAd8DSAd8Atsohool DlOtrlOt. l inoe its ooAaoll~ation ni&aererai okaoA SohOOl dlatriota,~ia still IZR-~?+~ZX oiateea of-tire m8mbara. shall Oerve as a an lnde ndent l

ohool dlatrlot; Its present truatee~~atbo&d Of truateea of th8 oonaolld8ted dlatrlot until the A8Xt regular eleotlon of trustees, as preaorlbed by g8A8ral law, same being Art. 27'77, R. C. S., 1925. At that tima, bein& the ifrat Saturday or~Apri1 following ooAa6lidation, the ooAaolidat**sd** dlatrlot shall eleot a board of ~30811truateoa, whose ,powera, dutloa, and **terms** of ofiioe shall be iA aooordanor with thb pror~aioAa oi the g8neral laws governing indepeAd8nt.aohool dlatrlota. Tho quea5ion AQYariaas oonoernlng the terms or 0rfl08.0r the aev8n **trustees** of the ~ultman (oonaolldated) IAd8p8nd8At Sohool District, to be elected 8t the general elsotion to be held on the first jaturda: in ;r;ril of 1546. zaid terzs &x &OV8rn8dby the provisioA8of at. 277i+a, V. A. C. 5. Laid art1018 was passed in 1530 by the &lst Legislature,Fifth
.- Celled 38asion, ZaCe 212, Cha>ttr 66, ;eo. 3 tnereofreads in pert as follows:

"&8CtiO& 3. The board of coUlity scnool trtisttxs

at its next neetkg aftar the cocsolidationof scLoo1 dl8triota la declared %;a11 a;;oint a board of seven trustees for the consolidateddistriot. MO ?irsoA shall be trusteewho o8nnot read and **rr:te** the ;n:lish laA~uai;e understandingly,and who has not been a resident 01'this Stat8 on8 y.-ar,

and of the district six SoAths, prior to his appointmentor electior~.Those elected at thz first elaction .¶.'.a11

5LLt;l‘z:JE

j; lot 'r:1.;

t=y:- i'3yyeAE cz"e to sb,ry=. --'II:

t.i.rr5 s::.:j;"c

2:ic',-*i.

i-iu:;b,,-s

o:.::, ti*i13 2-d ttflee sf:all

**S;: ‘** **Vi r** **’ or**  0T.i;

yk:21', t-i- ;~3 saij6l-s

t,-ijai;.;Hon. ,T.2.. TrLnble, ier;e 4

numbers four and five ahall sdrva for two years and the two mambsrs drawingnumbers 81x and seven shall servs fcr thrss yaars, or and until their **suooessors** ars elsoted and qualified;and regularlytherasfter on the first Saturday in April of eaohyear three trusteesor **two trustees**  shall be eleotsd for a term of threa years to suooasd the **trustees** rho88 term shall at that tlma srpire

. The members of the board remaining after a vaoanoy shall ill1 the sass Sor the unexpired 

### term.* (Empharir ours.) Sso. 7 of said **Arty..** 277l+i reads as followst

wao. 7. All laws and **part8** Of lawr, bothgeneral and speoial, in oontliot with the provisions of this aot are hsrsby rapealsd.a B8iore'tho parr&gs or **Art.** 27748 the term8 oi orrioe or trustees of OOn8Ol~aatsa rohool ai8tri0t8 were rhea br Art. 2898, R. C. S.,.

1925; wkioh tab.

anaotad in 1919 by the 36th Legislaturr, S000na c8ued Session, chap. 65 H. B. lid, Page 167. said Art. 2808 provias8 Impart a8 rdmt

“The terms Of OffiOa Or three Or ths **trll8tSe8** 8haU. expire on the first day.oS Ray next hollowing ,t+hsir appoitttmsnt, anb the term8 or orrioa 0r ths Other' tour trurters shall expire'011 the first day of May of the utoosaaing year, as **those** so appointed rhqll datsrmlns by 10% i8Oh year thereafter altsrIUjt8ly **thrSs trrutaer**  ma four trusters shsll be 818Otea by the pualiriea voters or the distriot on the first Saturday of April, tttta **trustsss** so eleotad shall enter upon the dlrohargs of their autie8 on the first day **0r** May next r0iiowing, **ma** serve for a term of two years thereaftsr.v Therefore,Art. 2&3 has been repealed insofar as it confliotswith the provisiotsof sea. 3 of Art. 277&a. Xhere thcra , is such a conflict,Jet. 3 0;’ Art. 2774a must be foiip<Jed, t;rd the eledtix arC tcrzs 0f office of the trustees of such cor,~~lidated district~usi be ;avtrredaccordiwly. Although the .,uitmn Ihde?endect551001Xst?ict was crt;stez by special la-#,

its consolidation;uitkl the **VSriOUS CO3iXOr;**  **SChOOi** districts was effected under thegeneral laws Of this 5tate. Therefore,said cocsolidstionIs govemedysuch genersl laws, the provisionsof Art. 2S00X 3. C. Se, 142j, ;iec. 1 Of irrt.

m, voTesvficHon. T. 2;.Trinble, pa,.= 5

You are thereforeadvised that the present. trusteesof the :+uitman

IndependentSchool Distriot should oontinue in offioe as such until the naxt regular eleotion of truateeson the first Saturday in April of 1946, at which time the oonsolidatad dietriot, which is an independentsoLoo dietriot,shall elect a board of seved TriGtees. Those

### iZZYZ0tea ah aloh they are to serve. ail ~~y-l~c~erma The threemembers drawingnumbers one, two, and three shall serve for one year; the two members drawing numbers four and five shall serve for two years; and the two members drawingnumbers six and seven shall serve for threeyears, or and until their **sucoessors** are eleoted and qualified;and regularly thereafteron the first Saturday in April of eaoh year, three trustees **or two**  **trustees** shall be eleoted for a term of three years to sudoeed the trusteeswhose terma'at that time axplre

. Also, the. members.of the board remaining **after a**  vaoanoy shallSLl the same 

### for the UIt8XpiMa term. See Seo. 3 of Art. 2??ba, supra, for other prOOeading8whloh said new board of trustees 8hhould follow.
718further dlreotattention to the followingfaotr: Seotion 3 of Art. 2?748~8pplisSto all oonsolldataddbtriots, both oommon and independentexospt as mfied by Art. 2806 R. C. A., 1925, Q8 IWWta8a. By'the **provirioni,** 

### 0s 88ia Art. 280&, as amenara the ~uitman IndependentSohool District, after baing oonsollaate~a8 8fOre88ld, IS Stillan independent sohO di8trlOt. Thersfo;re, it8 present five-memberboard of trustees shall continueto serve as the board of trustees of said oonsolidateaaistrlotuntil the next regular elaotion

### 0s trustees. 

### Ill this respeot,Art. 2??4a 

### is (nodiriea by Art. 21306, as amended. The board of county 

### sohO trustB88'~has no **authority** to appointa new board of seven trusteesfor a oonaolldatedinaeoenaantsohool dietriot. It doe8 have suoh **aU=itY,** under Seo. 3 of.Art.m-wlen oommon sohooldistrictson1 are oonsolldatad;and such authority~beexarcised at SafdUttY boara'snex~t

meeting after the consolidationof such school dietriOt is deolared. Also, since the kultman IndependentSohool District
**ie** now a o:nsolldatedlnde ndent schooldistrict the **terms** 

### 0s 0rri0e 0s Its seven tzustzes\-em dt be .;JverIkii tjr the provisionsof seid sec. 3 of Art. 2??4e, ant not by the Povisio::s of Xrt. 2758 of the ;3,. C. j. of 1525. This la,st aentior?ed

artfcle a?;;lies

to iridepez.dent

sczool districts creat&d6nd inCOr;oret~d mder the provisiocsof .,rt. 2757, ;i.

C. 5., 1525, as pointed out and discussedir our ijpi~;o~ ::a. C-1595.