?_FFiCEOFTIiE ATTORNEYGENERAL OFTEXAS .- 

AUSTIN 

SROVERSELLERS .’ . 

*~~.RNEI GENERAL 

bar ‘Sir: 

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JGmrable T. Y. Trlinble - page 2 

~~nde~fsn&ent School.District, the adriaiatrative . . 

ofriaas or which 0~6 locot entirsly within 

CflleaphS h$IIty, TSXM. UUd6r the 6tdUt6 fOilaSrin& this lusttUi06Q the Jiarper IudepenZent Echool. 

Metrict as it thea stood Wets alno ~611013 upoc to 

vote on tha 9uestion of ahathor or not the Re66rva-. 

tion CSD should be brought into the irdopdadent 

sohool district. A aa~ority of the vctara in both 

the &XZO~ school alstrict ona t:le inas*uaent 

sclmol distriot Votsd to cOusolldot6 t&o i:emrvation CSD tith the Iiarpcr Xnfiependent School Distrlot, an4 It hns been operatlq 6s such up to , 

the present title. There ore o&sin nunber of 

people in tlie connon sohool diatriot who are &issetisfieirwith being in the indaJ.ndaut 6chool 

dietriot, an& they have petltloi%d the County . 

Jwlge oi: Kerr County, Taxas,'to oall‘an eleotlon 

to 0sterzdna .Q@athar.or not thay ahall withdraw 

from the lri~ependant sohool dlstrlct. The Comity 

Judge of frerr.County, Texas, hasmllad the aloctitm sad set lt.for the 4th day..or ~OYa~bbsr, A. D.; 

1944. The notloas were. Rostad only in WJxit was 

fbrmrlp known a8 the Hssarvation Comxx-Sohool 

Disttiot. The t;hihg we ars pert:culorlp interfist-, 

ed in la QrhO.Will ba the ~u6li?ied VOCBXB in this 

election? \:a8 .the aomKUi&tion~as hereinabove 

rarerred. to a contractual obl.igation C$I the part 

of*thd. Resezvatlon Cornon School District and the i 

Rarper Jhdepeudent School District at the tin6 OP. 

the consolS.dationY 

"The Art1616 above raterred to ia not of6ar~ 

as to the qtestion or gualiriad voters, nor'is it 

clear 08 to the quest103 or who will csll the eleotion. 

Ye woulC also litrs to have au opinion on 

whothar or net, if the proponents of the proposed 

election to disaolvo ona WitMraw fr0.n tiia Berper 

1naoJ%naant School lOstrict .alre successful fn 

their SISCtiOne what indebtedness, if any, WOUld 

the Reservation Common 3chool District;' tni:e -0Jong 

witll it ti 6 WithBranaX. For your informnation, 

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honorable T. U:.Triabla - pa&s 3 . 

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. . .' dra is a~50#-saikenn!me tex rite on'the. $lOO 

oaluatlon in the harper l.kiis~~sndonti School Ma- 

~tflut, 20# is set up for ratfravmnt of the bonda. 

and In edditlon thereto thereia a 30# levy .for : '.$' 

the purposs of paying the transportation coet'of 

title ..diatriat. K&t portion of these liabilities 

or Cebts would the Reaerv8tlon Gomon School 3X8- 

trlct take with it in th*r event It is suocessful . 

.ti xithdrawiog fxm the flarper Indey%ndeot School. 

: Iiistriot? 

. 

*humnwh IIa tala eleot%o?~ baa been call..ed for ':. 

.ioveabnbsr 4th, you will ma thai' ft 3.0 iqerativd 

that we get -an oplnlon ab kmrly a&possible kn~.order to &eter&ne just wherethe district stanbe;,:; .' "~'. 

We, OS course, fsal that it is uugair, for tha'~,~.; ._, :. :;.,:, :' 

Beservatlon Gomon &chool~DSatriot'to tiithdrtiw. '-

under the terse of the Articles above qUoted, 

einoe the indajxmdsat 'ecbool distriat has ii%- : 

cuxrod co~slderable expeose'iu providing for : 

the nacdssary setup to.toke 9are of the addad, : ,;. 

pupils. Xrtials 2613 3s got, alear as. td~ the 

procedure. to be, used, but WB Bo not want to 

‘-permit anything to ba dose that would be in&r-. 

lone to the district 08 a xhola. 3ould it Lo '~ 

necessary fo* you to consult t3o Attorney Gensral’e De~rtmmt with rsfsrance to thlir m.tt$r, 

we .urga thst they givt3 ua iinmdirte actioa Bo 

'that w iarvy de&de tha .oourae to foll0w.v 

artioie 261.5 as menda& by the J+8th'Le&L8lature 

reada as Poll.ows: . 

"(a) Such oqna~olldsted dlotrlcts my, in the 

bass manner provide. for their consolidation, be 

dl$solvoE end the distriota Included lAorain re5tore6 to their ori@.nal stntue, except that it 

akgll Cot bs mcsssary to provida collie plRW3 

in agoh diatrlct. ii%Cl~.. cuch distriot Elien eo 

rastorsd slxl.1 aamz%a ar,c! be 1iSbl.e fox its proprcta ,?sit.or the patmtcrtn~ fincno:al cbl.$otions 

of t&s consolidated distrlat, suoh poreta part 

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Eonorable T. 2. .Tri&ia - page 4 

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- td be baSed~@n~the'r~lation the total aSSeSsed 

valuation of all property in the dietrio> bears 

to the total assessed valuation of property in 

the cariolldated diatriot, as shotrn by the as-.. 

8efmIent rOll8 Oi the histriOt for thu CukXWIt 

year. Go election for the dissOlut$On of said 

consolidated district5 shsll be held wit41 three 

13) years hsva a~apced after the date of :the election et whrfiich.such di8triCt8 w6ro oousolidate,d. 

'(b) On the petitlo;? of twinty (20),or a 

eiajority, of the ,leyally quelified Voters of eni,’ 

demon School dlSt&t, or indeFeudent school dlstrict, praying. for the withdrawal fron a consoll- 

. dated district,- if three ~,(3) years hava el6;seU 

after ths ,dat5 0f the. eleetlon at~whlch auoh die- 

' .trlots w8re OonsOlldated, tha.Couuty &d&e shall; 

: ~usus~an order for 8n election to be.heid in 'the 

district desiring oithdrawssl.. The County Judge. 

shall give notioe of the date of suoh election 

by publlcetion of the order. in.socw newopaper~: 

publiahdd.in the county fox twent (20) d8y5 .~: 

prior to the date on ~~hlch such 8 I scticxia are 

.ordered, or by post&go notAce.of such oleoti.on 

in the distriot desiring the election. The' CMmissionera Court 8halJ. nt its noxt maeting, can-~ 

vasj the returns of such election, and if th.e 

.votee Oa8t in salh di8trict show a msjority in 

favor of.wlthdrswing fkos the oonsolldation, the 

Coart Sfld.1 deolare th,e distriot sevarod and it 

shall be rostor+d to its original statls. i%oh 

such Uistriot whtm .so restore6 Shall Asnu.na and 

be liable for its prorata part of the OutStending financial oP?igaticos of the consolidated 

dintrict, euch prorata part to be based cn thio relation tta total aS5essed valuation of all proparty in the Uls.$rIct bears tc ttr, tots1 S8sesSeU 

v8luatiOXLOf Fl‘opcJrty in th6 COn50lidatLid dietrict, CS $:2&n by the essseanant roll.5 0f the 

qbtrict for the current year." 

Xe'do net ?aSs upon the ~co~.st'ltutionality~ of thi5 

Articl~e; s2nce %-a hold that p?ern~,raph -(b) of mid Article 

ia inapplicable to ccnsolldatad oounty L1.3,~ districts, 

Since it loec net .vzke any prsvision Par the quclifiad 

voters in tbo tilatricto in ~aoh county to partiCipsQ 

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IIonokable '2. &. Trimble - pege 5 

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in the election, cur dcee it cm+iri any provision es to which 

County auag3 shaJ.1 ord3r the slsctiofi. 

Tbo .o>se"or County s2h00i zwsteas'cr mihel$9 county 

et al., .vn. state et al., 35 S. I,. (2nd) lCO1, lovolved the 

question of ttie 6l;tfiority or t?;e couctg 5~x01 i+ra of r;lmb~ls, 

County to'detsc11 frox 0 COB s2lidst9d county lim Snde~ehd9nt 

echocl district, lyi&?, In Zuunels ma Col9.x~ Couhtios, certain territcry lsing in Eu&ne16 ~Czxnty azs attach t:io 3uzfJ to 

a co&don ochctl djstrlct situated xii~lly r:ftMu Xumels Cotity. 

3%~ oourt held this coal0 not be tiorrs wlthuut the convent of 

the Cole-*n County School Bo.ird. i:'e qwte the following excarpts from the ojzinion ot th,a ocwt: 

. 

"1% is fundn3ent61 t&it tha Couoty trcstess 

'of one county canmA alone crest0 a district uca- 

‘~l;oaed or territory lying ln t~o~'oountiaa; and 

as. ii practical mtter it would follow thut where 

a .couzty ,lIhs aogsolidetsd. indepehd6Et school 

district has bsen oraated by the joint action 

'ot .both countho, It :neoesa5rll.y rolloas that 

: . that $ietrlct cannot be abclished or chsngkd 

except hy t&8 consent- of-the' county, sc!~ool a_ 

trust996 of each county hnvigq tarrlmry eontalqad therein. _! . . 

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,I ~. and tve a& clear. 5i1 'the. vl& t&'t: i-: 

drtial~e 27&2f doss n&t ,petrmit the oowty trust905 of 

oh9 oowlty to detach any portion of tho territ~orp 1 

of 5 ccuoty 'line school. distriot and ettsoh ths a.. 

, 

sme to snother district, viithout tb6 cohtient 

aad wxourrent action of the trustsoa of' s-~h 

_ county hovlng territory In the county line ciis- . . 

trl.ct . To pamit. such wouZd csune Icterntisble 

,. conf~,jsion am3 would pemit one Turty to tk3 

: cc5solPa;ition ncrsaE7;9fit to .%sztrey thTrt nsre.emerit, GT s~rfously affect it Pft!lGUt the CG;ICUT\~CS:CC or oojstint of the othar party to tiie 

agreex33nt. 

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Fran ths o~!inlon Of’ the ooilrt $a t.lS ‘se33 oaae 

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r* qf2ote E,he SQllowiIg: 

Vhe aoaeolidation of the trio dintrlcte in 

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questiort was hlrd eadar Article ZFC6 (%GY. St, '1925) 

as azeadod on sereral occaslcw (Verzi6nt!z Amo. 

i: cio. St. Art. 2506) by a vbte af the paor of the 

: two distr$cts atfaoted. 

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S3ac!% t&o d3strlcto W6Xb 

plrtlg Ia txo colmiea, it reql3.rRd ths action Of 

tha officiale of both xounti~s to efTcct .tna coor 

f 

sclidation; am3 tha csnsnlidatsd district tsas 

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legally tree ted. Art~clc 2Y15 povidas that 

~soc~.O6a~sfideCsd,t'iatriots'ltog in th6 sane 

r. . ... 

meaner prorldad Sor thtsir oocaolidatlon be die-~ 

solved.aad t~bo districts izcludad tbareln restored to’ their or&inal status. I This prcvis%on 

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relates MXQ particulnr;ly to coaoollduted dis- 

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tricts nhvll~wlthJn ORQ couunt 

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so, trlasoaa wst nstrue in..comection with 

"-sttitntes rel1~tlnq, to ~aountjy line seik%l disr 

triats; .aod it neoesssrily Sollows.thrt In 

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county line school diotriots~, either III their 

$ 

craotioa or abolition, or in tha ohan@,,i~ of? 

their diatrfot boundwias, the .school autnotiitiao of both couutioa or nil aounties affected : 

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should act to#pther in Koch J;18tters. * (It%llcs 

oura). 

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I% think it is clear from tt:B foregoing thst it 

. TOquire6 th6 ROtiGn Of th6 ofxYcials.of bath 06Unti98, ox 

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or alf. counties, conoernatI, szid that an 0leCtiGn ordered 

by the County Zudge of Zbrr County alone would ba inef+"eo~ i tive. to diseolvo the county line consolfdated district. 3 Aa.elsctiou would hsra to be ordered and held in bbth 

counties, but, 8~ etcted in tha opinion cited herein aI' % 

box-a, ArtiCl6 2E1.5 3.8 nt‘pllC3bl6 Only t0 aonso11datsd 

dlst,riOts lyfrpq; wE:OlI~y %ithin 01:B CCUllty.