OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GLuLoC.MANN Aruemw?QP(mAL 

Haa. Clint Barham 

couaty Attorney . 

Wath County 

Iltrpbatllle, Texar 

Dear 81~1 

rrwdre4 an4 

quote rrom your 

8 the oontrolllag 

8tatute .oa 80 It prodder that 

the rloation oaataraed by thr 

reported to the county 

~rsrultr +olarsd by the oomrPi8riOne?8 

oourt. 

%?Om a reading Of thrre proririonr 1 8~ a0 bar18 

top 8th di8tillOtiOll8 but iamauah a8 the qUO8tiOXJ 18 ma40 

md it,wfil.loOa bo tima fOr trU8teO l laOtiOm 1 a8k that 

YOU @To me 70~ opinion an thssr qufrtionrg 
Hon. QlfntBerhem,DaSO 2 

'(1) Whloh body should OallYa.18 the rsturar of 

trU8tbi OieOtiOn8 Oi OOIUIOM 8OhOOl di8triOt87 

-(2) 'aloh bodt rhould Oanvam the return8 ot 

independent rohoo1 dietriots wherein the 8OhOle8tiM 

Me 108s than 5000 

"(3) 'Xhlah body rhould aanta8e the returar of 

ladependant eohool diatriatr having 8OhOlasti08 Of 

more then 5007" 

Artloler 2746 an4 27&6a, Vernan*r Aanotate4 Taxa8 

Civil Statutee, read a8 follow8: 

=Art. 2746. 

Wald trUEltOO8 rhall aDpOint three (3) persO3l8, 

qualiiied toter6 oi tha dlrtrlot, wlm shell hold rmoh 

eleotlun an4 naka return8 thereof to sal4 trwteer within . 

iit0 (5) day8 after 8uOh elrotion, and raid persons shall 

?eOeite en cc 

One Dollar ($3 

enEatitXl for their 8erViOe8 the 8~ Of 

eaoh, to be paid out o? the looal fund8 

oi the sahool dlotrlct where the eleatlon was !mld. The 

Board Of Truateea, when OrdOrlag 8uoh elCotloa en4 appolntinng persons to hold elootion, rhall give aotior oi thr tina 

and plaoe where auoh eleotion will be held, whlah aotfoo 

shall be POeted l tt:thFtO 

trlot at least twenty (20 I 

3) public plaoer wlthln the 418. 

day8 prior to the data of holbing 

raid oleotlonr Ii, at the tlple and plaar for holding 8~0h 

rlrotion, any Or all Ot th. p@?8Oll8 80 O~pOi@Od t0 hold 

8Uoh eleotion are absent or refuse to mot, than the l &OtO?8 

~l'O8CUlt may seleot or their number 4 QW84Xl or per8oa8 to 

aot in the pleoe or those absent or retU8lag to act. Said 

Board of Trustees shall meat and oaava88 the return8 Ot 

raid oleation tit& rive (5) day8 after return8 hare bean 

made end daalare the result of said elcotion aad i88UO t0 

the ~?8CUi8 60 eleoted their 001tl~li8131OIl8 88 8uOh tr'l8tCC8, 

and shall notify the County Judge or the County SUperlntCIIdeat ii the oountp ha8 a Srrperlntandent. Ae amended, AOt8 

1941, 47th Leg., p. 1373, ah. 623, 61.” 
. 

Hon. Cllat BarhsrP, pago 3 

ickt. 2746a. 

_ .“a of the ballot8 ?Or the rleation of a 80hool 

truatae la aomaoa 8ohOO1 4i8trlat8 an4 in ind8pm4at 

l OhQol d18tr:&8 hating fewer than tlra hundre4 (90) 

8OhO~artiO8 08 8hom by the last preoedin8 8OhOla8tiO 

OOLl8UO roll approved by the State Dqartmcurt of Eduoatlon 

Md &Ohl8iVO Of t?M8fO?8 rhall b8 printad with blaok 

ink 9 alear white papera of autrlolent thIaknr8a to protent the marks thoraoa baIng 8ean through tha paper, and 

bo of MifOrm styla ard dfmea8fon) at the top of fhs 

ballot there rh811 b;a prlate4 ~Otfiolal Bellot, 

Indepandsat Sohool Distriot~, the number or acme of th 

rrohool distriot In whrhioh the eleotioa I8 to be held toa 

be filled in by the judge oi the county when ho ordara 

the ballota printed. Any peraon do8lrlng to hate hi8 

n8me plaoed'on eaid ottioial ballot, a8 a 08ndldato ror 

the ofl'ioe of trwteo of a oum8on 8ahool diatriot or 02 

an independaat oohool diatriot a8 herein prOTide rhnu, 

at leaat ten'dapo.before 8814 aleotlom, rile a writtan ' 

requeet tvlth the oountf judga of the count;t In whioh 8ai4 

418trlot is loaated requa8tlng that hIa aa01 be plaaed 

on the ofrlaIal~bal.iot, On4 a0 oan4ldats ahall have hla 

name printed on aai4~b8llot unlrea ho hno oompllea with 

the ~rovl8fOn8 of thf8 dot 

resident qualftied Yoteza 1 

prOTid8d that iit@ or more 

a the dlatriot na7 raquo8t 

that oertafn neime8 be prhtea. The oounty $&go, upon 

reoeigt or 8uah written raque8t, and at lehst iI00 day0 

before the eleotion, 8hall hate the ballot8 prlatsd a8 

provided ia this Aot, plaolng on the ballot th8 nam ot 

eaah aandldata who ha8 oomplled with the te?Q8 Of thf8 

Aat, aad aallter a 8uffloIeat number of printed ballot8 

and amount or supplies nroesaary ror aaoh eleatfoa to the 

p?SSiaftIg otriaaz of the aleotlon at laa8t oae day betoro 

raid 8laatlon is to be held, raid SlsOthI 8Upplia8, 

ballot8, boxer, aad tally 8haOtO to be drlitard by the 

oounty Judgr by mall or in 8ny other manner by him 4oama4 

beat, to the ~residhlg Off foe? Of a014 bl.OtiM fn rOti 

OmdOpO8 whloh shall not bo O~OZIO~ by the 8lOOtiOR OffiOe? 

until the day of the slOOtion. The expen88a of printing 

the btilatr and dolivaiug lame to the p?6Blding OffiOar~ 

togethar with thr other expense8 lnoldantal to 8814 alaOtiaD Shall be paI out of the available maintenanaa fuadr 

belonging to the 8OhOOl district in w?iiah aaid l lOotioD. 

18 helb, or to be held. The orrioera OS aald alootlon 
HOJI. Clint Barham, pa&a 4 

rhall.Qa required to u8e ths ballota 80 fU.rai8hOd by thr 

aounty Judge or prowida horoln. The rlrotloa offloor 

shall make raturna of 8ald OlOOtlOn to tha oounty ju4dgr 

an4 orrtlfy the result in the aam menaer a8 18 n6w reqU.ired by law, an4 raid ballot boxer whloh rhall harr 

besn fiuni8hO4 by looal school OffiOiti8 shall be rant to 

tha fJotUAty judea and raid eleatioa ?StUM8 8b3.l be oanV’a88sd by tha CWni88iOnOr8 ' Court and together with ballot 

boxer 8brU !a oafsly pre88.Wed for a period 0s threr 

month8 next after the data or the sleatlon. (a8 OQMasd 

Auto 1935, 44th Lag., pa 135, ah. 55,. 0 2.1" 

Your fir8t qar8tlon rsqulree the oonrtruotion at 

Artiolaa 2746 an4 2746a, Vernon’8 Annotated Texar Civil Statutea. 

F;tl;i:lativo history Of these 8tatutea I8 thorarora highly 

Artlola 2726 wa8 aaaotsd In 1915 and among otha 

things p&dad that the board 0s truate~a 0s ooglpcll 8OhOOl 

418trlotr ahould aanvaa8 the return0 0s truatee aleotlona at , 

auoh ni8triOt8. Artiole 2746a was enaotsd in 1925 by Senate 

Bill 263 or the 39th Legislature, ml among other thing8 protided that the dofml88ionata* oourt rhoula aanvaa8 the return0 

of trustee elaatioa8 of oommoa rahool dlstrlotr and 0s lnaepsndent aohool alatrlot8 hating loos ~than 500 8Cho~etiOs. Seatlon 2 

or saaate aiu 263 above refarred to provided rot tha rapral or 

all laws in 00nr;liot. It la' our opinion that Senate Bill 262 

rapeale and 8UpW8ed84 the provlslon in Artiale 2746 proviaing 

$02 the oanvaaalng or trU8tkW elactlon r6tuZn8 0s Oomlon 8ahOOl 

dlatrlat8 by tha board of trurtras,an4 t&t upon the parrago of 

Artlole 27&a in 1925 tho ooipLlitisloner8~ oourt and not the board 

or trU8tW8 wa8 the proper body to oanva88 tru.ter alt4otloa ratUra8 of oa~mola 8ohOOl dirtrfOt8. III 1935 tit+010 27&h ~a8 

emended by the 44th Lagi8laturo ln only one reaprot, towltt thr 

Da)‘BWtt of sleo tio l n XpWlS~8 Out Qf 8OhOO1 fund8 Of the di8triot 

Instead 0t 0ti 0s the goneral tuna or the oounty. In 1937 

Artlo1e 2746 wag re-enaoted by the 45th Legf8htUN) it ~a8 

amended 0dly to provide that the tru8tees ehould a point three 

Wallflea persons for enoh voting box of the diotr ! Ot fnrtOa4 

of merely thrae quallr~od votara oia airtriot to hold the 

trust88 eleotlonr. sootion 2 or the sot, H. B. 762, prOvide4 

a8 SOllOw~r 
._ 

Hon. Clln~ a#rhnm, pg. 5., 

*8608~60 0r the raea that In 60fh4 aah u;8trht8 

In Texaa there ia more thaa oao toting box, and wherera 

undaf thi old Statptea groat lnooat~la~oa ma aauaed to 

the reaidentr or aaah.dlrtriota bsoauar or the grw dirt&now whlaa ?na$t aeoaaaarily be traveled rad wherrar muah 

earing of tima ud expenar oan be obtalnrd b y l llawlng the 

holdtie of ~~6ot10~8 IpOP OontMiMt t0 the rotary oreate 

aa emergeaey and an taperatlrr ublio neoseaity that the 

Constitutional Rule requiring b P 116 to be read oa t&m 

several day6 br eaependsd, end raid Rule ia hereby 8uapeaded, 

~4 -18 Aot almU- take SlVeot and bo in for00 on and after 

ita paoeeger and it is 60 qaoted.” 

The 80%. ala.'& oontaia a rapalfng olauro, 

2?&6 was again re-anaotad anti tumwled la 1941 by H. 8, l,l?$: 

47th Leglaleture. The artlola wee mend& only with roapret to 

the payment or 01eoti0~1 0xptia66, providing for the ptqmrnt or 

anoh expenao8 by the board ot trWteee instead ot the oouuty, 

Then aot did’ not aontaln a repealing olaaae. 

KPe thluk the r0uOdng rules or 6tfitlttOP~ oonatra~ 

tlan are pertinent and a plloablo to pour firat u6atlon. Xa 

Quote room Imrla* Suaher P aad matutory Conetouot P on, pager $41-E 

34, 524+#, as iollowat 

qhs oonatitutional pratiefon requiring anendmeatr 

to be made by eo%tiag out the whola 8aOtlOn a6 amadd ~68 ' 

not FatenQsd to makr any dirrsrent rulo as to the eifeot 

Of 6UOh #IWIld!6OBt#. So tar aa the aeotlon 1s ahanged it 

maat rsoelte a naw operation, but 60 rar 86 It $8 not 

ohangod it would be dangoroar to hold that the mere nominal 

re-ansotmeat #atld hate th0 6rr40t or dlrturbing the whole 

body of rtatutea.in pari mstuia whloh bad been pa886d 83506 

the rir6t enaotmeat. There must be something in the nature 

or the new lo~alatlon to .show auoh an intent with reaaonable oloararsr before an lmplied repeal OM bo reoogalaed. 

‘By obeutlng the O0fl8titUtiOllti rOX%II Or amending a 8@OtiOa 

or 6 statute,* 8678 tho OoUrt in 0110 oaar, ‘the legi8lahWe 

doss not axpro an intonttoa then to Meat. tha whole 8eOtiOn 

as (Moaitod, .bnt Only an lntsatlon then to eneot the ohaage 

whioh 16 indioated. Any other rule at oonatruotlon ,would 

e~tiy intrtiuoe uwxpeotd result6 a+ work imat ~JMv6nDf6noe. q 
Hm. Cl&t Barham, page 6 

Vha sPraudmant oparatsa to repeal ell+.bS the aeotlon'daooded not eabraoed .fn tha amrndad rorm. 

tlona of the amondad aaotlona whioh are morelr 

WithOUt ohangr are not to be oonalda~ed (1s repealed and 

to have been. the law at any time prior to the paaaagc, of 

tha amandad aot. Tha ahanae taker eiieot proapeotIvaly 

aooordlng to the general mfr. 

l o t would not rfflte the &rotiaI&i~ ia 

A repeal of that 

origlntip emote& 

On the OontrarfJ, a repeal of the amendatory aot atmld bC 

a repeal of tha prorlaiona therein oontlnued ha foroe frog 

the original a&, 

‘*. . . ~i%hsrs a urotIao Is added to a eeotlon bd 

nmendmrat It all be atrlotl~ CCQ8trUOd and will be applied 

only to that aeotloa, unleaa a oontrary intent la oloar.* 

~Fa@ziaIa addodl 

. 

qapaal anA ra-anaotmant - Effcat or ra-anaotmaut 

on 3.ntarmadIataota .-This rubjeot has alraadp bran OWLI 

alderad to wrm extant la a roraer ohaptar. Where an aat 

la aaendad or r8v,crLed, and the rcmmar aat expressly or by 

inp%boatIon raplalad; saoh provlalona of the old law a8 are 

l ubattitlall re-eaaoted~ are deemed to be oontlnuoua. 

T 

*A 

later law wh oh Is merely a ro-anaotmant of a formar doer 

not rapeel an lnterinodlate aot whloh has qualified or lImIted 

the first one, but such IntarmadIats aot wIl1 be,doemed to 

ranala in roroe, a& tq qua3lry or modfry the new aot la the 

aama manuor as It aid the rirst.* This 1s aape0iaU.y true 

ii the Intarmadiats law la apsoial or partlaular and the 

re-enaoted law la a ganeral law nn the sane aubfeot. Where 

a law is amended and re-anaated as amended, any intsrmdiate 

law ineonalatent pith the new matter. lntroduoed, or ohango 

made by the amendment, wI.11 be rspoaled. where a law la 

aubatantlallp r+anaotad It la sald to ahow that the loglalature did not regard It as repugmn% to an intermediate 

aot to aaxo axten ouvrring the #am aubjeot. A town ohartor 

granted in 1857 forbade the sale of liquor. An amendment 

made in 1859 gave power to lloenar Its sale. In 1870 tha 

ohmtar of 1857 was m-enacted aA th0 linit6 Or the town 

extended. This was held not to repaal ths aat oi lLt59, 

but to be a mere deolaratlon that the rot of 1857 was 

J 
Hau. OllntBuham,pqe 7 

8till in totoe, ~83 rolatsd baok to the tiae or its 

original passago. SOOtIOn 5 or an aot Of Nevada Of 

1885 ‘In regard to the oociponaatlon of oounty orrloera 

fixed the oozlpoaaation oi tho oounty oiiloora or Elk 

oouaty, giving the sherlfr oortaln retbe, the dlatrlot 

attorney a salary got 2,000 and the auporlntandont of 

aohoolr a salary of 9 80 0. l'ebruarr 23, 1887, aa l o t 

was ~aaasd to oonsolldate oortaln oouatl OfiiO08, 

*hioh provided that dietriot attorneys should be ex 

oftlolo l uprrlntendsntls of l ohoola without additional 

oom armatlon. 

P 

On Uaroh 5, 1887, 8e6tIon 5 o ? th a l o % 

oi 885 uaa aaonded so aa to give the aherlfr ot Elk 

oouaty a salarT or 34,000, In lieu or toes, an4 the 

aeotlon re-atiaoted inoluding the salary of $600 Sor 

the aupsrintscdont of aohoola. It was hold that the 

only objoot or the aot of. 1887 was to ohango the oompeqaatlou or the ah~rlrf to a salary, that it did not 

repeal or aiieot tha aot oi Bobruarr, 1887, and that 

the district attorney was not entitled to the aalar) 

or 3600 as ex oriioio superintendent of aohoola.* 

It la our opinion that Senate Bill 263 OS the 

39th Laglalaturo repealed and skporaeded the prurldon of 

Artlole 2746 (passed In 1915) proriding ror the oanvaaalng 

ot truetee oleotIoq8 or ooninon aohool dlatrlota by the board 

of t~tUt4BO8. It ‘1s our rurther oplnlon that it was not the 

intention or the l,Sth LogIalatuo in 1937 to repeal the protislon or A,rtlola 27&a providing for the oanvaaaing of 

trustee elections oi oommon aohool diatrlotr by the ooamlaaionerr~ ooourt in their ro-enaotment aud amYUnw&t Or AHIOle 

2746, It ia our rur8har opinion that it was not the Intention 

oi the 47th Leglalature La 194l to repeal auoh proo*iaIoaa of 

Artlao 27&a III the re-enaotmont and anendaent of Artiole 2744. 

Tho oaao of Shaw f. Taylor; 1f.6 9.X (24 452, 

rudered DOO, 19, 1940 involved the oontoat of a eamaon 8ohool 

patriot trust00 l leot~on, a0 trfd wurb~a rindingr 0r iaot 

ahow tha$ the elootion rotarna were oanvaaaed by the oomlaaIoaara* court. Noithor party questioned this propoaitIon 

Mth rull knorledgo or auoh raot6 rouderod judgmnt. 01 OouI%i 

although other matters were strongly oontoatod. The Oourt 

Us oage 16 not dooIalto o? your mat question a6 the llattar 

-56 net dlr00tlJ b&ore the court 

Qt*nt porguaglrr upon the quoatloa. 

, but It la ab 10aSt to 801118 
. 

ma. Ollnt Buham, page 6 

In an8wer to your first question you ue rcspcotfully advised that it ia the opinion of this dopartmeat that 

the oommlrsloaerr~ ootut rhould oanvass the rcturnc of tmmtcc 

clcotioac oi oomzaon 8ohool diatriotc, 0piniOIA8 Numbcrrr o-655, 

0-750 and O-1357 o? thir department 8re hereby ovcrrulc4 inrofar a8 they ooafllot with thir holdlng. 

The 0880 of Thomae v. McGcmn, 94 S.YY. (26) 839, 

hold8 that cn clcction in cn lndcpcndcnt sohool dirtrlat 

hd.llg 1CS8 thM 500 8OhOhlltfO8 W'M IlOt OOIl@8tCd tllltil th. 

r&urn8 had beca.oanvs8se4 bt the oomd8aioa6r81 oourt a8 

provided by Artlola 27&a, V.A.O.S. 

In an3war~to'your 8cOOn4 qUC8tiOll you arc respcotfully advised that lb 18 the opinion of this d8pCHLICCat that 

th6 oommlacloncrc~ oourt should ocnvaac the return8 of trwtcc 

ChOtiOll8 of lndcpcudcut cohool dictlYiOt8 w%crein the 8OhOla8tiO8 

am 1CSS than 500. 

Article 2776, Vernon*8 Aanotated Texas Civil Statutcr, 

read8 a8 fOllOw81 

"All ~lootlons shall bc ordered by the boar4 of 

trustees of eaoh IndcpcnUcnt 8OhOol distriOt{ Snd 8UOh 

order shall bc mad8 at l&tat ten daya bciO?C the 4atC Of 

clcotlon; an4 a aotloe of the order rhall be ported at 

three ditfercnt plaocr'ia bhc dlstxlot. The boar6 of 

rohool truatee8, at the time of ordering 8aoh elcotioa, 

shall appoint three parson8 to hold the clcotfon, an4 

chall db8i@iCitC the p&Q88 wh8re the PO118 8hal1 be QpSft. 

Eaoh pcraon appointed to hold cuoh elcotloa rhall rcOcivC 

0110 dollar thcrcfor, to bc paid Out O? the gCncz& iUn4 

of the oounty aa other 01aL.w are paid. All luoh ClOctioII8 

8hdll be held, and returnr thcrcof nadc to..the board of 

8Ohool tlW8tCC8, in aooordanoe with the general cleotion 

hW3. The board of 8ohool trustee8 8hall Oallvall 8Uch 

returns, dcolare thc'rcsult of suOh OlcOtioa, and i88Uc 

obrtirioatcr of cleotion to the perron ahown br SuOh 

returns to be cleotcd.W 

the case of killer T. CO??~S, U.8 T. 381, 15 S.FJ- (2a) 

l0%, answer8 to Ocrtlfie4 quertlonr ooniormeb $0 (CiT* APP.1 

l7 %W. (26) 1100, holds t&t ArtiOlC 2776,V.kC.5., aRPlic8 to 

8ch~l dirtriot@ orgcnlacd under gcilcrcl lndepcndmt l OboOl 4&- 

trk laws. 

i 
Bon. Clint Barham, page 9 

.'Ia aaawcr to pour third question you arc re8pcot- 

?tiiY adVi86d that it 18 thC OpiniOn Of this dCp&G¶Cat that 

the board Of trU8tCC8 8hoti4 OC.IlVCa8 the return8 Of trU8tCC 

cleotions of ln4cpcadcnt SC3001 distriots having 8OhOla8tiO8 

0r 500 or more. 

Very truly your8