OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

HonorsbleLouis T. Holland County Attorney Montague county Montague, Teroa

1939, requeatlng the foliatingfaews: \\//

coneolidatoan The eleotlonto lty in the inde the Caaim5fm t5on was held to 8ahool distriot. by a large an&rOatobsr 17. XQStt, return8 in th6 a*. $6 to be 17 rar ion, and entered de eoneoli@ated.

n the manner requ5redby of trwkes of the comma to wt 5n their ofYfa5a.Iaaon contest alle@ng that %Ir oan~aolUatlon and that qurilied the right to mtaj suriioientto It or #uoh,eleatiQn.

e haa not bssat~eb and fe otil..pait Court, an& the Coanty 8uperintmlant la holding all &ate, aotinty end looal funds of suah **aomaen** sohool dlatriatintaot in the aaaa.Of the ucmuaoLI sdrool distriot. No money haa been withdrawa Bern the depository 5n the aoaouutbf the.oommoncrohool dirstriat

for pfiyment of ateaohsr'or othsr'neaoamwy **taxpenes** ibr the ~nho~ll~& of the childrenof such dlatr5etduring the W@t jm6V8

In &Ml, 193Q, anew~tms8se mm etiate4 i&the oomm8n 6OhoQl dietriot,and 5x3 Jus OS‘t;h~ yimr, I& newHonorableLouis T. Ilolland, Pege 2

board purportingto aot for the.aonumn sahooldistrfct, same into oourt end took a non-suit,whereuponthe court permitted a former mmiber of the board to substitute h5+ self individually

end prooeedwit&the oontest.

Your letter continues as follows:
"1. i’iao oooneol5dat5on'eSfeotlve from the date of the oanvass of the returns and deolarationof results of auah eleotion in taror or oonmlldatlon, end would suoh oommon sohool dlstriotat that **time** beoome a part of the Independent district,and does it so oontinua as such 

### until such 

### timeau suld electionmay be set amide by a f+lnal

judgmentor a ooust of eompetent jurlsdlotlon? Thla question 5s based upon the propositionthat no restrainingorder has been asked for or granted against auyone.
T3. If you have answered the roregoting questlon in the neetire, then I auk if the Board.of Tmmtees of the ooarran nohool d5ntrLct~are now olothsd with full power snd authority to issue vouchers in payment of ~$undo exgonded r0r teacher, SUpp1i86, eto., used in the sbhoollngof the ohhildren of ea5d distriotduring the year 193849.

"It 1s my view of the situation that such OOllSOlidEtiO~ Wa8 Complete and effeative fro= and after the date of the oanvess~

or the retume and declarationof the **result8** of said electionby the aomm5ss50nerst oourt, and that such consolldatlon ~111 remain in rull rorae 6nd ertaot, unless, and until suoh'eleotlon is deolared to be 5nvalld by a final Judgprent ot a proper aourt."
Artlole 8806; Revised Civil Statutes, lOeS, provides for the oonsolldation of oommon and independentsohool dfstricts,and reada, in part, as follows:HonornbleLouis **T.** Hollaxl, Page 3

“.

. . The oomaIssloners*, court shall .A its next iueetlng oanvaea the return6 of said eleotion,and. if the votes cast in each sud ell dietrlots show n majority in eaoh dletriotvoting separatelyin fsvor of such oohsolldatlon,the oourt shall deolare the school districts oohsol18ated.m

The co~oiid&o~ of sohool districtsboa&a OSSeotive upon tAe canvass of the electionand~dealaration OS the result by the commlsslonere* court, aa provided In Artiole 2806. bland ~8. OrahgeSIeldIndependent School DIstrict (T.C.A.19e9), 84 LX. (ad) 73.

The consolidation

having been consummatedid effective lmeillately upon entry of the order by the aomaI& s50ners~oourt, would an eleotlon contest subsequently riled alleging 5rregularltIee In the conduot of sold oleationwithio itself supersedeand suspend the order of the oommI8sio~- ore' court pending a final dotermInation ot said suit7 We think not. iJndoUbt8dl.y the order of the oomaIesIoaer8~ oourt tmnrassingthe result of said election and dealaring

### Bald distriots omsolldated currieswith It a presumptionoS.talldlty until set sside by final judgmentor proper order OS 

### a aourt of oompeteti jnrisCiatIon. We find no provIsion in our statuteswhich wmid authorizeen individualI.n a aaae suoh 88 this to suspend the efiectlveness of en **orbr** oS the oorm5ssloners*

court, presumptively valid on its **Saae, by**  merely SllIng sn election oontest with allegations OS Irregularitiesin the conduat OS said electionwith no rastraInInaorder **aeked** ror or granted pending the SInal **de** terminationoS the suit.

It 5s our opinion t&at tLe consolidation OS a aommob end Independentschool district beoomes effective lame&iatqly upon the cemrass of the eleotion returns~ by the maws&ssIonors*oourt with the flndine;e requiredby hrtlole 8806, Revised Civil Statutes, 1985, and in the abeenoe of an order to the contrary, eh election oontest subsequently **filed** alleging lrregularltles 1x1 said election,laould not auopend suoh order of ,codeolldatlon pendente lite. Having answere4 your first question 

### la t&o arrlmative,your **mmond** questiondoes not require sn **aMwere**HonorableLoule T. Holland, Page 4

Thie opinion is 

### basedupon the assumptiont&t no fatal irregularity in the conaolldation,prooeediogappears upon the face of the remmd.

Yours very truly

ATTORNEY GENERhL OF TkXhs

APPROVEMUG 11, 1939



### ATTOFUTEY

GEbTERAL OF TE;XAS