**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 
**: I** 

: X6 are plaascld

to ea tho~abovoptaea- .&atatel and aathSahool Dirtrlo

"

. protibedthat W~sn one or more eoaaon s&mol CiatrlZ are 80 annexed to a aom aoh distrlothaoing Pour hundre6or I+~YB rmholaatio

population,88 the

## E

;:cz. i

. Jlelnedy,

April 26, 1939, Page 2

cnse rsy be, 8 bosrd,.of trueteea shall be elected from tkr. dlntrict ot large and shtill have the tocafesent and ccctrol of the districtes enlargeduntil the time for the next electionand ~uallflc~tlona of trusteesfor comn and independent

districts,ES providedby General law." hrticle 2922c,hevlatwl Civil Ztatutea,hcta 1927, 40th w&islature, 1st Ceiled tession,p. 206, Ch. 78, Sac. 3, provldes in part: "The aontroland makgement ot the aohoolaof a rural high school dlatrlot,aatabllahed under tha protiaioni of this Aat. shall ba raatad in a board of aann trcutws.

dlst~lota,axeept a6 ti be otharvlaaprovldadhanin; and proridpd that auoh,alamn~ dlatriot l.nalmda&inauah rural hi&i 8ahooXdirtriat must 'be the remldeaoo of at laqt one ,saamho*-'dg aaid hawU. uy rawnay ahall 2~ 

## rius4 tor~.kha

uaarplradtaxm **by** appolatwnt by tba oowty boarll of tmateea. Protidml **that** for a rural hleh aohoal tU8triot formadwith mora than ona humdrad ~a~uare milea or urritoq or aontainiag1ora than save8 alslpentary dlatriata,mI pzv-' pi&ad in this Aat, the-boardof txmstaeaaa harsla rmmlded r0r. shall be a1aataa from the d%atrlotat Aar#...-&iu?~ WY rum1 huh ha01 ai t i t r il **to edwt**  a **tm8tM or**  trustee8 aa **pro%le4** Sorain &la"~t , the wuaty board oi traataaaahall appointaald tmataa .ortmataoBra
It is clear that pursuant to tha undo~$lnadpaaaqa8 of tha abave akttitaa,tha truataoaof tha Pattua,mata, lommana .RuralEugh SahoolDiatrlat 8hauld be alaatad rmt tha dlatrlatat laqa, ainoa it containsaum thaq 100 8~uara tiles. For tha mwaer of edeating there trtlateaa nd tha'ti88 &OTOX%irpe aalps,' ArtJo 2922a (aupra)dlraata that they "8baW be sbateb an& 8e)pla la aooorbanoe

with tha provia,icma of Qansral La relatlta to oQmEon aahool aistriota.- Ba are tharaby referred to Artlolaa **%X4:5** (kota UOS, P. 26s. as amanded,Aots 1929, 4lat leg. 2nd C. 6. p. 3, Ch. Z), 2746 (AS aarendad Aata 1937, 13th La&. p* 472, Ch. 2S7, Sea. 1) aad 2946a (a8 aaandad,**Aats** 1935. 44th Lag., p* 195, ch. 65, Sec. Z),

The only provlalon In any 41 aafd thrae artdoles whlah relates to the posting of notiae of a trustee elaotlolr ia fhtPS01- lowing **from Artfule**  **2946:**"A:0 tocrd cf trustees, rten orderice aucb election md app-lnting p~:rsor.s 25 bold election, ~!:a11 give notice of the t:.-e

and place v&me such electioo will be held, v;~Ach notice s&all be posted at three (3) public pieces v;$t!:lu

the district at lea,st turmty (20) days prior to the date of holdlne said election.*
:Inaer the above cited statutes, a0 are as yet without express direction as to tke effect of an lrre@ar notice of election, stich as here isvolved, upon the val:dlty of the trustee eloctlon held t:;ereuyon.

The **pw8ti0n 0r**  tha 

### +aildity 0r 

### 1111 eieatlon

0r 

### trtm+008 br a G-n sohooldlstrlot In which election therewere oertain irregtdaritloe

MB oonslderad**by** the Austin Court or Cirll Appeals in SGherz f. Telrer (1954],94 8. By.(24) 329. Rs quote, at lGngth,

### rmm the opinion in thatcase:

*The auuumr and rsthct6 0r hold& 618otlcruror oowion sohwl trorrt~aa are providedby artlolaa~~W#,~ **2946, and**  **Z944a,** 8. 8. 1986, aa amended. See **Veniw*a** AnnotatedTaxaa **Statutea** as 

### l npplamanted. It Is the eontantion of appellautthat these statutes,lnoludadunder the title "PublicEAuoation,aoontrol suoh sleotlwa entirely,and that such slaatlonsars not subJ*otto tha prorisions 0r the Terrall Hleotionxaw as embadIa6in title 60, Ra~lsed **Statutea; that**  suoh alaotIoM'undar artloles8945 6946, and 2946a are in tha natpro or apeolalalaotiona,and are oontrolladantiralyby said artioles;that the provisionsor artsolss SO08 and 5Ol8, whloh raqulra the algrratura of the sleotion Jad8~ On the ballot, do not apply; and that the ralltueor tha ballots to hare 8uGh lndoraament doa not render the oleotion void. 81th this eontantlm uG oannot agraa. *ArtlolaZ9Z6, beIn& tha iirst artlole or tltla 50, provldGs: *The prov%sionsoi this title shall apply to all elsotionsheld in this State, eraept as **o$har** rise pro~ldedheraln.l
"Be find nothing in the statute expressly ~x~ludlug **ircm tbe**  protlslonsof the election laws the sleotion or 0-n soho t~stees. **~hr, eleotion**  **or** ewh truoteesis, of ooursaj+undoubtadly Gontrolledby the provlalonaof artioles 8946, X3746, and 8946a In all utter8 **and** things GorGredby the provIelonsof eaid

**not apply**  **to** apwial eleotions,auoh aa eleatlonsrorEon. 0. Kennedy, April 26, 1939, **Page 4** 

**the rernovol**  **of the**  **coun%y** seat, **stock laws,**  **local** option laHS, consolidation of school districts, votirg districL bond8, or levying **a** loch1 tax, **we think**  **tl.e** election here involved does not corn cnder that classlfjcatlon. ;.fiilams v. Eamond (Pex.Civ.App.) 276 :. I.. 304; **ChedmAt** v. .-ells (Tex.Civ.kpp.)

278 L. i..

465; L!iller f. Corree, 118 Yex. 381, 15 S. :;. (Ma) 1036. Zuch elections as above enumerated are clearly local :n character. of inrreguent **occurrence,** apply only to **a** given locality, are usually final, the matters voted upan disposedof at a alzqle election,and are not **reourrlng ln**  **oharaoter. viallie**  **v.** 

### a1111ema 101 Tex. 995, 108 S. k. l.83. In the latter aaee, Chief Juatloe Caine8 olearlydatinea the diatinatlw batraen apeolal electionaand a general oleotlou,and a **rersrenoe** theratowill render uuuaoeaaamr dlrouaalonor such dlatlnotlw here. Ee think the eleotlon or oosaum aohool trustee8does not **oonatitute a**  apeoial eleotlon 

### atit with **lo the**  **above** dwlalons. **YUOh** elootion 18 not oonr1nadto any given lo alit f nor to say glean individual.

nor to any llaiitiid olaia or lndlvlduala. On the con&ax-y,art&lea 2946, 2946, and Si946a ralata to all uonmon aohooldlatrlctathroughoutthe at&a, and 

### to the tleotlonor 

### the truateea 

### .thereor, pmvlda ror such eleoticnaaoh year thrcugboutthe stata, and are thareroreaaacntlally gcaara2 in their applioation. It la no1 settledthat.a mhwl trustee la a oguaty oHiOor,' requiredto t8ke the oonatitutiunal oath, a&d that a oonteator his alaotlan ia rarmable to the ganaral.

lnw. Fowler v. Thomas (Tex.Clr.~pp.) Z9q S. Ur W, and Gaaeta

there alted.- 

### i%J **must** 

### thsrerore

look to the 

### atatutoa~go ranalg l leotlona gsnarally,sonetimeareferred to aa tha Termll Zleotlonku, bqm am Inwrporated, **aa** amended in Tltlc 60, Article EQBS at **6aq.** or the Revised Clrll Statutea,ln **order** to **find** the **n&a,** which have not elaeuherabeen eat out, applying to el~otlonsof truateea of rural high aobwl dletrlota.

**Artials 2949,**  Revlaad Cirll Statutea,19ZS. **reads:**
"A failure rrom any..eauae, on the **part** of the Governor, or tha county judge orhwlaalonera* aourt, **or** oi both, to order or &its not108 or any general eleotion shall not invalidatethe aaae ii otherwise 16(&al and regular.a

# I 3.83

m

'Yhe Ccx~iesi3n of ,Ipp~~sls of 'Zcxrs11;

Co::ntz

v. iichell (1931). 36 2.

. (2d) 770, in'o58wcr to certi:‘ied quastioss rr0E t:.c court cr Clrfl Agprals G: ~Cslvetxtcn in holdI~:;F

the n.:tlce

of uiactic:.

L::rre under ccssjderatlon velid, said:

"Xn electlon field at tbe tir,e

md place fixed by lar 1s vs3ld even thcueh nc orddr cr cell has been issced tterefsr, 08 the light, to hold such an clectlnn is derived fros the iew azd not from, tiny notice. C. J. Vol. 2C, % 79, p. 96.

**“ A**  failure to give notice of such an election doer not rander the 8ame nqatory, as every person 18 required to take notioe of what the statutepresorlbea: People v. Cowles, 15 H. 1. X50; People vi Ifartwell, X2 Eloh. boB, SO Am. DOO. 90. lilda **V.** Wth, 10 Iowa 2l2; ,State f. Onle, 20 &oi 2SS; Ueohem on Pub110 Officer6 i 194; B. c. I..

Vol. 9, mi."

. The oourt then went tin to point out (uhlohlm not ~atarlal ror the deterrainatlon of our queetlon,**but** oalls attmtlon'to the dirr8rentrule In map~lalm au4 *generalweleotloti)~ .~

"But where the eleatlon 1s a speolal. and, to be oalled and.~the

time and plaoe flxsd~byaope authorlty,~ it la eaeentlal~tothe valldfty thereor that it be ~oallod **or** ordered br the **wry authority**  designated**by &r**  **uad no**  other.*
In I.uwls

v. Stanton IndependentSohoolDlHrgot, 294 S. I. 80, the El Pa60 Court of Cltil **ApPMb** held **that** iallure~to po8t distantsiarkar8 around the polls did not lovalldatea 8ahool bond elaotlon,there having beon no electioneer IT* bMauM ,-the rallure to post the mim la a mere Irregularty whleh **did** &t ktiect the 

### remit, **and** does not lnvalldatatha.ebetloa,a

In WllUaka f. Glower; 2S9 S. VJ. 989, whenia the Waoo -Jlou.rt or Cl.vll

-1s affirmed the ralldlty of~ari election **ror** iaereaeeof a school Qlstrlet tax, maid:

"The notloes of ale&Ion posted In auoh sohool di8triOt were irregularla attributingthe order for such e&action to the commlsalonera* oourt, and in the mmner or their authentloa~~on. Nererthelese., they gave adequate and aoourate lnromtlon oonoernlngthe time, place, and purpuee or such election. while the **sktutory** provl6lons

with referenceto postingnotlaea, .wbenoubstantlallyoomplledwith, are euiiicl,ent in themselves**$oa. ir-**  Kennedy, hprll 26, 1939, i++ 6

tc support the validity of such En electIon, xch COQpllance ccnstitutos conrtrwtfve notice only

. . . Vie do not thinx tkieirrsgularlty shown ws sufficient to effect itr validity of such election."

In Leyera v. Aalker, 264 2. c:.314, (alfln;ed **by** the Supreme Court of Texas !n 266 L. TX. 499). the Port Lorth Court of civil kppetils

ooneidered the e**Sect of**  an irre&ularlty in the notice or a municipal bond electionund said:

"It was uileged that the notice ir tkc c(Lse before ~8 

### un5 indefiniteand unoertaln,in that it provided for the election *at the oourtroo~ in the City oi Lamesa, Texas,*~whereae,

In iaot, there were two oourtroou;ione ror the oounty oorrrt and one ror the Qlatrlot oourt, In the sane bulldIng. The varitledanswer or the **dereudanta;** however,nmkea It to dlatlnotlyappear that them waa **a** written notloe **signed** by the **sayor,** posted ln three public **plaoea** In the olty or laseea,to-wit, the oourthouse, poet 

### 0rri50,and ?&rat RationalBank, as requlra(l by.law regulatinggeneral eloot$oaa,ror are than SO full **daya before**  the date of oleotlon, ejmolryIa& that the elaetlonwas to be hel4ln the oouuty oourtroom. *It use **turther'alleged** In the answer that notloe of the electionhad been In faot published in **the Ikw8on**  County Jc+mal on ZWvambsr Zad, 9th. lSth, l6th **and** 89th. 60 that, sonoedlq the neoeealty

### 0r givinga 

### fwri0im notloe of the eleotlan,mboannot say, in ~18~ of the. rarlrle& anawor, that the oourt err@ In &leeolvIq the tqrery nit or ln&lll8tIcm on this ground."
It la **to** be **note6** that 

### In the three **last abote**  **eitad aaaea**  the l leotlona*h%oh wmra be- 8ttaekedwore all %~eolal* emt$ona, and,ior this reason the rules as to the requIaIteaotloe thereIn armouncedwould not **neoeasarlly** ba oontrolllng'5.n (LuganeralW eleatlon.aueh as 

### ror muwl high aahooldletrlot **trustees,** rith whlah we **are** here oonoerned: The oourta have 8eneraf-ly roqtired a muoh etrloteroompllanoe with tbe statutory.fombnlitlea.la the aaae of epeoial eleotlonathan ln general eleatlone. Vie hate alted these aaeee only **ror** the **purpae~** of showing that. the oourte have, even In epeolal elections,.permltted oertalnminor lrregularltIea of notice,where It appeared that the results of the eleotion could not poaelblyhave been @'peated thereby.

It 18 true that In kblneon v. Bostroa (SanAntonlo court of Girl1 Appealfs,

1929),216. ST. (2d) 680, It was held that a**~sdoscription** of the territory to be covered in the notice tar e bond election was such mrcr ~8 to render the election void. In Coffee v. (Sd) 406. Lieb (Lkstland Ct. of Civ. App;, 1937), 107 :. ;..

a local optlon election vsesheld to be void for want of a written order of tt;e cor~~lssloners*

court calling such election as provided by etetute. Eoti; **Gi** these cases involved special elections. In the letter **case** the court expreealy stated that tfie rule w.uld have been contra in a general election. Referring to the Suprew Court opinion in Countz v. Mahell (eupre), the Xastlaud Court said:

"After dealarlng the rule that failure to give notlae of a general elestlondoee not render the eleotlon nugatory,the oourt raid: *Butwhere the slaat%oon 18 a 8peOIal one, to be oalled and the time and plaoe fixed by same authority.It I8 eseentlalto the validity thereor that It **be** aall&-or orderd by the ray authorltfr, designated by law and none other.

. .*.- The Tua8 supreme Court in Wallf8 T. lPllllane,108 153, eaid: 

### s, -E.

%a think the Lagislature did not intand to m&a the Tarrell aleotiqnlaw applloablato special eleotion8.* seplylngnow, 8paaifIoally to your 

### rim 

### que8tian. 1.~0. whether the tru8t8e alaotionheld ln tha Pettu8i TaSeta, l#orranna Rural Elgh gahool Dbtrlot ID Invalidby re#on.oS the raot that the gocrted

notloe8 OS 8aId aleotlon iadloatsd that oao truotse uotdd be **8bOtOd** iropl eaoh Of two of the ooaponentCm Soho Dl8trIOt8,we XVt8QaOtrUlly advI8e yo8 that fhi8'im((rrlarity **doe8** not lnvaUdat8 the 8leotlon. It **iS** tl'U0 thOt **&tiOlO %@&,**  **bV1U** Civil **%atUte8, OrplW884**  QrOrid68that **the tWke8**  **in** di8triOt8 of over 100 squ8ra mlla8 **8baU. be**  **oleoted** troa **the** dl8trlotat lam aud they 

### must be no eleoto&. &t the aoouraoy **of the**  **porrtd** aotiol ie aot a Jurbliot~oael prereQti8ite to the 

### l utbor%ty to hold 8uoh a trustee eleotlti. As ~x'avi606 by Art1010 gQ49, 6nd a8 u~~omnoed by the **Supromo** Court of Texe8 In Couatt ‘1. Mlohelljboth disou88ed SUP=), the entIre ab8enee o? notioe 

### tor a general eleoticmdoe8 not Invalidatethe alaetlon. If euoh ar.eleotlon ruy be v8llQ nit out notice,we belIme that **su&** arror in the posted notioe as Ie here involveddoes not invalidatethe election.

Your seoond queoii'on relates to the printing of the nose **of a**  oandtdataror **trustee on**  **e** ballot who did not file hi8 requer! wfthin 10 days oi the elsetfon. In order for us to aaower this **qUe8tiOll,** kindly advise us uhethar the e+eotion in que8tIcmn8 ireon. C. Kennedy, April 26, 1939, Face 8

**a aolEmoKl,**  independent or rural hi@ school diotrlct, and,it poeeitle, the stat-tory provision -under wFic:hthe sam &as created. Xe would also greatly eppreclote your brief **05 this**  question.

.Ymrs very truly
A';TOH!lX GX?EIiC.i Cr"EXAS

**E,~R~U &alter**  **R.** Kooh

**Aseistant**