TIEBEATRMXRNEY GENERAL
GERALDC.MANN AURT~N m.X%x~s
HonorableDon D. Parker CountyAuditor EastlandCounty Eastlaud,Texas
Dear Sir: OpinionNo. O-1073 Be: Transferof scholastics niih- in the county--Countysuporin- tendenthas no disoretionif proper applicationfiled.
Viesrein receiptof your letter of June 27, 1939, in which you 'sub- mit the folloflngquestionto this departmeatfor an opinion:
"If parentswish to tmusfer their childrenfrom one districtto another districttithe same county,aud make the properwrittea applicationto the Comfy Sohool Superintendent,is it optionalor mandatorywith the County School~Superintendent to either appliove or disapprovesuoha traus- Per?"
Prior to the 1925 revisicm,Artiole 2760, RevisedCivil Statutes, 1911, provided:
"Art. 2750. APPLICATIONOF PARENT OR GUARDIAN.,Any child lawfullyen- rolled in aqy district,oi.iudependent ds$.t+&t,_ be transferredto the enrollmentsof any other~district, 3 or independeu dietriot,intie same countyuponthe writtenapplicationof the parent or guardianor person having the lawful aontrolof suoh child,filed with the county superin- tendeut;but no child shall be transferredmore than once$ providedthe party making applioationfor transfer'shall state in said applioation that it is the bona fide intentionof applioautto send ohild to the sahool to which transferis asked. Dpon the transferof any child,its portionof the schoolfunds shall follow and be paid over tothe district, or independentdistrict,to which such ohild is transferred;providedno transfershall be made after August first, after the enrollmentwas made."
Dated April 2'7,1920, letterbook, vol. 235, page 932,,thisdepart; ment renderedau opinionto Miss Aunie Webb Rlauton,State Superintendent of Publlo Instruction,construingthe 1911 statuteinwhioh it was held that the weld "may"was used in a mandatorysense and shouldbe oonetrued the ssme as "shall." The State Superintendent being dissatisfiedwiththe foregoingopinionrequestedthatthis departmentreoonsider~its former cmstruotion ad in responsethereto,the AttorneyGeneral*sOffice issued its conferenoeopinionNo. 2444,Vol. 57, page 303, dated July 29, 1922, Hon. Don D. Parker, page 2 (O-1073)
mitten by AssistantAttorney General, BruceWe Bryant,intichthe auth- oritieswere thoroughlyreviewed3and it was heldthat the word "may" as used in the 1911 statutesshouldbe construedas "shall"and mandatory. Therefore,upon applicationfor transferbeing properly.filedwithte OOU~QV superintendent,he had no discretionin the matter and the transfershould be granted.
Article 2760 was carried intothe 1926 revisionas Article 2696, and the first sentenceuas changedto read:
"AZ@?child lawfullyenrolledin any distrlot,or independentdistrict,ma atthe disoretioaof the county superintendent -3 l- be transferredto the enro ment of any other district . . ."
l@ Acts 1935, 44th Legislature,page 488, oh. 201, Article 2696, R.C.S. 1925, nas amendedto read as follous:
"Any child lawfullyenrolledin aq districtor iadepeadentdistrict,may by crder of the coon* superintendent, be transferredto the enrollmentof q other disttiotor independentdistrictin the same countyupon a writ. ten applioatioaof the parent or guardianor persoa.having la&u1 control of suoh child,filed with the oounty superintendent; povided that any dis- triot or indepeadentdistriotbeing dissatisfied with enyfransfer madeby the countysuperintendent may appeal frcrmsuch action to the countyboard of -tees of said countyuho shall have the right to annul and cancel the Wansfer allowedby 4he oounty superiatendsnt.
"The applioaatshall state in said applicationthat it is his bona fide in- tentionto send said child to the schoolto which the transferis asked.
"Uponthe oertifioatioa of the transferof ruqrchild,from one districtto anotherdistrict,by the county superintendent of the oounq inwhich the child residesat the time of the transfer,the State Departmentof Rduoati- on shall authorizethe Stats Treasurerto pay over