Court Opinion

ID: 9671512
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:37:56.76294+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:10.378531
License: Public Domain

STEINFELD, Judge
(dissenting).
In considering whether the provisions of House Bill 158, Chapter 189 of the Acts of the 1970 General Assembly, now codified as KRS 160.047 and 160.049, contravene constitutional provisions the events preceding that enactment must be examined. For more than a decade in order to establish a new high school, the Board of Education of the City of Louisville searched for a suitable tract of land in that part of its district generally known as the Upper Highlands.1 Because of the intense devel*502opment of the area none was found, but contiguous to the Louisville district boundary in the Jefferson County School District vacant land was acquired adjacent to which were many occupied homes. On the site the Louisville board erected the Atherton High School. By an arrangement between those school boards many children living near Atherton, but within the county school district, were permitted to attend that school. When it became known that this arrangement would be discontinued an unsuccessful effort was made under KRS 160.045 to cause the boards to bring about a transfer of that area into the city school district.
The Atherton area is generally bounded by an expressway and highways carrying an extremely high volume of vehicular traffic. To reach a county school children must cross and travel a substantial distance on such roads. The danger to them is obvious. After a period of frustration the residents of the area persuaded the members of the General Assembly of 1970 to adopt legislation so that children in an area of the type here involved would not be forced to travel long distances to attend another school when their homes are located almost in the shadow of a school they wish to attend. There was no veto by the Governor. They recognized the problem which is found in these situations. The question was placed on the ballot in the November 1970 general elections whereupon 85% of the voters voted in favor of the transfer. These facts are revealed by the record or are of common knowledge of which we should take notice. Kohler v. Benckart, Ky., 252 S.W.2d 854 (1952).
I contend that the legislation is not repugnant to our Constitution. The people adopted constitutional provisions relating only to the common schools giving the legislature great flexibility in dealing with education problems. Section 183 of our Constitution states: “The General Assembly shall, by appropriate legislation, provide for an efficient system of common schools throughout the State.”
It was claimed that § 4464b of the Kentucky Statutes was unconstitutional in Trustees of Slaughterville Graded School Dist. v. Brooks, 163 Ky. 200, 173 S.W. 305 (1915). It provided:
“Any graded common school district organized and existing under any special act of the Legislature, and any such district that has been or may be hereafter organized under the general laws of this state, may, by and with the written consent of a majority of the legal voters in the territory to be added, extend the limits of such district so as to include such additional territory as the board of education, or trustees of such district, may desire to take within the limits and add to such district.”
We said: “It has been held in this state that it is entirely within the discretion of the General Assembly to designate the size of common school districts” and quoted from Crook v. Bartlett, 155 Ky. 305, 159 S.W. 826 (1913):
“A common school district has no permanently fixed boundary. It may embrace the whole of a county, or indeed several counties, or a small portion of a county. The size of common school districts is left entirely in the discretion of the General Assembly.”
We held in Brooks that the General Assembly “ * * * might surely make two adjacent sections of two counties into either a common school or a graded school district” and made it clear that the General Assembly may delegate to subordinate school authorities its power with respect to the establishment and alteration of school districts. We approved language appearing in 35 Cyc. 834 as follows:
“The power to establish new school districts, or to alter existing ones, may be delegated by the Legislature to subordinate agencies or officers, and in most jurisdictions this has been done. When the power to exercise the authority is made to depend upon the performance *503of certain conditions, such as the signing of a petition by a certain number of voters, or the like, the agent or officer cannot act until such conditions have been complied with, and cannot refuse to act when they have been.”
Finding the statute constitutional we approved the change made and stated:
“This court is not concerned with, and will not inquire into, the wisdom of the legislative act; and the fact that it has authorized the school authorities in one county to annex to its school district territory in another county will not justify the court in declaring such action invalid when the legislative authority existed and has been properly exercised.”
The constitutionality of Kentucky Statute 4464b was reaffirmed in Hume, Sheriff v. Grant, 165 Ky. 723, 178 S.W. 1028 (1915), and again in Board of Trustees of Demossville Graded Common School District v. Board of Education, 193 Ky. 502, 236 S.W. 1038 (1922).
Prowse v. Board of Education of Christian County, 134 Ky. 365, 120 S.W. 307 (1909), held that the system of schools which is most efficient is a matter for the legislature to decide, and in Elliott v. Garner, 140 Ky. 157, 130 S.W. 997 (1910), we said:
“The common school district is a creature of the statute, and, what the Legislature made, it may unmake. The people within a common school district cannot demand that it shall remain unchanged, and what change shall be made rests wholly with the Legislature. The Constitution requires the General Assembly to provide an efficient system of common schools throughout the state (section 183) ; and how it shall best accomplish this object is purely a matter of legislative discretion.”
It was contended in Board of Education of Fayette County v. Board of Education of Lexington Independent School Dist., Ky., 250 S.W.2d 1017 (1952), that KRS 160.045 violated Sections 2 and 183 of the Constitution. We held it did not and said:
“As we pointed out in Board of Education of Kenton County v. Mescher, 310 Ky. 453, 220 S.W.2d 1016, school districts are creatures of the legislature, and the legislature has the power under section 183 of the Constitution, to alter them or even do away with them entirely. We are of the opinion that KRS 160.045 does not violate section 2 or section 183 of the Constitution, notwithstanding that the county school district is given no voice in the loss of its territory.”
78 C.J.S. Schools and School Districts § 27a. pp. 663-665 states:
“The formation of a school district is a governmental function. Subject to express constitutional limitations or requirements, and except as it may have delegated such power to a subordinate officer or agency, as considered infra subdivision b of this section, a state legislature has absolute power, or as otherwise stated a state legislature has plenary, full, or full and exclusive, power, which it may exercise by acting directly or indirectly to create, organize, establish, or lay off school districts or other local school organizations, or to provide for their creation or to divide, unite, enlarge, change the boundaries of, or otherwise alter existing districts and organizations; or to provide for such alteration, or to prescribe or change the form of organization and functions of school districts. Also, it may provide for the establishment of school districts for different purposes.”
The following appears in 47 Am.Jur. 310, Schools, § 18:
“§ 18. Change of Boundaries; Power of Legislature. — A change of boundaries of school districts may occur in a variety of instances, as in the case of consolidation of districts, division to create new districts, taking from one district and adding to another, cutting off part of a district, annexing unorganized territory *504to a district, and the like. The legislature has full power to change boundaries of districts without the consent of the districts affected, except so far as it may be limited by the state constitution.
Whatever the nature of the change, it is settled that the boundaries of school districts may be changed at the will of the legislature. In the exercise of its power, the legislature may act directly, or it may delegate its power to subordinate authorities without violating the general rule against the delegation of legislative power. For example, the power to change boundaries may be conferred by the legislature on administrative agencies, cities or towns, local boards or officers, including town boards, or county boards or officers, or upon a state superintendent of schools. But the authorities are in conflict as to whether power to change the boundaries of school districts may be validly delegated to a court.”
In School District No. 3 of Town of Adams v. Callahan, 237 Wis. 560, 297 N.W. 407, 135 A.L.R. 1081 (1941), it was contended that an act which authorized the superintendent of schools to cause the attachment of districts having property valued at less than $100,000 to contiguous districts was unconstitutional. It was held that the delegation of power was not contrary to the Constitution and neither was the act because a different method was accorded to districts having a greater valuation. The court also declared that the act did not contravene other provisions of the Wisconsin Constitution.
In Hoskins v. Ramsey, 197 Ky. 465, 247 S.W. 371 (1923), at issue was the constitutionality of an act providing for the election of school trustees in the same year as members of the House of Representatives of the United States. We declared that Section 148 of the Constitution did not apply to those elections because Section 183 placed the election of school trustees exclusively under legislative control. We said Section 183 “ * * * expressly provides for the establishment of an efficient common school system by the General Assembly, and thus confers upon it full power to pass such laws as may be necessary to accomplish that purpose.”
Even though it might successfully be contended that Section 183 does not exempt the legislation under attack the legislature is authorized to enact laws which provide methods for governmental functions which are not uniform state-wide. The following cases illustrate:
An act fixing a minimum school tax in cities of a given classification, City of Louisville v. Commonwealth, 134 Ky. 488, 121 S.W. 411 (1909); a statute regulating fees of officers in counties having a population of more than 75,000, Commonwealth v. Thomas’ Adm’r, 140 Ky. 789, 131 S.W. 797 (1910), Winston v. Stone, 19 R 1483, 102 Ky. 423, 43 S.W. 397 (1897); an act authorizing the adoption of a commission form of government by a city of the second class, Bryan v. Voss, 143 Ky. 422, 136 S.W. 884 (1911); an act classifying the requirement of a building inspector according to the classification of cities, Jones v. Russell, 224 Ky. 390, 6 S.W.2d 460 (1928); an act fixing compensation of officers in counties having a designated population, Herold v. Talbott, 261 Ky. 634, 88 S.W.2d 303 (1935); a statute requiring that the salary of the jail physician of Jefferson County be paid by the county and the city of Louisville although that legislation was restricted to Jefferson County alone, Connors v. Jefferson County Fiscal Court, 277 Ky. 23, 125 S.W.2d 206 (1938) ; an act applicable only in certain class cities providing for the payment by the state for street improvements in front of state property, Logan v. City of Louisville, 283 Ky. 518, 142 S.W.2d 161 (1940); and an act authorizing any city of the third class to operate its combined utilities even though it applied to one city only, Settle v. Jones, 306 Ky. 9, 206 S.W.2d 59 (1947). In Jefferson County Fiscal Court v. Trager, 302 Ky. 361, 194 S.W.2d 851 (1946), we held that a law requiring excess fees of the county tax *505commissioner in counties containing a city of the first class to be paid into the state treasury was not prohibited by Sections 59 or 60 of the Constitution as local legislation.
In Metcalf v. Howard, 304 Ky. 498, 201 S.W.2d 197 (1947), we said: “What is suitable for Jefferson County, with 400,000 inhabitants, principally urban, is not suitable for Robertson County, with a population of 3,500, which is wholly rural.” In speaking of Sections 59 and 60 of the Constitution we continued, “ * * * this court has held, under a broad interpretation, that certain class legislation for counties based upon population is valid where the classification can be deemed reasonable or rational under the particular circumstances to which the law applies.”
Shaw v. Fox, 246 Ky. 342, 55 S.W.2d 11 (1932), declared that an act providing for three magisterial courts with salaries being paid to each justice of the peace in all counties containing a city of the first class was valid. It was claimed that the statute was “ * * * local or a special or class legislation * * * ” contrary to subsections 1 and 18 of Section 59 of our Constitution. In a most comprehensive discussion it was stated:
“The power of classification for legislative purposes rests with the Legislature, subject to the constitutional limitation or restriction that it must rest on some natural and reasonable difference which appears reasonable and just in relation to the act in respect to which the classification is proposed. The Constitution permits the Legislature to indulge in making classifications of subjects of legislation for the purpose of making different classes, for the meeting of different contingencies, naturally requiring different legislation in order that the Legislature may adopt general legislation to meet the needs of the people, to promote some public object, or the welfare or interest of the general public. Smith et al. v. Board of Trustees, 171 Ky. 39, 186 S.W. 927; Jones v. Russell, 224 Ky. 390, 6 S.W.2d 460. Such classification will not be disturbed by the court unless so manifestly unfounded, arbitrary, or unjust as to impose a burden upon, or exclude, one or more of a class, without reasonable basis in fact. City of Louisville v. Coulter, 177 Ky. 242, 197 S.W. 819, L.R.A. 1918A, 811; Mansbach Scrap Iron Co. v. City of Ashland, 235 Ky. 265, 30 S.W.2d 968; Jones v. Russell, supra.”
What classification is reasonable rests in the discretion of the legislative body in the first instance and in the second it is in the province of the courts to adjudicate when it should be classed as arbitrary or unreasonable. In Williams v. Nall, 108 Ky. 21, 55 S.W. 706 (1900), we held that the action of the legislature in making a particular classification will not be disturbed unless it is manifestly arbitrary and unjust. Elrod v. Willis, 305 Ky. 225, 203 S.W.2d 18 (1947).
In Fraysure v. Kentucky Unemployment Compensation Commission, 305 Ky. 164, 202 S.W.2d 377 (1947), we wrote: “* * * §§ 59 and 60 forbid special or local legislation where a general law can be made applicable, (but) we have said in a long line of decisions that these sections do not prevent the enactment of laws making reasonable classifications, and it is only where the classifications are arbitrary and unreasonable, so as to exclude one or more of a class without a reasonable basis, that the Act is void.” Also see Allison v. Borders, 299 Ky. 806, 187 S.W.2d 728 (1945).
No county in this Commonwealth approaches the density of population that existed in Jefferson County at the time of the enactment of the contested legislation or now obtains. The problems encountered by the City of Louisville School District in locating sites for schools are unique in this state. As in the cases above referred to the legislature found that a special problem existed, hence the enactment that in all counties containing a city of the first class (there is only one at this time although *506Fayette County is approaching or may have reached the required status) a different method for transferring school territories was provided.
In 16 Am.Jur.2d 893, Constitutional Law, § 510 it is said that:
“The equal protection clause relates to equality between persons as such, rather than between areas. Consequently, it is well settled that the Constitution of the United States in securing the equal protection of the laws does not prohibit legislation which is limited as to the territory within which it is to operate.”
In that same volume at page 895 in § 511 it is written:
“The rule is well settled that under unusual circumstances and for most purposes, the legislature may, in the exercise of the various powers of state sovereignty which it possesses, employ population as a basis for classification, making distinctions applicable to people of different localities on such grounds, without violating any of the federal or state constitutional guaranties of equality. Legislation affecting only certain cities, its operation based on population, upon the fact that they are cities belonging to a particular class, has repeatedly been held valid as against the objections that it violates state constitutional provisions requiring a uniformity in the operation of laws or forbidding special or local legislation, provided it is reasonable, and not arbitrary.”
Supporting this concept of law are Chandler v. City of Louisville, 277 Ky. 79, 125 S.W.2d 1026 (1939) and City of Louisville v. Coulter, 177 Ky. 242, 197 S.W. 819 (1917).
Misunderstanding among the people exists because city school district boundaries and the city boundaries are not coterminous. Board of Education of City of Corbin v. City of Corbin, 301 Ky. 686, 192 S.W.2d 951 (1946). Resentment occurs when a child living almost on the door step of one school is forced to travel long distances to reach another school. The people revolt against imposing that danger on the children and against the utter waste of tax funds used in bussing children across town when there is no valid reason therefor. Ample justification existed for an act furnishing a practical method to eliminate these objectionable conditions. The majority opinion runs counter to the rule that the courts should not declare an act unconstitutional unless it clearly violates the Constitution. Campbell v. Com., 229 Ky. 264, 17 S.W.2d 227, 63 A.L.R. 932 (1929). Cf. Pardue v. Miller, 306 Ky. 110, 206 S.W. 2d 75 (1947); Asbury v. Robinson, Ky., 409 S.W.2d 508 (1966) and 16 Am.Jur.2d 348, Constitutional Law, § 145. This one does not for it is quite apparent that school districts have no territorial integrity and are always “ * * * subject to the reserved power of the State * * * to change its territory according to current educational needs and good educational principles.” Board of Education of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Bethlehem, Coeymans and New Scotland v. Wilson, 303 N.Y. 107, 100 N.E.2d 159 (1951).
We announced that we may “ * * * not concern ourselves with the wisdom of the education program which the Legislature has provided or has permitted to develop * * * ” in Jefferson County Board of Education v. Goheen, 306 Ky. 439, 207 S.W.2d 567 (1947).
I believe the general assembly had the power to enact a bill revising the boundary of the Louisville and Jefferson County School Districts. It chose a different method by which the people in the area made the choice. Why then should this district be denied that which the legislative and executive branches of our state government have made possible and the people have demanded? “* * * (Statutes should be construed whenever possible so as to uphold their constitutionality.” United States v. Vuitch, 402 U.S. 62, 91 S.Ct. 1294, 28 L.Ed.2d 601 (decided April *50721, 1971). Beyond question it is judicially possible to hold this Act constitutional. I respectfully submit that my judicial brothers have taken an unauthorized and incorrect position. Supported by the cited cases and with all the judicial fiber of which I am possessed I respectfully and strongly dissent.
NEIKIRK, J., joins in this dissent.

. A regulation of the State Board of Education required a minimum of 25 acres for a high school designed for 1,500 students.