Court Opinion

ID: 9587116
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:18:05.081213+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:02.108118
License: Public Domain

Hawkins, Justice,
dissenting. I cannot concur in the opinion of the majority. Under Code (Ann.) § 32-909 the title to school property in'the various counties is vested in the county boards of education. Duffee v. Jones, 208 Ga. 639, 643 (3) (68 S. E. 2d 699). County boards of education are public officials, and under the Constitution (Code, Ann., § 2-101) all public officers are trustees and servants of the people, and in holding the title to, controlling its use, and in disposing of school property, the boards of education are acting as fiduciaries or trustees for the taxpayers and citizens of the county. Malcom v. Webb, 211 Ga. 449, 456 (86 S. E. 2d 489). Under numerous decisions of this court, a citizen and taxpayer of a county has such an interest in county property as will authorize him to seek to prevent an illegal disposition thereof. Morris v. City Council of Augusta, 201 Ga. 666, 669 (40 S. E. 2d 710), and cases there cited; Barge v. Camp, 209 Ga. 38, 43 (70 S. E. 2d 360). While the administration of the public schools is entrusted by law to the various county boards of education, who are vested with a broad discretion in the administration thereof, and will not be interfered with by the courts unless they act in violation of the law or grossly abuse their discretion (Pass v. Pickens, 204 Ga. 629, 51 S. E. 2d 405; McKenzie *456v. Walker, 210 Ga. 189, 78 S. E. 2d 486), where, as here, the petition alleges that the county board of education is exchanging a parcel of real estate worth $2,000 for another tract of land worth only $200, which allegation must be taken as true on demurrer, such allegations are sufficient to charge a gross abuse of discretion and an illegal disposition of public property. Malcom v. Webb, 211 Ga. 449 (supra). The petition therefore stated a cause of action and the demurrer thereto should have been overruled.
I am authorized to say that Mr. Chief Justice Duckworth concurs in this dissent.