Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

EY GENERAL PRICE DANIEL September 10, 1949 Em%. w*. L. Taylor Opinion wo. Ro6eouting Attorney xarrl8Qn county Rer Nay @wrisoa CQunty IWshall, Texaco School Board ot %-us- teea oon8olMote ‘dor- meat” Irs~l &botr~ots Janruut te .&Blrlo VIII, s.El*x16 51et I;rgi51aturo,with I&r- shall I.S,D,, a ait? aartl-olledrellwl Oimtriat ud What- Dear stir cd q~rtloaor ma co?aty scrh601 BQaM or mlwi* aeta ImaiBr Art!wo 'tIIE Be . Le&ialatfOY haa ammihat- w&ml bwriatr rim the Ham&all IndependentSahool Distrrlot. l&rshall IndependentSchool District is loaatetl within the City of Marshall, and the 01%~ has assuaed oontrol thereor. Question 1. Has the Count School Baud authority under ArtlcLQ VIE1 of 9, B; 126 to aonsolidate "dafpant"sohool dirtrictswith an adjoin&g taltyoontreS* led, aunl~ipal school dlstrlObP If the answer to Qwestlola1 is in the negattve, then oould the aity bg cyp- d-e, that ifs,rat under th8 prwi- siont~of Article "a SW,, 2803, eamind it6 corporationlines tar sshool purpeses ok to take in adjoinIng dormsnt +hool &ricts or do the provlsior~ of Se+ tion 186 if the Charter of the Citt of Narshall granted in &B. lo, 105, Chapter 6 of 31st Legislature,R.S. l,!309, at pa&e 78, preclude such action? Hon. W8. L. Taylor, page 2 (V-898) Yap hne ldvl8ed in your submitted brief that the City OP Marshall in Its Charter granted by speoIal law, has been constitutedand remains now an independent rohool district under the management and control of a sohool board appointedby the City Carrisslon. Seotlon !ar3,ete Bill Ho. 105, Chapter 6 or the 3lst Le@sl8k Speolal Laws, 1939. Thus, the Barshall In- dep0&da~t'~ohoolDUtrlct Is a munialpal rohool dlatciot o-ted by ape0181 law under authority of Seation 10 o? Artiole XI and Seotion 3; Artlele VII CoMtitution of hour, prior to amendment theroof in 1926. He aseun far Bur0oses of this ooinion that the aohool dlstrloi ha8 irot-b0endivorced '&m elty ooetrol. Artiale 2768, Vernonls Clvll St8tutes, Pm- vwam, In part, that: Mlaln 2769, 2770, WTl, 2772, 279k 2T99,, &JO, 2801 and 2&B@, Vmon's Civil St8tutes, constitute theother gek~ral laws l pplloable to citl+s In thIs9ht0 whloh have or may asmme mt ol'public ire0 sohe ita, and aleo detormlne ~emaint shall be In a board of trustees. There &at- uter lllustti8te th0 praotioe and pollo~ of the LegSsla- Bure for mre than feFt7 rears of dealing spsoiiically With municipal or alty oontrolled sohool dietriot C?EUy by gemera legislation, During the same period o? time _ t&%0Legislatureha? br other general legl8latlondeelt 'U%~%l~;hooldIstrIcta which are not munIolpallj oon- Thus, thp Legislature has In the past reoog- dsed fir leglrlat$vepurposes tie classlflc8tloBsOf reh001 di8trlot8, tiz., (1) munlclpal or oity ooatrol- led school dlstrlots,and (2) school dintrlotm whioh me net oity oentr0Il0d. Inlddltiom to the above istatuteso Articles Ifon,Wm. L. Taylor, page 3 (V-898) 2803 and 2804, Vernon's Cfvil Statutes, relate 8 dls- oally to the boundaries of city oontrolled sshoo!I--- triots. They provide es followe: ht. 2803. "Any elty OP town that has tsken charge of ths publie ?me s*ols within its limits, or that rhall hereafteti take charm of the raue,may,~ordlnanue, oxtend its oorporatioalines for soheol pur- pow8 onlyp on a petltfon slg8wd by a major- ity of ths resfdeat wiffod votersof th8 tOrrltol?j,whfchistobetakea %mto said city or town for 8,aboolpurpo888 oml~, and reomndsd by a magorftg vote of tbs true We8 of the publie f%we 8ohool8 of said oltr rtown;previ4e4,thatthepa@epo8edahamge #hall not deprlm t&w sohmlastioohlldren of the renlnlngparto?th8 mum reheel distzlot or dl8trietswhfoh w be affeot- ed ba ths propared -0 of tho opportua- ltr o? atteaadaneew sahool. The added territory shall bear'%8 pre rata pWt ao- sordl to taxable value8 of any 8ohool debt w deb7 8 that ray be owed OF contreated bjr Said city or town to which it shall have been a&%?d, and shall not besr any part of any othex-debt that mar be wed 0~ conttraot- ad by suoh town OP oity. The property o? the added terrftory shall bear its pro rata yr8of all school taxes, but of AO other 0 The added territory shall not af- fect the clt~s8 debts OP business re?,atlons In any manner whateverS except for school purposes as provided abov@. The o??foers whose duty It Is to a8se8s and QoPleet school taxes wlthkmthe efty lefts shall abo amess and oolleot sohoo% tare8 wlth- in the terrftory added for school purposes as herein prwfded." Art. 2804, ~Whemmvep ths limit8 o? any lnoorporat8d olty oP toua con6tl6uting a8almiepende~tschool dfstplletare 80 ex- tended or enlarged a8 to es&race the whole or any part of say latlopendentor eomon sohool dfstriet adgaoent to eueh iQcoPpora- ted cit7 or town, that portion of euah ad- jaoeat dlstrfet 80 embraced wPthfn the cor- pfnMe lirft.8of 8-h fneorporatedelty or . u; ad#e~aaab~ mb4c4l Qirctrbt. Axtiale vZI1 4444 .&i&t .~oWSoally irafe~to school dlstPluts over W$iwh wttke. ham assumd exclw%oe contPo1, and in tbls attern establishedbr e%- a3 roforP* 8p40lfi8al4 t4 such dl.trict. We t0 be mati subject to a partioukw Act. fL, Cltf of Beav8eW IndependentSchad B&etrket a mm&- ei)el dfrtelat, oa the one hand, ard;the lMmh il&depen- drnt Sol&w1 Dletv%ct on the other a8 tbavhether cert&Js Waw%torJ vhich bad been annexed 6~ ardiaapee to the Cit of Bemmloiatthereby became a part of the C&ty ef &mamcA F Xnde$muBea~Sebool District and det8ohed f’&‘cmthe R’emh Z#&e$m?lentSehool Dietriot. It vae coawed that Art%- &lea 2742e aad 27421 repealed Artlole 2804, old eliwe the Mtr of Beaumont IpdependeatSchool Dlettiob had @ct Pot- Mmd the procedure of the tvo az%lclu the nevly extend- Dd are8 of the city of Bmumeat vm a5t 8 part or the r\mioiprl rohiwl district. on the other haad, the city BF Jkmmrmt IndependentSchool Dlstriat conteaded that the exteaelcn of the City llnlts by munlclgal ordlnmmce .: mttmatically br t the new temltorj iato the muni- o;i 1 school diatr T st by virtue oi the proM.sions of’Art- la!z 2804. oa the kl8 of the la&.swiir* hl~tolv of tev8 q~@&3ebl4 oal to aaialprl 80-1 didriots 88 dt#tisa@BW than Tegl~latlea apptiaabte t;o 6cheol dllr- ,, tria8& eMa@ thaxiaullclpal, the a@uFt saat8bl.d thm po- litLa et the @sty of Ibet Indmt Sc~ol Ms- 'w. meads i We fimd in the l#&8@Siw Mire w 0; ih; bvl reIdlag: t0 rPrk&Mf 8ChOOa &&M+rkota rrad et&or 8shoa2 dfatrict8 in the aovaty 0 ma&$Wt batentian cm the part of th l8vw bedy ta8provide I%r two sop- aPate srfaa,rl~farrt$aer, of distriatr, mlt, t&e Located ulthin a municipality,ever Vb%4b the C&w QP ttprm hB8 a8gXQed CCataO& ti Irylw#l~*lbM without the 1WN ef 4S in- erated 0s.w er tovn, From aB ewlt a8 a&l *what lntewuptiaD, rov5.6len ban lmen’aade fee the canWe e,IpubE ic free 84h0~1a Viti&in the liEit Of a nUI!d8i$8l%ty ,/- either by the city acunoll 02 bx a beurQ a# truetees selected la 8ome manner fW Wb poee of ~wernlaag the school8 Vithia tb+ F"', -i*ul :lQ8 of the elty. Th, WUl't8 hW0 bW@tti- re0 tired thie4~rlasclfl6ation. + + mW &O#* &e&r% ir* hietoFf ef the bt8 WO8tblU th@ cewtty bcwd ci?trustee end Zta mea IcewolD uuder its contPo~ do*1 l * ‘ . Son. wm. L. 'faylor,page 6 (r4g8) II * . * ?R la the considered oplnlon of thl8 Court that Article 2804 hae not been ex- presrly repealed. HOP has'lt been repeal- ed by lmplfcatlon. 0 D It therefore nece8- 8arlly Pollovs that the annexing of Idyle- vood Estates Addltton and IpllaReed Addl- tion to the City of Beaumont also annexed them t’or 8ohocl purpcres and they became a part of the Beaumont IndependentSchool District. D 0n ltnttev of this feglslatlvehlstoCf acnc~- le@ol8Wvo enaatmemts applicable to munlclpal dir- tr, 3 ct# 1, d58finguirhedfrcm d%etrIctIJ vhloh are not m?n%clpU, 118 think that Article VIII of Senate Bill 116 ir not to be ccnatrued a# authorizingocunty school b@#M8 to cc@8olldate "dormant"districts vlth rpnlcl- 3.8chOO1 dl8trlotr. We are of the oplnlcn that Art- c tcrYXfI dealm only vlth county school district8 undw $he juri8diQtlonoi the county 8chool board, and has no rqy)llcrticn to munlolpal dlstrlcts under the control of 8 putlcolw ,eit;r or town. @u&her, vhere county 8chcel WMd8, purporting to act under AHlcle VIII of Senate Ml1 116, hwe by order oonrolldated“dormant” dlatrlotr @$@%Imunlolpal school diltPfCt8 a8 dlstin$piahed fPa (ItUtPiCtl vhleh @PO not slty contPo11ed,8Uch order8 mu. (Inullltf, llleg&k 8ad +oU. JI ve tlu it, the 19k9 Act, Art. VZII of S.B. 116, au not %ato@&d to be a #wwr81 rr*pitityrof the rohcol l&v vlth reference to rbhool district boundaries. 9%~ que8tlon of the 8utbcrlty of 8 count Iehool baard ~toccn8clidat.ea %rnantD dlstrlet viih municipal df8tplct vas not presented or inion los. V-855, V-856,Y-866, 77s Therefore, t&o80 opfnfonr are &ct to be 1nteFpYetedas ccntrad$etolrJ, or In ccn?l1et W$W the holding expressedhere-. Aa to the secoad qrrMtloa ~im~~- +i8* th&t the bh&rtW of the City QP bk io&bVfno FW181cS pZW8ePfbrd ia th@ 8$Witi 1U prrrSs@ the QPtr it8 charter (Seotlon 186 of Chapter 6 Of 3&e i&~re, hs.p lgogp at pa@ 1x4): "A31 lands and tew3tow included Hon. VI. L ~lflor, page 7 (~-W3) *ithin the oorparat* li8Its of the Cltj et lkrebrll rhall aeasetltuteand be the We- peadent rehool dlmtrlot of eald cltr, the boundaries of the mid 8ohooZ to be lden- tical vlth the aald llalts and bsepadslyof The atttr~~Ofthn~id88hiBO~ bt&i?% *hdF 8UCC4886W8 kr Qffi40 8-2 exlrendto the X$m.lteat mid districthem- In deahrad aad Plxed,* lrrtlole2803, her&pabcn qt#td, -8 that oltythathaetake8ch82=ge ofthepubllc fkee F 88hOO 8 vithin its lJ;dtr,BRJ br ordinM8e POP *ohm01me808 001’1, aedtwo therein 8*t (Mtr It vi11 be obsemed that Article 2803~auth- cPiM8 a Oity t0 "CXtC& it8 CO~CHltC li,E&OCr" ior 2118s,w. VhOSth4 the atv&tlcn 0P nev terrlto~ to eticha OltJ for 8cheol pvrpores oalj from outside the oorpor8te 1-b ef the ;%& did not ohenge the charaetef of the rchool &I- . We do not believe that Seotlor 186 oP:the crdlkae extend8 its oorpefatell*llls farecheokpur- poses CaxJ, than u* terrlt~ %iacl~ in 8UCh axwn- alon, Per the a~@ Pas vhlah the exteaefen vu mule, 18 the-w iv6I-ud8d vlthin the corpewak lirits Of the eltr, end Pw euch pwpoee besetmar,a part of tbe ektr. i Thlip,the 00rpora%e 1irit8 sahoal purposes vould aan- tryvlthln the cozwwate llnee of the cltr for ~lclpal purpores aad &?i lddltlon that tOm4tOlvy included In the corpor8te ZkSIIsof the city extended for sohool p 08.8 OfrlJ~ Section 186 of the Charter of the City of % ah812 so ecnstmod vi11 not ooafllat with the $enersl liw, Article 2803, 8uthOrlz- lag my olty to extend Its baundarler or 1Inlte for 84hCCl pUrp08.8 only. Adc~rdln@y, it 18 our o$lhiosI thUt thD ciw of krshall is not ncluded by SaCtfcB 186 OP its &&V- ter ficm extending !i y omliaanoeit8 ~llmltr03 batundarles f4P 8OhOO1PUXVO808 On1 in the method presorlbed U&d l~thOtIzOd by AHUla 21;'03, Vernon's Clrll SWtute8. BJ tlrttae OP avP hcldJsgr vlth m8pMt to the bra quertica8 eoa8bdozwdheseln, it fUUsve th8t tJw th?UOdOraWit dUlriOt8 in*olved are 110t QM8Olid8%Wd rlM uny 4UtlPlet, becuU8u the OPl8w of oL* SWP%~CII &aaty School bcs* ordrrW# ooarolldrt&arr With tit4 -hall IMepom!eat School Dlrtrict 21 a rrtSiw* 'bD JtWFi80#& cauatt Sohool loare mdor aeotian vYXX ei semte bi%l Mlah "&M'B8at"distX'ict8 rlth u1 WijO di8trlCt8,VhIch la not 8 BW&iOl$~l 0. Oplniaa Ilo.V-855, If, hoverer Jbousfrefrain8 froa order1 mant d.lstrlctsso 8a to 81 "fov the Clt$ 0P tirtu&l b&O cppcrtunltyto extend it8 bcundcurlee under Art:410 m 80 88 to Include vlthin It8 boundmle8 Par 8CheCl $=- ~cae8 only the terrltom oaapri8ingthere rdjOw dormant" districts, such dlStPIOt8 UJ thl’&t be -, a part of the knh811 IadepenYentSchool Bi*t*lct~ .&: g+ointad cut ia Attorney oeneral OHnion .!!a.WJ66, Mb isle VT11 of Senate ~111 116 does not prarorlbe the ax- olurlw method for the oonsolldstlonor anaeration et a "doment" sohool district, &%iole VIII of Senate bill 116, 5irt Legirlatwe, doe8 not authorire 8 Fm$r -: rohool boerd to ccnrclldate 8 "d-t school d18trict vlth a munlofprll contv~l* led 8ahocl di8triCt. Artlole 276B , T&eie; 57 s*w: ' . , . Hoa. Wm. L. Taylor, page 9('-95) 337. An order of a co&y echo01 board purporting 80 to do Is a nullity. hating under 4rttole 2803, Vermmvr Civil Stat&tee, any olty whloh h8a aeeta- ed control OS the sohoolr within It8 lir- its, may by ordinance extend its coPpora- tlon llaem iOr school purpes o!+y to la- elude exirtlng adjolnlng dormant dls- trlcts, provided the county echo01 beard p8 not b7 board order aozmolldatedauoh dormant* dtltrlotr with 8 dlrtrlat or dl8trlote other th8n mtmlclpally coat*ol- led dl8trlat8. A.Q. Opinion No. V-866. Section 186 of the carrks of the cNo:aw