OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Iionorable Royal1 R. Watkins, President
&-ix? Board of Eduoation
,.ustin, Texam ,
“The A&&ulturaiYJivtilon of the State
Soard for Vooatlcinal Tduc@tiAn has requested the
&ate &,ard of ‘qdu da11 for bids upon a
tertbdokb FarmW ggmen$f whloh 18. to be used
. in .the hlg4 sohoolh ol th#’ State of Texas in the
tnaohiiig“ef agrloulturbhnder the terms of the eon-
traot with the’zederal Government and the State Board
?9r Vooatfohq!. tiIucatlon.
xs ‘\
‘. %,lkewi~e :the Homemaking Division of the State
Boar;i’for+.Y&athml Education has asked for a text-
book t&be usud in the hlghsohoole of the state
teaohlng’Cnmily relatlona~ and home management, this
being a subjeot under Home EConomiOS.
“In vicar of the fact that no suoh books or
oouraes ae authorized under and by virtue OS Art.
2,&a-44044a of the Revised Civil Statutes, the state
%ard of Zduoatlon desires to seek your advice and
upon the following question:
"Under rirtiole2080 of the Revised civil Statutes
can such textbooks be oalled ior in a proolamatiou to
3s issued in August, 1944, and oonaldered for adoptfon
by the Board at Its meeting in October, 19447
535
iionorable aogall R. hatkina, page 2
“Y.n oonaidering this question please bear in
mind that the Board will have to issue a proolamation
rAeking for the aubmisaion of bids at ita next meting,
August I, in order that suoh bids aray be f lled in due
time to be oonaidered by the Board at the Ootober meet-
ing, and we shall greatly appreolate your early reply
to thla inquiry.*
ifs rind no’ statute providing for the adoption by the
&ate Board of Eduoation of rree textbooks to be purohaaed by the
&ate of Texas on the subjects of farm management, or on teaohing
f&ly relations and home management. As observed in your letter,
.rticles 2843, 2844 and 2844a, Vernon’6 Annotated Citll Statutes,
do not mke provision therefor. The list of authorized free text-
books is expressly limited to those enumerated in the statutes.
.article 2843, supra.
Article 2680, Revised Statutea, to which you refer,
is aa rollowe:
“Besides the subjects presoribed by law to
be taught In the pub110 sohools oi Texas, suoh ad-
ditional subjsots as agrioulture, manual training,
doneatio soonomy or other vooationql branches shall
be inoluded in the course of study in all high sohoola
provided for herein which are looated outside of ln-
corporated towns and oitlea, and speoial attention
. shall be given to teaohing said aubjeots.”
The subject matter of this statutory provision is n&
the adoption of free textbooks, but ia merely authority for the
teaohing In high aohools outside of incorporated cities and towns
of the subjects listed in the statute. YDU are, therefore, advised
that Jirticle 2680 does not oonfer upon the State Board of Eduoatlon
authority to call for bids in and to adopt free textbooks upon the
subjects outlined in your inquiry.
Very truly youra