OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
Bonoreblo L. B. Foulor
county Attorlwy
= Raoogdoohe8 County
Maoogdoohrs, Tour8
0110a.ml, or only
ty or a.majority or
ohool diatrlot aekilrg
r0iiwea district?*
, a8 amended, r.eadras fol1owr.z
That Article 2815, Chapfor lS,
Ci~ll Statute8 of Tar48, lQZS,
I hereby amended 80,~s to hoi*-
*
“‘Artlolr 2815. Dissolution.
wan Suoh oonrolidated dlt%trlOts my, in
the 86mr mannor pr0tidea~ror their oon8olldatlon,
_.
‘,:. ,x32
i
HoaorabloL. b. ltiu, Paa. a
pkoo, I.8 laoll airtrirt.
wh# ro~n8tor.d &all ri8umq and bo lirblo ior
188 poor&n put of tho outrtanU4 Slnanoiml
ob~tionr~cb th ooeoollht.4 &lrtrlot, moh
_c prorak put to bo bared on thr mlatlon tho
totnl lrrowd V~ladoJk 0s all proport 18
tho 4l8triot boar8 to tin to ta l l8(101)80 i ml-
uat1.a d pro ?t;l~in*ha ooMoll~to~ dirtriot,
la rhm by t %l l88o88m~trollr~ o? tho U#triot
for the aeat par. lo lleotloa tar th* &l8-
rolutia OS #id Om8olldat~ diitrlOt8 8htil b0
hoUoat11 thrmo S) 70-i hate'olaprod aftor tha
&bteuate~~~Moleot I on lt jhloh 8u6h 4lrtrlotr wara
.
.
dirtdOt 6O@$tiE# ritbdXW& %hO cWat7 toduO
lh%% 8iVe IlOtiO. Of thO tit0 Of 8UOh ~leOtlG5 b7 .’
przbUo*tlea Of tU oHor h lono 8nrwpr #Iblirh-
01 in thr ooaatl, for +wont7 (86) da71 jmior to tho
&to 08 whloh auoh llootlom are orbored, or
*8tia( l.@ Otb& Oluoh ll.Otia ia th? dirt
de8irfw tho doOti0h Th8 ~@#8iOllo~8 aOUFt
shall at $98 nOXt uoth# tin?@@, tho ‘POtumr Of
mtoh Oberon, ~atiif tk rOtM ti8t ir #d(i &it
trlot rhow l rjorlt in iaror of ritMnwia# S?a
tho OOMo~drtiOE, ti0 COUFt 8k11 doOlU0 tho 4180
triot ra~ond ad.10 ~&all bo ,m8tOmd to it8 Otis-
18alrtator. &oh aoh (Il8tddt when 80 IrUt=&
8ban adUD@ ti bo lliblo fOr 1)8 OrOn ml'8 Of
tho~oatrtanbl~ ii~aot~l obli@ioar Of the OOn-
8O~iditO&dl8trlOt, ruoh pTOnt@ rt tebo b8.b
011tho EO~8tlOn’tho tot.1 l88088a V@lUdiM of
r
all pro rt in tho U8triot boar8 to the to-1
. ..@88% vai u&ion oi proport in tho OOn8Oltbtd
733
Honorable L. B. Fowlar, Fage 3
dI8triot, as ahown by tho ae8444mant rolla of tha
dlrtrlot Sor tha ourrant year.’
“6.0. 2. The r4Ot that th.ra 18 no law on
th. Statute4 4t thI8 tlmo pormlttlng tha withdrawal
Of 4 QOQmoD 84hool diatriot, or Indapaadant ..hOOl
dIrtrIOt, from a ooaaolidatad 4.ho.l dIatri.t, and
th. dOilnit4 lack of tranrportatlon by tha.. dir-
triQt8, 01'B.t.l4B .El.rg.BOy4Bd .B imperat$v. pub114
BaO488ltJ that tha COn8titutlonal Rul. requiring bill8
t0 b6 road on three rararal day8 in 4aoh Bouaa b. 8U8-
pandad, and said Rule la hor.by suspendad, and thla
Aot ah.11 taka .ft.ot &nU b. in foroa from and after
it. pa8sag4, and it 18 40 arlaOtad.a
It ia our opinion that tho patltlon 4allad for In
SaOtIon (b) oi raid Article rbould ba signed by twenty or a
majority Of th. qu.1itI.d votsr. Of th. OOWUOB 8OhOOl dI8triOt
or Ind.pandant rchool dIrtrIOt whioh ir seeking a tithdrawal
from the Oon8Olid4t8d 8ahool dlatrlct, rather than by twenty
or a majority of t&t qualified voters or tha oonrolidatad dis-
trlot it84lf.
Our roa80n tor thl8 opfnlon I8 that w. intarprat
Artlolo 2815 (b) ar being a compl.ta mathod and prooadura,
oomplata within it8.U. The L.gi8latur. 8Ugg.8t.d thla intan-
tlon both by plaoing thir plenary prooadun in a aub8.otiOn t0
It8.1.ialldal80 by tha wording oi th. proambl. or snacting Olau84
praoading thla amendment whIoh road8 48 fOllOW8:
"An Act to aaand Art1010 2815, Chapter 13, Tit14 49,
Ravt8.d Civil 8tatUt.8 ot Tam., 1925, by pro-
viding a asthod of wlthdrawal In addition to tha
pr.8r.t aatfiodot~dl88o~utIon; and daolarlng 8.
lma r g a ua y.*
Your aaooad qu48tIon~aakr~
'ShoQld tha p.titiOD lddr8QsSd t0 th. County
Judge, in addition to king almad by *N.BtY Or a
mjority of tha qualIrIad votafa, ltat. that mora
than thr.4 (3) yaarr hare .lap.rd 8iBOO tbo 8OhoOl
dI8tflota ware oon8olIdat.d, Ii 80 18 it IWmmorY?”
‘.-
. I
734
ROBOrabl. L. B. yowler, Page 4
The Statut4 18 8llent .a to whether or not the petition
itSelf 8hould 4Qr488ly 8t.t. thi. f.Ot. i+.do not thlBk thl8 I8
requiredi howavar,w. think it would b4 best. Artlola 2815 (b)
8t.t.a that the County Judge ah411 aall the 8iaotIon ror the with-
draw.1 of tha partloular dlrt~lnvolvod upon tho riling or tho
potltlon praying for the 8am. However, the atatuto'lmpo848 a
eondltlon PrOOedeBt to tha oalllng or the 014atIon whan 1t 8.y.
* IS thra. (3) year8 have a1ap.44 otter the date or th.
~l~O&04t whloh 8UOh dirtriot war. .on801id&tad.a P;.ba1a.v.
that the paa88ga of thir thr.0 year par106 18 a naoo8rary oongl-
tIOB wh1.h 8lU8tlxirt bator. the voter8 aan lawfully axar418. tba
8uthOrIty 0onfarr.U by the rtatuta.
fn the 0646 of ConrolI&atad Comon Sohool Di8triOt NO. 6
v. X004, at al., 112 S. 5. (2d) 231, the Court OS Cl~ll Apprala
interpret8 Artlolo 2815, prior to it. 4IBOBdIU&Bt,
rhioh we8 rlmilar
and 4omparabla with ths m4ndmaBt with whlah we are now aoBo4rnad.
Artiola 2815, prior to it8 amendment, read a4 tollow8:
“Arti 261s. ~i84OlUtiOll
*Buoh oon8olldatad di8triotr may in the Mm6
manor provid44 Sor their OOB8Olid4tiOB be di8-
aolvod and the dirtriotr inoludad therein raator8d
to their origin&].8tatu6, exoapt that it 8hsll not
hl;:oa.sary to provide polling plao.8 in aaoh dlr-
Each 8uOh dirtriot when 80 ra8tored rho11
&.8& and b4 liable for it8 pro rat. part Of th.
outstanding flnan8Ial obll~atIona of th. Oon8011-
d4t.d $latrIot, 8UOh pro rata part to be b68.d 04
th4 ralation tho tot81 488088&d VOlUOtIon Of all
proparfy In the dirtriat bear8 ,tOtha tot.1 a&808-
8&d valuation of property in th. 40n8o11d.t.d dl8-
triot, a. ahom by th8 488084m0nt rOfi8 Of th. dI8-
trlot ror the ourrant year. NO elootioo ror the
d~..OlUt,~Oll at 8ai6 oonaolidatad dirtrIot 8h.11
be held until three year8 havo 814P84d after tha
dat4 OS the ll44tlon at whloh auoh dirtrIOt wafa
oonaolldatae. Id."
In that opisiionthe oourt My8:m~a L.gl8latura iB
&din8 for #8 alaOtiOn8 iOr OOn8Oli68t’loB and di88OlUtiOB
.. 735
Bonorebls L. 8. Pmlor, Fape 5
thereby drlsgeted e pert of the leaislativ4 power to thr queli-
Ned votrre of the dletrlata . . . rihenthe Laglalature, 1nataad
or dl raotlp oreating eoliooldlatrlota, an8 Inraating them with
auoh powera and 8ubJeot to aoh limItatIona as It a406 tit, onaota
that luoh dlatrleta may bs Ora&ted aad poaaoaa oertain powers de-
pendent upon tho result of the llsotlona to ba p4tItIoned for,
or84r4d a& held and rraulta daohred, in plW3Orlbed ways, 4eoh
SteD DresOrIbsd oonatItut4a e oondition upcn whtoh the delsmon
0r its pow4r la .rada4rr40tiv4. cofree. County Atty.. V. Liab,
hr. Clv. APP.. 107 S. ii. (2d) 406 l”
In Artiole Z615 (b) the Leglaletura hen delegated a
portion 0r Its power to the quelifl44 voters 0r th4 diatrtot
dbalrfng a nithdrewel. In the olauas provldlng ror tb4 thr44
yaer parlod, aboro ltetsd, it see30 to UI that thn Legislature
her praaorlb4d a oondltion rhloh must exist b4foro th4 voters
are antitled to sxarofae the gowar that hem beon dalagatad. A8
stat46 in thr above quotetlon rroa the oaa4 0r consolldetad 230hool
ClrtrIot Ko. 5 T. isood,et al., auoh raqulramrnt noon6tItut4a a
ooadltioa upon whioh the 6414getion or its pow4r la mar4 4rr40tit4.*
Purtharmxe, thir oondlticn is, In spirit, oorapereb1.b to th4 ainiler
OOnditiOu impO8ad in 6UbSeOtIOn (4) or thi6 Sam4 Art1014 2818.
Por th4ua raanona WI belIa~4 it la mandatory that threa
ysera 4lapa4 b4tween the data of the alrotlon at whioh auob dia-
tricta were oonaoll6eted and the data of th4 414ctIoE when luOh
rltfidrawalshell be vot4d upoa.
In per iIn aUe8tiOn YOU eak:
-If th4 County Judge la presantad with a lapel
patltion es ment:onQd by Artiol8.E.M, is It within
his dIaor8tion whether h4 oalla or ord8ra thr al40-
tlon or not7"
It will b4 obaarv8d from tha wording Or Arti 8815 (b)
tht upon th4 tiling or th4 above mantloneb petition,,
prorid th4
thr44 year period haa elapsed, the County Judas ‘ahell” Issue th*
order oalllng for th4 elootlon. Ph4 ~84 0r the word "shell" lua-
g88ta that tM8 duty la mandatory ena nut 8ubJaot to the df8Or@tion
oi th4 County Judg4. Turthamaom, ia oon8truing Art1014 2815,
prior to Ita ~eadmeat, (whioh was th4 aen aa th4 Art1014 har4In
conoarnad insorer es this feature la oono4rnrA:)the.CDUrt of CIril
. ..-
Bonorabl4 L. 9. Fovl4r, Fag4 b
Appeals h4ld that the dalagatioa of power by th4 Lagialatura
wee mad4 to the ~$$_I_ie_dJotera ott~d~~ria.~~.ov~~~~d, not
to the County JIuaw._ As quoted above the oourt in that otilnion
atat4d I
vi18 L4~lalaturr is prorldlag ror thr 8l4otlona
ror oon8olidatlon end 4l8aolution tlmr4by d4legatad
a part 0r th4 l8glrletIv8 pow4r to the g.ialIrI44rotor8
of the di8trlota.”
For thla c4eaon It f8 our Opinion thnt won the riling
of tha patltlon properly drawn and provided that the ttwes year
period &es 4lapae4, it is tha mendetory duty of tha County Judge
to laau4 th4 ordrr oalllng ior the aleotlon.
6% trust end bopr that thlr oplnlon aatiafiar Tour
rsquIr4nent.
Yours vdry truly
90
~‘;‘Tc
/s.
“;”