Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Bonorabls H4lvin Combs CrZrninrl Di4tPiot Attorney Beaumont, Texas D44rSlxr w4 h4v4 l-80 14 quote, in pert, from th4 Co7inty lo n c o unty fo r J4ffsrron coutq Th4 distriat iti1 our oplrl%on on this uhowu that the atatter +a whfch you 4~4 lntereated ia tizedlvlaion of a aoamon who01 diatrlet (c. S. I).#la) in two parta, formiq a now disiziat out of one purt, ami laaving ti14other part as a cowon achoool d&s- trict. Yn other words, you want to Amor th4 procedure? where- by pwt of the territory of a aaamon c~ohaol district may be detached and be inoorporated Into a mw ssh~ol dl4triot. yr'4 aasmm that the aomaon suhool district liea wholly wlt2ai.n Yeilaraon County. fionorablo Nslvln Coabr, pW4 #2 Article 2742~1, Section 2, Vernon*4 Annotatsd Clvir statutea, reads as follow48 Waat. on snd after the pasaago of' We Act the u"oimty Board of S&o01 Trustees in my CouAty iA this Stat4 rmhpn h4V4 authority PUd full powor to oroate Commn School Distrlatr, to subdlvlde dlstrlttrr, and to 4h4xu34 boundary lines of any or all cmnnon s&001 DiQtridtlJ logally coming under the Jurtidlotionof the oOUIiQ BOCU?dOf S&Q01 TZWt44& WbjOtit t0 tb4 4~p4~1410A r)ieiCt cowt himng 0r th4 jurisdiction ovoc oouuty whom ti4 the Comty Board is appointed or oloot4dy provided that b4fore any cheuqes nay be mado ln bound- ll.neaof school districta tJw tmutese of the Common School M4trlOts affootod 4halZ be noti- iled to appear before the Count Board for a hearing, and after eaid hrarlng, or the date sot for said hearing, the County Board of Trus- teas nay pass arrrh crdor or ardors as ulll mrry out the provleicaa of thla Aat; provldod, further that the truoteos of the diatrlots af- toOt4d may appeal from the doOi4ion of th4 County Board to the 3fstriot Court. A&s 1929, 4lst Log., 1st C.S., p. 258, oh. 109." Seation 1 of Article 274&f, VORlOA'4 Axmotatsd Clvll Statute4 (Aota 1929, 41st LBg., lrt C.S., p. 106, oh. 47), deals with the authorltg of the County Booard to detach terri- tory from one school district and attach to another oontim- oup diatrfot such territory. fA @dIliOA NO. O-4239 we had before u8 ths qusstlon of the trumfsr of territory from a awn sohool district to an independent district. Under the authority of County School Trust444 of Orange County, 4t 4l. v. Distrlot True&444 of Prdrie View Common School Dlstriot No. 8 (Sup. Ct.), 155 6. W. (26) 4S4, and Board of' School Tru4te44 of PO County V. BullOak -0A School Dle- trlot No. 12 (Cam. App. =Y , 55 S. 1. (2d) 658, we held In OpiA- ion Bo. O-4238 that Section 2 of Article 2742s allrt Section 1 Boaorable k41ViA Combs, page #S of Article 2742f must be reed together with respect to auoh a trensfer. :Yeenclos4 a copy of auah opinion for your consideration. Sootion l-a of Artiole 27421 give4 thheCounty Board authority upon the reaelpt of a p4titiOA therein described to dstach territory from a distriot or districts end incor- porato such territory Into a A~W aommon or indopondant school district. WO do not bellevs it necessary to Set out at length the provieidna of Seotion l-a. We in-4 of the op&nlon that under Section l-a of Artiolo 2742f and under the, general authority of Sootion 2 of Artlcla 27480 the COA- temglatod ectioh le permiaisibln. We will point out the llmi- tationa specified in Section l-a and the atop8 whioh must bs tekon under Its terma. In the firet place, ho distriot meybs raduoed to, nor e nor district creatod with, en area of 1484 thaa ~3.~4 square miles. Ths nov.distriot muet heV4 SUffiUiOAt taxable veluatioA4 to aupport en 4fficioAt school 4Jllt~~ Es arsum4 thet the44 limltetlona till not affeot ths situation uAd4r consideration. The petition prasented to the County E3oard must dive the metes end bounds of ths prQpOs4d district end must be eign4d by a majority of th4 voter8 residing in the territory to be dataohed. In the aas% und4r consideration the terrf- tory to be dotach4d exceeds 105 of the total ar4a of the distriot (C. 5. D. Xo. 16); therefore, under Section l-e, the County board must nlso have the vritten approval of a majority of tho trusteee of such dletrlot (C. S. U, Bo. 16). Before the County Board passes an order tietachin& ,Kae terrl- tory and inoorporetln~ suoh territory into a new district, notice of such proposed RCtiOA must be Jiven to the officers of th4 board of trustees of the district vhose erae would be affected (C. 6. 3. x0. 16)s Ond SUCh Or"fiCePS iCl.lSt be ZiVOA an opportuuity to be lie5rd OA the proposed chengs. Honorable Yelvln Combs, page 4% The new district may be either a common or an independent school distriut, and it will be governed by the lawa relating to euch dietriots. At the time of the estobliehment of the new distrlot, the County Board ahall appoint a board of trueteee for euch dletrlct who will eerve until the next re,e eleotlon for school trustees. Any bonded indebtedness ehall be adjusted by the County Boards however, before a tax may be levied in the new distrlot to pay such indebtednees, the new dlatrlot mu& vote to aesme the lndebtedneee and authorlee the levy of the neoemmry tar to pay the mm. See Artiolee 2786, 2780, 2806, 2807, Vernon~a Annotated Civil Statutee. Vie trulrt that we have mawired the guestlone in which you are interested. Ne wish to thmk you for your able and helpful brief. VeaytrulyyouM ATTORm WURAL OF TEXAS GWS-8