OFFICE OF TNE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
y$+”
*ear Slrr ovmon NO. o-w7 -
in the disputed
effect dslded t&t tua dLtputed area vee AOt In
Oalnes County but vaa in Yoakum County.
We queatlon haa wlaen 89 to whather
thle dlaputsd~arwa
is still in the Seminole Co860A
School Disrrlet; vhether ouch
- diotrrat can. exercise
~~.~
~L.~~-.
Honorable H. Ql. ~oopes - page 2
taxea collaated on said area for school purpoaea
we to be paid OYOC to tha Seminole distriot.
“The county sohool Board s8k$dt~~oA
vhich I gava verkrlly aa rollovaa
school diatrfata aan only be set up by the Com-
w66iOZieZV COUPt Or the COU!dyamUXIghthsy OtiUI
later be aubdivlded by th6 County Board. Th6t a
Comnlaaionera Court dan otiy met pi dlatrlcta
vithln the county, hrlrfngno $lrlsdlction vhat-
ever outside of it6 bound6rlea. That the erred
or the holding of the Supreme court Ln the above
mentionad c6ae vaa that the strip had neveb been
n part or 06fnea County. That therefore the
ColrPnia8ioneraCourt of Oafaaea County, nor fhe
School Board 0r ssLd County have never exerolaed
leg61 authority over arid atpip of dibputad area
6lthough they heve exerei6ed actual authoclty
tot aah purpoae6.
“I have further advised oup i3oard that
the only vsg t&t atrip coiald legally be lncor-
pamted ia t&e s6tiole dlatrint vould be for a I
COUUty line di6tt'fCt tO b0 6Ot Up thl'Otlgh the
COLIOUrMnt :IW6OiUtiOM Of th6 8ChOOi b&&5 Or
bath poakum 6ud Qalne6 Couatlea, vhich action hse
never been taken;
baaed upon the above I advised them that
the disputed strip la vlthin tM aoILp3opschool
WWI Or YOLkup COUntp &5d undar the YUWWVi6iOn
anil control of the Yoakam County Hoard. Further
that all taxes peld over to the 3atPinol.edlatrict,
2.n vlev or the recant hold- of the Suprezzm Court,
Were illegally paid and could probably be M-
covered il the proper aation ia braught.
WI6 SahOOl gosrcia 0r both 04untiea b6ve
met. They wish your department to either cotilrm
my oplnlon or to correct It nnd that they ~111
abide by yoour decision vlthout further prOC6edl5g6.
?ie vi11 apgreclate your consfderntloa
ancl opl5105.'
Bonorsble Ii. M. Hooper - Pete 3
We aloo acknovleclge receipt of your favor date4
Gctober 6, 1942. fron vhIch ve quote In -art aa follovsr
"Thin letter Is to furthor rdvfre you that
the territot'y lnvolvod in t& 8cbo0l di8trlot diSQUtS
liar, acoordIng to th8 dealalon oi the Suprew Court
of Tsxu in the a880 Of YoskUm & Terry C,oUntIer va.
CWnem countr, vholly vlthfn yonkum county and 1s
north of the Harri8 lbw a8 set out in such dea1810n.R
We have read the opinion of the Supreme Court In the
anEa Of O&tine8 COUnty v. Yaakum and T4W-y COUIitie8, r8pOrted
In 163 S. W. (2) 393, hdvanoe Sheet, The effect of th18 de-
olrlon, 88 ve interprrt ft in aonneotloq vith the information
contaInPod Ln your letter dnted October 0, 1942, froa~ vhlch ve
!aaVU quoted in part, I8 t0 Qlaoe the 8trIQ Of land In qUelrtIoI&
in Yoakum county. Rovever, It app@mrr that it had not been .
deffnItO1~ determined vhsther thI8 8tFIQ Of kkd vae in OaiXiO8
County or In Yoakum County prior to the opinion of the Supream
Court ln the above 0888. The f3RinOS COlUlty 8ChOO1 4bUthOritiO8,
bellaviq mid area to bo in @insa County, included It In the
SSISfnO1e COrnoKInSchool Di8tl'ict of eaid OOUnty and &88e88Od
end colleoted 8ChoOl taxes thereon SOP a number 0s year8.
ThsrefOre, In Including 8nId area In th8 8eId ~emImle com~n
school Di8triCt Of Qel&e8 COW&y, Oha 8otlod authoriticr Of 88Id
COUUt7, v8 think, Yore aCting UXId8r aOlOr Of lt%V, and it 18 our
oglnlon that tho exsraime or authority by the SchooL Board of
O~lnes County over satd area cannot be asid to be illegal.
Ym sag In your letter of dnto September 14. 1342,
reqmethg nn opinion from rhls department, that you have
V8rbtlll7 EdVISed the CO&lIltySCtloOl board that OomOP 8ChOO1
diutrCct8 cam otiy be 8f3tup by the Cos!mtr8ionsrr1 Court of the
county zilthough tSey cm later be subdivided by the County
-8fct arpd that a COlEMhS1OIi8l'8' COUl't OS= Ofiy 8Ot UQ dietlriQt8
vlthln the county bav1n.g no jurisdiction outsld8 of It8 boundJ-
rles.
The nuthoritg to estrbllsh school districta roets’~
In tse Ccuntp school mrtees. Article 2&l, Rcrleed civil
Statutes. This statute not authorize the estnblf.shuent of 1
Vouki
school L:lstrlct to Include territorp vlt%n wo or ~1~8 countlea.
Sovever , county line comon ~clzool Sistrbts my be crceted
to embrace te?r‘Ftory vlthin tvo or more co~iltles In the manner
prescribed by Article 27k3, 3sviaed Civil :tatutt(fa, VIth th8
Honorable R. H. Roopor - Pago 4
rights. QOVW8 and QriVilego8 8st out in Article 2744 of 88id
atztutes.
TherOfO~0, irOE Vhat VO haV0 8aId, it i8 0~
oQInIont (1) Phrt th@ 8triQ Of land Ia quoetloa 18 vlthla
8ohOO1 arM Or YOahra CountJ~ (2) t&It
th0 COpllulLl the 8ChoO1
taxe8 that have beea oollootmd in 8aId area and paid over to
the SsmfnOl* Cmmoa Sahool Di8triCt Ye?8 sot illegally collootod
and mid; and (3) the SOha BO4Wd8 Of the COUlltfe8 Of'Yoakum
cnc?(%iat?8 can establf8h 8 county 11~ Gommon 8ohool district
80 aa to laolude the arm fn quaatlon therein by proceeding
In accordaaue vith tho provi8lons of said mticle 2743,
Bovissd Civil Statutes.
youra V8ry truly
hTl'ORXi3YQEZERN,0FTFX4S
, ’
BY E. P. Prlae
A88i8tUt
E?P: ST
&