‘776
OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS
AUSTIN
G-=.-
A--
Ronorablo H. 1. Pitman
county hlditor
lrayette County
Ia Orangr, Texar
Dear Sir:
opinionrromth3.8de-
partment on the above II been reaelved.
of Trustee8 aonslstlng
oher properly laeued when signed
sided and Seoretary of the Board or
igned by a znajority o? the Board Wm-
Art1010 8808, Vornon’e Annotated Ulvll Statutea,
pmvldss thatr
*The board of county sahool trustee@ at itr
next meeting after suoh oonrolldation oi sohool die-
trlots is deolarad, rhall appoint a boardllof z:ven
trurteor ror tha oonsolldatrd distriat.
777
Honorabls H. W. Pitman, pags C
Artiols 8805, VernonL’s Annotate4 Civil Statutss,
provldss *ths term ‘didriot’ a8 used in thfs and ths suoossd-
ing ninr artialss means *oonsolidatsd oommon eohool distriots*
OP ‘oonsolidatsd indspsndsot sohool 4lstrlot~.~ This artlols
also provides for ths number or sohool trustees for those din-
triot ooasolidatod under said artiols.
Artioles E749, 87Sl and g758, Vernon’s Annotated
Statutes, read, as r0ii0w8t
“ht. g729, Bald trustees shall havs fhs
management snd oontrol oi ths publio sohools an4
the publfo sohool grounds8 and thsy -shall dstsrmins
how many sohools shall bs maintains4 tn their sohool
dlstrlot, snd at what points thop shall bs looa)rdl
provided, t&t not more than ens sohool for whit.
ohlldrrn end 011s sohool ior oolorsd ohildrsn shall
bo’sstabllshs4 ror saoh sixtosn squsrs milss or ter-
ritory or major irsotion thereof, within sush dls-
triotl and they shall dstermins when fhs sohools
shall be opened and when olossd. They shall harm
the power to smploy and dismiss tsaohsrs1 but in
oass ot 4lsmiesal, tsaohers shall have ths right or
appssl to ths oounty an4 State Superintendsnts, They
shall oontraot with tssohers and manage an4 supsniss
ths sohools, subjsot to ths rules and regulations of
the oounty an4 Btats Superintendsntsl thsy shall ap-
prove all olaims against sahool funds or their dir-
triot; providsd, that tho truatess, in making oon-
tracts with taaohsrs, shall not oraate a dsfioienoy
4sbt against the district.*
l&t. 8751. Th4 amount oontraatad by truatess
to bs paid a teaohrr shall bs paid on a check drswn
on the oounty treasurer by a majority of the trustsss
an4 approved by ths oounty superlntan4ent,W
“Art. g75g. The trwtses or a sohool dietriot
shall oontraot for ths amotion or the buildings and
suparlntend ths oonstruotion ot ths samej and the oounty
supsrintsndsnt shall draw his warrant upon ths sohool
run4 so appropriated only upon the aooounts first ap-
proved by thsm. No mrohanlo, oontraotor, material man,
OT other person, oan oontraot for, or in‘ any other man-
ner have or aoqulm, any lien upon the houso so ersatsd
or ths land upon whloh ths ssms ti situatadl an4 all
oontraots with suoh parties shall sxprsssly stipulatr
ror a waiver of suoh llsn.*
Eonorabls H. W. Pitman, pago 3
Artiole 2948, Vernon’s Annotated Statutss,
p~ovl4es that:
*Said trustees shall be a body polltlo
and oorporate in law, and shall br known by and
under the tltls and name Of 41striot trMtOe8
oi 4lstrlot number ,and county 0r
Stats oi Texas! and as suoh may oontraot andbr’
oontraoted with, aus and bs sue4, plea4 OP br
implsadrd, in any court 0r this State of propsr
juris4iotion, and may xwoeivo any girt, grant,
donation OP drvisr made ror the use of tho publio
sohools or the dietriot. All reports and other
orfioial papers shall bs heads4 with tha number
0r district and name 0r 0ounty.s
It will ba notod under Artiole E949, supra, that
the Board of Trustees shall approve all olaims against sohool
rtm48 of their 418triot; provided that ths trustres,ln making
oontraots with teaohers, shall not oreate a deiioienoy debt
against ths distriot. It will bs sssn that under Artiolo 3751,
supra, that thr amount contraate bt trustees to br paid to
tsaohers shall be paid on a oheoh drawn on the oounty trsasurer
by a majority of the trueteas and approved by tha oounty super-
iatsndrnt. In oontraoting for buildings and supsrinten4ing the
oonstruotlon of the dams, ths oounty superintendsnt shall draw
his warrant upon ths sahool funds so appropriated only upon
ths aooounts rirat approvad by the trustees or the sohool dis-
triot oontraoting ior buildings and ths superlntanding or ths
oonstruotion thsrsof.
A rohool boar4 1s a orsature of the len and has
only suoh jurisdiotion as expreaaly given by the statutes OP
nsosssarily lmplle4 therein. Among tha lumeratsd powers or
trustses of oomraon sohool dlstriots are ths managamsnt and
control of the publio sohools and grounds, the dstrwinatioa
or the looation and number or sohools, the employment of teaoh-
ore, and the approval oi all olaims against sohool run&s of
their 4istrlots. Sohool boards may adopt suoh reasonable rulss
ana rsguletions as are neaessary ior the managemsnt and control
or the sohools. Au4 in general they may administer the sohool
airairs unde their au ervlaion An *u*h muw~r **
judgment, wlfl aaoompl&ah ths wholesome objeots 0) %‘%a-
tional poliolas. Indspandant Sahool Distriot vs. Salvatierra.
33 S. W. (2nd) 790, appeal dismisse4 and osrtiorari dsnisd,
tS4 U. 8. SSO Mesquite Indspsndsnt ~ohoal Dietriot vu. Ore**,
57 8. W. (83-14f &4Zi La* v*. Laonard. In&. Sah. Dist., 24 8. W.
(2Ua) 449. Texas J’urisprudenaa, Vol. 37, p, 938.
779
Honorable H. W. Pitman, page 4
In visw oi the roregoing authorities you are
respeotfully advised that it is the opinion of this dspart-
mant that oheaks drawn on the oounty trsasursr to pay teaoh-
srs their salaries as oontraoted by the trustee6 must be
signed by a majority of the trustees and approve4 by the
oounty superintendent. IOU are further a4vlsr4 that in the
oonstruotlon oi buildings and superlnten4lng the oonstruation
thereof, that ths oounty superintendent ahall draw his war-
rant upon the sohool fund so apportioned only upon the ao-
aousts first balng approvrd by the trustees of the 00mm05
sohool distrio t .
You are further advlaod that it is our opinion
that the sohool boar4 or oommon sohool dlstriots must approve
all olaims agalnet the sohool funds of thrlr dlstriots and
that said sohool bcerde may adopt suoh reasonable rules and
regulations as ara neaeasary for the oontrol and management
or the sohools and unles8 speoirioally prohibited by statute
as in the oaso of oheoks to pay the salaries of 6ohool teaohere
and to pay for the oonstruatlon Or building8 the 6ohOol boar4
may approve suoh olalms and authoriaa the president and seore-
tary or the boar4 or trustees to rign voucher8 or aheoke ror
other neOO66ary and inoidental expenditures.
Truatlng that the foregoing fully answers your
Inquiry, ws are
Yours very truly
ATTORNEY UNNENAL
OF TEXAS
AM011 Willlana
Assistant
AWIEP