Breckenridge Independent School Dist. v. Moran Independent School Dist.

228 S.W.2d 189, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 2427
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 28, 1950
DocketNo. 2812
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 228 S.W.2d 189 (Breckenridge Independent School Dist. v. Moran Independent School Dist.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Breckenridge Independent School Dist. v. Moran Independent School Dist., 228 S.W.2d 189, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 2427 (Tex. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Henry Compton instituted this suit against the Moran Independent School Dis[190]*190trict and Breckenridge Independent School District to recover on a promissory note given him by Eureka Common School District No. 9, in payment for a school bus, and to determine which of said districts the Eureka District had been consolidated with, to the end that said Compton might properly pay taxes on his property lying within said Eureka District. Upon a trial to the court upon an agreed statement of facts, judgment was rendered that said Eureka District had béen lawfully consolidated with Moran Independent School District and awarded Compton recovery on his note against said Moran District. From this judgment Breckenridge Independent School District has appealed.

The agreed statement of facts is as follows:

I.

“There are involved in this cause three school districts, to wit: Eureka Common School District No. 9, Moran Independent School District and Breckenridge Independent School District. Said Eureka Common School District No. 9 is hereinafter called Eureka District; said Moran Independent School District is hereinafter called Moran District, and said Breckenridge Independent School District is hereinafter called Breckenridge District.

II.

“Ever since long prior to January 1, 1940, said Breckenridge District has been, and is now, a duly and legally created active independent school district, existing and operating under the laws of Texas, geographically located wholly within the boundaries of Stephens County, Texas. Ever since long prior to said date said Moran District has been, and is now, a duly and legally created active independent school district, existing and operating under .the laws of Texas. Prior to' the election hereinafter mentioned it lay wholly within the boundaries'of Shackelford and Callahan Counties, Texas. Whether it includes any portion of Stephens County, Texas, depends-upon the effect to be given herein to the elections hereinafter mentioned.

III.

“During and throughout a period beginning long prior to January 1, 1940, and extending down to the time of its consolidation with one or the other of said Moran District or said Breckenridge District (whichever may be held herein to have been a valid consolidation), said Eureka District was a common school district. During and throughout said period same was a ‘dormant’ district, as that term is used and defined in Article VIII of Senate Bill No. 116 passed 'by the Fifty-First Legislature of the State of Texas (4949). The territory embraced within the boundaries of said Eureka District during said period was, and still is, wholly within Stephens County, Texas. Said territory at the time of the elections hereinafter mentioned long had been and then was contiguous to and adjoined said Moran District as it existed prior to and at said elections. Said territory, at the time of the entry of the order of the County Board of Trustees of Stephens County, Texas, dated October 22, 1949, hereinafter referred to, was contiguous to' and adjoined said Breckenridge District as it existed at the time of the entry of said order.

IV.

“On June 15, 1949, a petition in due and legal form, bearing the requisite number of signatures of qualified voters of said Moran District was duly presented to the County Judge of Shackelford County, Texas, requesting that an election be held in said Moran District to determine whether or not said Moran District and said Eureka District should be consolidated. On said date a like petition, in due and legal form, bearing the requisite number of signatures of said Eureka District was duly presented to the County Judge of Stephens County, Texas, requesting that an election be held in said Eureka District to determine whether or not said Moran District and said Eureka District should be consolidated. On August 2, 1949, said County Judges made and entered their respective orders calling such elections in said disr tricts, respectively, as requested in said [191]*191petitions, the date. of said elections being thereby and therein fixed as August 27, 1949. On August 27, 1949, elections were held in said Eureka and Moran Districts whereat was submitted to the voters of said two Districts said proposition of such consolidation, with the result that in the Moran District the vote was 106 for and two against, and in the Eureka District the vote was 25 for, and one against. Thereafter, on the 31st day of August, 1949, the results of said elections were duly declared by the Commissioners Courts of ¡both Shackelford and Stephens County. Said petitions, and said orders calling elections, and said elections, and the declarations of the results thereof were in all things in conformity with Article 2806 of the Revised Statutes of Texas [Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 2806].

V.

“On October 22, 1949, the ICounty Board of Trustees of Stephens County, Texas, at a formal session, unanimously made and entered its order on its face consolidating said Eureka District with said Breckenridge District. A full, true and correct copy of said order of -said Board was filed with the original answer of defendant Breckenridge Independent School District in this cause, marked ‘Exhibit A’, and same is hereby referred to and made a part hereof. Said order was entered in all respects in conformity with said Article VIII of said Senate Bill 116 so passed by the Fifty-First Legislature of Texas.

VI.

“It is further agreed by the parties that in full, and final satisfaction and settlement of the note sued on in this cause, judgment may be rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Henry Compton, against the Independent School District with which said Eureka District- shall be finally • determined to be consolidated, for the' sum of $2,105.32, with the further provision in the judgment that no execution shall issue therefor until after the final determination of this -litigation.

' VII.

“It is agreed that the only question for the Court to determine in this case is which method shall control in the consolidation of a dormant district. Said Moran District contends it should and could be done by election; said Breckenridge District contending it could only be done by an order of the County School Board. In other words, the question -here to be determined is whether as a result of. said elections said Eureka District has been consolidated with said Moran District, or whether as a result of said order of the County Board -of Stephens County, Texas, said Eureka District has been consolidated with said Breckenridge District.

VIII.

. “It ,is intended by- this agreement to preclude both parties from introducing further evidence, as it is considered by the parties that further facts are unnecessary to the determination of the issue involved.”

Appellant contends (1) that it was error for the trial court to give effect to the elections held in Eureka Common School District and Moran School District on August 27, d949 and hold that as a result thereof, said two districts were lawfully consolidated; (2) that it was error for the trial court to hold that Eureka Common School District and Breckenridge Independent School District were not lawfully consolidated by - the order passed by the ICounty Board of Trustees of Stephens County on October 22, 1949. The question presented is did Article VIII of Senate Bill 116, passed by the Fifty-First Legislature, which became effective on -June 8, 1949, Vernon’s Statutes 'art.

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248 S.W.2d 814 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1952)

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Bluebook (online)
228 S.W.2d 189, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 2427, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/breckenridge-independent-school-dist-v-moran-independent-school-dist-texapp-1950.