*1 ., “.
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTlN
Honormblo I.. A. Woo&m
Stat. Su~mrlntmn&.rnt of Publlo Inmtruotioa
Aumtio, Tmxmm
wo l ra in rmomlpt 0
1940, rmqommting thm opini
OH Or r8880n or th thim emotion ai ng thm prorimionm of at a lomm know odure dim- 6lmtrlotm having lrrrmity land. a&rime III. when and how
plmamm above mmntioned mohool dfmtriotm undmrmtand your pummtion you rlmh to know whether gantm Smotioa 80 of li. Be #or 939, Aotm 46th t@& , 1939, hould bo prorated ,and paid along with salary grant8 allooatmd on the bamim of budgmtmry nmmd or mhould br olammirie4 am an eroeption and paid provided in sootion 88.
Y91 EWI. La A.WWdkS,pa&8Z SeatlO8i8 20 and 28 or H. a. wo. 933, 44th tag., aa rollowat
reed
"SEC11010 SO. ?BDBRAL 00Vi4lRLiWT LAND PU'RCE&3ES. The State Superintendent, mubjeot to the approval Of the Joint Le&lslatlv3 Adv~mory Committee, shall take into eonsl4eratlon, in ri* mllowanomm to mohool 4lmtrlotm any mumtalne4 by arah dlm- triotm by reamon of the Federal oovmmment buylq lm!Ulm iOr ItatiOml iOre@t@, by reason at the lo- oatlon ln l mld 4lmtriotm of Univtmity hn4m and the stata SuperlntwUlsnt, am sioreaaid, h& be authorized to make allooations to ma14 dimtrimtm by virtue of lommem mumtalned by maid dimtrlats by rea- eon 0r Fe&oral purmhase land8 the amounts to be rlxed by the St&r Superlntendmn~ as aforemald bmsed upon exlmtlng famtm and oir&mstanmes ap ii- oablm all other mohool dirtriots, aa4 la a s ex- oeptlona prorlded herein the oonment or the Jous tegimlative uviao commuttee ahall me rirmt nab adtht Rna obtal ea Pz ao1m8tit
mustal& feamot o?tht’l$ation ~"ma.i4 i~mmmm blstriot of university lands, mhall be held to be in aotual need. The State Superintendent, mm arore- add, 8#allmake alloaatlansto maid dlstrlotm virtue or lommem so sustained maid reasons, a&l the amount8 to be fixed the State Superintendent, as mforemmld, ehmll on the amount or loemem mo sumtained, baa1 d hem on the rate of tax and valuation umed n said oounty ior State It Is expressly undermtood and oounty purpomem.
that any remme received by meld mohool dietriots by virtue or this seotion rnumt be inoluded as reve- nue in the budget before oaloulating a budgetary nee4 ror mohoolm applying for malary aid.*
“SBCTIOW 22. ALLOCATIOR3 Il? FATCR OF EXOEP- TIOWS TO TEE OY!Z?X?AL FROVISIONS ALLOCATING AID. al applieatlonm for salary aid oomlllg tithln the provimlonm 0r thlm Act, ap lloatlonm.ror
high mohool tuition aid coming wit the general E prorislonm 0r seetlon 9 this Aot, and all appll- omtlonm ror transportation aid ooming wtthln
general provisions 0r Seotlon 10 0r thin Aot ah6311 rlrst be oonsldered, an4 ii approved in the manner authorized and dlreoted herein, mhalliirmt be pkid out or the appro rlatlon rrulde ior each of the years of current b P ennlum in the mennor and method herein dlreoted, and maid aid, Ii mo granted, @hall *3 , -
Bon. L. A. Too48, page 3
be rlrmt pal4 out o? the appropriations an& allooatlons herein made to cm amount not a- oeeding one hundred per oant (lOO$) dr
approved grant themror and all exceptions to the general law penit& and granting ai4 to several mohool 4lmtrlote of this State @hall be paid only if and when those approved applloationm ooming wlthin the general prori- slonm thim Act hate rirmt been paid, and muoh exeeptlonm @hall then be allowed sn4 ad- mitted approved, upon approval they @hall be paid out of muah alloeationm remaining unex- pended and then upon a pro rata psi aa ita bamim of the fundm'remalnlng unexpended P n eaoh or the allooationm herein made and not otheruime.
And it shall be the duty of maid Joint Legfmla- tire .44rimory commsittme to alasairy all appllaa- general pro- ttonm whioh are exoeptlona to the ~lslons allowlng aid In this Lot.*
The Rural Aid l5qualimation Law la designed to equalize e4UOatlO~l opportunities throughout the state, sup~lesaenting the inoome or aohools coming within the pro- visions of the ,wt, baaed upon the need oi dimtriota as shown budgeted reoel ta and expendlturam. This was pdinted out in our don Wo. O-334 (Conterenoa Opinion m audit on to the general prorislons r0r grant- x0. 3040). Of ing aid, the sot provides for rarioum exoeptlons not neoes- sary to be enumerated.
titer proriding for grants baaed upon the budgeted needs of school 418trletm provision is made in Seotlon 20 granting aid based upon lommee sustained by reason of university lands yederal tweet lands being loaated in a ; distriot . Mot only la the provision ror allocations based upon the location of suoh lands within a dlstrlot in the nature ot an exoeptlon rmm the general provisions based up- on budgeted need, but the Legislature axpremely recognized it e4 much providing in seotion ZXJr "and in all uxaep- tlons provided herein the eonmeant of the Joint Legislatfre 2idvisory Conauittee shall be ffrst had and obtained.* Thfs provision olearly relates to allocations by virtue of losses sustained by reason of the Federal Government buying lands for National rorastm, and the looation of vnlteraity lands such distrlots. Boo. L. A. Woods, page 4
SectIon 22 provides that all allooations ror the general provisions or the Aot shall rirst be paid “and all exoeptions to the law permitting and granting aid to the several mohool districts of this State shall be paid only If and when those approved appli- oationm ooming within the general prorimlonm of this Act have first been paid, and such exceptions shall then allowed and admItted [58] approved, and upon approval they shall be paid out of suoh allocations remaining unexpended and then upon a pro rata per oapita basis of the funds rexalning unexpended In eaoh of the allocations herein mmide and not otherwise.W
Having determined that alloaatlom provided by Seotion 20 are exceptions within the meaning or Seotion 22, it Is our opinion that such allocations should not be ap- proved and paid until approved applications ooming within the general provisions of the act based upon budgeted need have first been paid; money remaining unexpended may then be used to pay approved exceptions.
Yours very truly aTi’- O- CF TZXAS A5lL-r#d-d- By Cccl C. cammaok Assistant ccc: Jm
APPROVEUMAY 2, 1940
f6iLLum ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS