Art. 2740g. COUNTY UNIT SCHOOL SYSTEM IN COUNTIES HAVING LARGE AREAS IN REFORESTATION    

Any county in this State wherein the United States Government has acquired or shall hereafter acquire large tracts of land containing one thousand (1,000) acres or more or wherein such lands have been approved by the United States Government for purchase for the purpose of reforestation and whose assessed valuation of property is not less than Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000), shall have a county unit system of education to the extent specified in this Act, and for the purpose of levying, assessing and collecting a school equalization tax, and for such other administrative functions as are herein set forth; the territory of each of such counties may be created into a county wide school district in the manner hereinafter provided and may exercise the taxing power as hereinafter provided. There shall be exercised in and for the entire territory of each of such counties, to the extent in this Act prescribed, the taxing power conferred on school districts by Article 7, Section 3, of the Constitution, but such taxing power shall not be exercised until and unless authorized by a majority of the qualified property taxpaying voters residing therein at an election to be held for that purpose as hereinafter provided.

Petition, notice of election and ballot

Sec. 2. On the petition of as many as one hundred (100) legally qualified voters of any county coming under the provisions of this Act praying for the formation of such county wide school district, the County Judge shall, within thirty (30) days, order an election to be held throughout the county. The County Judge shall give notice of the date of such election by publication of the order in some newspaper published in the county for twenty (20) days prior to the date of such election, and all legally qualified voters shall be allowed to vote at said election. The form of ballot shall be substantially as follows:

"For Equalization District"

"Against Equalization District"

The Commissioners Court shall at its next regular meeting canvass the returns of said election, and if a majority of votes cast shall favor the formation of such district, the Court shall declare the result thereof and declare the county wide school equalization district duly and legally created and the provisions of this Act duly adopted.

Supervision by county board of trustees

Sec. 3. The general management, supervision and control of the public schools and of the educational interests of each county adopting the provisions of this law shall be vested in the county board of school trustees, except as otherwise provided by law, and said board shall perform such duties as are or may be required of it by existing law and by the provisions of this Act and shall constitute the board of trustees for such county wide district. Any such county wide school equalization district formed in the manner hereinabove provided may levy and collect annually on all taxable property in the county an equalization tax not to exceed twenty-five (25) cents on the One Hundred Dollars ($100) valuation of property situated in said county, and the money derived from such tax shall be known as an equalization fund for the support of the public schools of the county, which fund shall be distributed to the school districts of the county as provided herein.

Petition and election for tax

Sec. 4. On the petition of as many as one hundred (100) legally qualified property taxpaying voters of any county which shall have adopted the provisions of this Act, praying for the authority to levy and collect said tax, the County Judge shall immediately order an election to be held throughout the county, said election to be held not more than thirty (30) days from the date of such order. The County Judge shall give notice of such election by publication of the order in some newspaper published in the county for twenty (20) days prior to the date of such election. Only legally qualified property taxpaying voters, who own property in the county and who have duly rendered the same for taxation, shall be allowed to vote in said election. The form of ballot is substantially as follows:

"For County Tax"

"Against County Tax"

The Commissioners Court shall, at its next regular meeting, canvass the returns of said election, and if a majority of the votes cast shall favor such tax, the Court shall declare the result and certify same to the county board of school trustees and to the county tax assessor and collector, and said board of county school trustees shall thereupon be authorized to levy said tax and the county tax assessor and collector shall be authorized to assess and collect same. No election to revoke said tax shall be ordered until the expiration of three (3) years from the date of the election at which said tax was adopted.

Assessment and collection of tax, segregation as County equalization fund

Sec. 5. In the counties adopting the provisions of this law, the county tax assessor shall assess all of the taxable property in the county at the same rate of valuation as it is assessed for State and county purposes, and the county tax collector shall collect said tax at the same time and in the same manner as other State and county taxes are collected. The tax collector shall deposit the money collected from said tax in a separate fund to be known as the County Equalization Fund for the support of the public schools of the county. He shall have the same authority, and the same laws shall apply in the collection of said tax as in the collection of county ad valorem taxes. He shall, on or about the tenth of each month, make a report to the county board of school trustees and to the county superintendent of schools, showing all moneys collected by him during the last month by said tax, and shall each month place such funds in the equalization fund. The county superintendent shall keep a record, both received and paid out, of all money from said fund. The officers assessing and collecting said equalization tax shall receive therefor the same compensation as is paid for assessing and collecting school taxes in common school districts.

Bond of tax collector

Sec. 6. The tax collector, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall enter into a bond, with two (2) or more good and sufficient sureties, or surety bond, for the protection of said equalization fund, said bond to be made payable to the county board of school trustees, and to be made in a sum not less than double the amount of money which he may have in his possession of said fund at any time. The amount of said bond shall be fixed by the county board of school trustees. The county board shall require a similar bond of any and all other persons or corporations in whose possession such funds may be kept.

Distribution of taxes collected

Sec. 7. The county board of school trustees shall distribute the money collected from any taxes levied by said district to the common and independent districts of the county on a per capita basis according to the number of scholastic pupils shown by the last preceding official scholastic census, and county line districts shall be eligible to receive such per capita apportionment based upon the number of scholastic pupils residing in the county of such equalization district, as shown by the latest official scholastic census of such district. The county board of school trustees shall issue warrants against such equalization fund to the school district trustees on a per capita basis of scholastic pupils in each district; provided that the county board may, from time to time, as the money is collected, issue warrants to the various school districts in proportion to the amount that each is entitled to receive on such per capita basis of scholastic pupils in the respective districts.

Operation and effect of Act

Sec. 8. This Act shall not have the effect of changing any duties imposed on or powers conferred on the trustees of any common or independent school districts situated in the counties covered by this Act, unless and except as expressly provided herein, it being the intention of this law that said respective boards of trustees shall continue to administer their lawful duties and powers as now authorized by law, but the equalization tax authorized shall be levied by the county board of school trustees and assessed and collected by the county tax assessor and collector.

Partial invalidity, repeals

Sec. 9. In case any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or void, then, and in that event, it shall not affect any other clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this Act. All laws, or parts of laws, both general and special, in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.