Chap. 247.—An ACT to amend and reenact Section 653-a 2, as amended, of the
Code of Virginia, relating to school districts and special school pee

Approved March 15, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section six hundred fifty-three-a two, as amended, of
the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted as follows:

Section 653-a 2. For the purpose of representation each magis-
terial district shall, except where otherwise provided by law, con-
stitute a separate school district, but for all other school purposes,
taxation, management, control, and operation, the county shall
be the unit, and the school affairs of such county managed as if
the county constituted but one school district; provided, however,
nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the levying
of a district tax to provide interest and sinking fund for a district
bond issue as provided in section six hundred and seventy-three, or
for the levying of a district tax on recommendation of the county
school board to pay existing district indebtedness. All special
school districts and special town school districts except the special
school district for the town of Leesburg of Loudoun county and of
Lexington of Rockbridge county and the town of Bedford of
Bedford county and the town of Fries of Grayson county, which
are hereby preserved, are hereby expressly abolished, except the
special town school district for the town of Kilmarnock in Lan-
caster county, which is hereby expressly continued for the purpose
for which established, and except the special town school district
of Galax of Carroll county and Grayson county, which last men-
tioned district is hereby expressly retained as it exists at the present
time; provided, however, that the town of Herndon and the town of
Falls Church, of Fairfax county and the town of Colonial Beach, of
Westmoreland county, and incorporated towns having a population
of not less than one thousand inhabitants, according to the last
United States census, may, by ordinance of the town council and
by and with the approval of the State Board of Education, be
constituted separate school districts either for the purpose of
representation on the county school board, or for the purpose of
being operated as a separate school district under a town school
board of three members, appointed by the town council. In the
event that such a town district be set up, to be operated by a board
of three members, the members of such board shall be appointed
in accordance with section seven hundred eight of the Code, provid-
ing for the appointment of trustees in cities and of such members,
one shall be designated by the town school board as a member of
the county school board and entitled to serve as a member of
the county board.

The special school districts for the town of-Leesburg of Loudoun
county and of Lexington of Rockbridge county and the town of
Bedford of Bedford county and the town of Fries of Grayson county,
and the separate school districts of the town of Herndon and the
town of Falls Church of Fairfax county, and the town of Colonial
Beach of Westmoreland county, and any other such separate,
special or special town school district, heretofore or hereafter
created, by or under the provisions of this section, whether for the
purpose of representation on the county school board or for the
purpose of being operated as a separate school district as above,
except the special town school district of Galax of Carroll county
and Grayson county, may, by ordinance of the town council, or
other governing body, and by and with the approval of the county
school board and the State Board of Education, be dissolved as a
separate school district, and, upon such dissolution, said separate
school district shall be and become a part of the county school
unit and shall be managed, operated and controlled by the county
school board as a part of such unit, and all school property, real
and personal, the title to which is held by the school board of any
such separate, special or special town school district shall vest
by operation of law in the county school board for school purposes.
Such ordinance shall state what disposition is to be made of any
balance in the school funds of any such separate, special or special
town school district at the time of its dissolution and shall provide
for disposition of any outstanding bonded indebtedness of such
school district.

The special town school district of Galax of Carroll county and
Grayson county may, by ordinance of the town council end by
and with the approval of the State Board of Education, be dissolved
as a separate school district, and, upon such dissolution, said
separate school district shall be and become a part of the respective
county school units, and shall be managed, operated and controlled
by the respective county school boards of such units. Such ordi-
nance shall state what disposition is to be made of any balance in
the school funds of the special town school district of Galax of
Carroll county and Grayson county, at the time of its dissolution,
and shall provide for disposition of any outstanding bonded indebt-
edness of such school district. Such ordinance shall also provide
for the disposition of all school property, real and personal, the
title to which shall remain in and be held by the school board of the
special town school district of Galax of Carroll county and Grayson
county until agreement has been reached on the disposition of such
property and the ordinance has been approved by the State Board
of Education.

In the event that a city through authority granted in its
charter enters into contract with the county school board of
the adjacent county for furnishing public school facilities for
the city where the county and city are constituted as one school
system for the establishment, operation, maintenance and manage-
ment of the public schools within the county and city, the school
board of the county shall consist of one representative from each
magisterial district of the county and each magisterial district (or
ward) of the city, such incumbent to be appointed by the county
school trustee electoral board, as provided by section six hundred
fifty-three-a one, Acts of nineteen hundred forty-two, chapter four
hundred twenty-two; provided further that the members of the
county school board representing the city shall be selected from
a list of three citizens from each district (or ward) to be submitted
by the city council of the city; any other law to the contrary
notwithstanding.

Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to prohibit
the board of supervisors in the county of Sussex from continuing
to levy a district tax for the operation of the schools.

2. An emergency existing, this act shall be in effect from
passage.