Creel involved three school systems (Carbon Hill, Jasper, and Walker County) that were closely linked. A special statute governed the election of the
Walker County school board. 531 F.2d at 287 n. 1. The Jasper school board had purchased property for $100,000 which it leased to the county school board for $1/year.
Id. The Jasper board had also contributed $212,500 for the construction of a vocational school operated by the county for which Jasper had to pay $50/pupil/year for its students who attended.
Id. at 287–88. The schools themselves were substantially mixed—Walker High had 488 students from the county and 462 from the city, while the Carbon Hill system had 482 from the county and 483 from the city.
Id. at 288. The county board transported some of the county students to Walker High and the Carbon Hill schools.
Id. Focusing on the special statute, the shared property, the mix of students, and the flow of money, the court concluded that the residents of Jasper and Carbon Hill did have a substantial interest in the operation of the Walker County school system.
Id.