20-6-209. Elementary district abandonment. (1) The county superintendent shall declare an elementary district to be abandoned and order the attachment of the territory of the district to a contiguous district or districts of the county or, with the consent of the county superintendent of an adjacent county, to a contiguous district or districts in the adjacent county when:

(a) a school has not been operated by a district for at least the minimum aggregate hours under the provisions of 20-1-301 for each of 3 consecutive school fiscal years or a lesser number of aggregate hours as approved by the board of trustees under the provisions of 20-9-806; or

(b) there is an insufficient number of residents who are qualified electors of the district that can serve as the trustees and clerk of the district so that a legal board of trustees can be organized.

(2) The county superintendent shall notify the elementary district that has not operated a school for 2 consecutive years before the first day of the third year that the failure to operate a school for the minimum aggregate hours or a lesser number of aggregate hours than approved by the board of trustees under the provisions of 20-9-806 during the ensuing school fiscal year constitutes grounds for abandonment of the district at the conclusion of the succeeding school fiscal year. Failure by the county superintendent to provide the notification does not constitute a waiver of the abandonment requirement prescribed in subsection (1)(a).

(3) Any abandonment under subsection (1)(a) becomes effective on July 1. Any abandonment of an elementary district under subsection (1)(b) becomes effective immediately on the date of the abandonment order.