20-6-503. Opening or reopening of a high school. (1) The trustees of any high school district may open or reopen a high school of the district or a branch of a high school of the district when such opening or reopening has been approved by the superintendent of public instruction; except when a county high school is discontinued by a unification action, the trustees may establish, by resolution, a high school to be operated by the high school district without further action or approval. When the trustees of a high school district resolve to open or reopen a high school, they shall apply to the superintendent of public instruction for approval to open or reopen such school by June 1 before the school fiscal year in which they intend to open or reopen the high school. Such application shall state:

(a) their reasons why the high school should be opened or reopened;

(b) the probable enrollment of such high school;

(c) the distance and road conditions of the route to neighboring high schools;

(d) the taxable value of the district;

(e) the building and equipment facilities available for such high school;

(f) the planned course of instruction for such high school;

(g) the planned methods of complying with high school standards of accreditation; and

(h) any other information that may be required by the superintendent of public instruction.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall investigate the application for the opening or reopening of a high school and shall approve or disapprove the opening of the high school before the fourth Monday of June preceding the first year of intended operation. If the opening is approved, the high school district trustees may open such high school.

(3) Whenever the opening or reopening of a high school is approved for the ensuing school fiscal year, the county superintendent shall estimate the average number belonging (ANB) after investigating the probable enrollment for the high school. The ANB determined by the county superintendent shall be used for budgeting and BASE funding program purposes.

(4) Nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to preclude the trustees of a high school district from establishing more than one high school in the district.