20-6-312. County high school unification. (1) Any county high school may be unified with the elementary district where the county high school building is located to establish a unified school system under a unified board of trustees. If the county has not been divided into high school districts, a high school district with boundaries coterminous with the county boundaries shall be created, except that such high school district shall not include the territory of any existing joint high school district located in the county. The territory of an existing joint high school district shall remain a part of such joint high school district. The creation of high school districts under this provision shall be in lieu of the high school district division provisions of 20-6-303.
     (2) A proposition to unify a county high school with the elementary district where the county high school building is located shall be introduced whenever:
     (a) the trustees of the county high school and the trustees of the elementary district individually pass resolutions requesting the county superintendent to order an election to consider a unification proposition; or
     (b) not less than 20% of the electors of the county or, if the county has been divided into high school districts, the electors of the high school district where the county high school is located, and who are qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301, petition the county superintendent to order an election to consider a unification proposition.
     (3) When the county superintendent has received the trustees' resolutions or a valid petition, he shall, within 10 days after the receipt of the last resolution or petition and under the provisions of 20-20-201, order the county high school to call an election to consider a unification proposition. The trustees of the county high school shall call and conduct an election in the manner prescribed in this title for school elections. An elector who may vote on the unification proposition shall be qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301. The ballot for a county high school unification proposition shall be substantially in the following form:
          "OFFICIAL BALLOT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL UNIFICATION ELECTION

     Shall .... County High School be unified with District No. ...., .... County to establish a unified school system under a unified board of trustees?
     []      FOR the unification of the county high school.
     []      AGAINST the unification of the county high school."
     (4) When the county superintendent receives the election certificate from the trustees of the county high school, he shall issue an order declaring the unification of the county high school with the elementary district identified on the ballot as of the next succeeding July 1, if a majority of those electors voting at such election have voted for the unification proposition.
     (5) If a majority of those electors voting at the election have voted against the unification proposition, he shall order the disapproval of the unification proposition.

     History: En. 75-6538 by Sec. 197, Ch. 5, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 75-6538.