15-425. Election to determine whether membership of governing board shall increase to five members; form of ballot; reconsideration procedure if negative vote; appointment or election of new members

A. A qualified elector of a school district may submit to the county school superintendent a petition, signed by not less than ten per cent of the qualified school electors of the district, requesting the county school superintendent to call a special election to determine whether or not the number of members of the governing board for the school district should be increased to five. Upon receipt of the petition, in proper form and with the necessary signatures, the county school superintendent shall thereafter call a special election not later than ninety days prior to the general election to determine the question of whether the membership of the governing board for the school district shall be increased to five.

B. Public notices of a special election called to determine whether there shall be five governing board members shall be posted in not less than three public places in the district at least ten days prior to the election. The election shall be held as prescribed by the county school superintendent and electors shall possess the qualifications as prescribed for the election of governing board members.

C. The ballots shall contain the words: " Five governing board members, yes. Five governing board members, no."

D. If the majority of the electors voting on the question votes in the affirmative, the school district shall elect five governing board members, as provided in section 15-424. If the majority of the electors voting on the question of increasing the number of governing board members votes in the negative, the question shall not again be placed upon the ballot of an election in the district until the lapse of one year from the date of such election.

E. Notwithstanding section 15-424 and subsection D of this section, if the voters approve an increase in the size of the governing board at least one year before the next general election, the county school superintendent may appoint the two new members or call a special election pursuant to section 15-302.

F. The term of the two new members appointed by the county school superintendent or elected through a special election expires January 1 following the next general election. At the first general election following the increase in the size of the governing board, the candidates elected and their terms shall be determined pursuant to section 15-424, subsection C.