(a) The State Board of Education shall consider the consolidation of affected districts into a new resulting district or districts under the following conditions:
(1) The state board, after providing thirty (30) days' written notice to the affected districts, determines consolidation is in the best interest of the affected district or districts and the resulting district, based upon failure to meet standards for accreditation, failure to meet fiscal or facilities distress requirements, or failure to meet the requirements to exit Level 5 — Intensive support, pursuant to The Quality Education Act of 2003, § 6-15-201 et seq., the Arkansas Fiscal Assessment and Accountability Program, § 6-20-1901 et seq., the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities Program Act, § 6-21-801 et seq., and the Arkansas Educational Support and Accountability Act, § 6-15-2901 et seq.; or
(2)
(A) The affected districts file a petition with the state board requesting that the affected districts be consolidated into a resulting district or districts;
(B) A copy of the petition has been filed with the county clerk's office of each county where the affected districts are located;
(C) The county clerk's office certifies in writing to the state board that the petition has been signed by a majority of the qualified electors of the affected districts;
(D) A majority of the qualified electors in the affected districts votes to approve consolidation of the affected districts into a resulting district or districts pursuant to a valid election as provided in § 6-14-122; and
(E) The local board of directors votes to approve by resolution of a majority of the members of each local board of education the consolidation of the affected districts into a resulting district or districts.
(b) The state board:
(1) After providing thirty (30) days' written notice to the affected districts, may consolidate school districts upon its own motion based upon a school district's failure to meet standards for accreditation, failure to meet fiscal distress requirements, or failure to meet the requirements to exit Level 5 — Intensive support pursuant to The Quality Education Act of 2003, § 6-15-201 et seq., the Arkansas Fiscal Assessment and Accountability Program, § 6-20-1901 et seq., and the Arkansas Educational Support and Accountability Act, § 6-15-2901 et seq.; or
(2) May vote to approve, by a majority of a quorum present of the members of the state board, the consolidation of the affected districts into a resulting district upon receipt of:
(A) A valid petition for consolidation after receiving proof from the petitioning party of at least one (1) of the required conditions set forth in subsection (a) of this section; and
(B) Proof of the issuance of public notice of the intent to consolidate affected districts into a resulting district or districts in the local newspapers of general circulation in the affected districts for a time period of no less than one (1) time a week for two (2) consecutive weeks immediately before the time the petition is filed with the state board.
(c)
(1) In order for the petition for consolidation to be valid, it shall be filed with the state board at least thirty (30) days before the next regularly scheduled state board meeting, at which time the petition will be presented for hearing before the state board.
(2) However, no petition is required for the state board to consolidate a school district or districts on a motion of the state board as allowed in subsection (b) of this section.
(d)
(1) Upon consolidation of a school district by the state board or approval of a petition requesting consolidation, the state board shall issue an order dissolving the affected districts and establishing the resulting district or districts.
(2)
(A) The state board shall issue an order establishing the boundary lines of the resulting district or districts.
(B) It is the duty of the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Office to make changes in the maps of the school districts to properly show the boundary lines of the resulting district or districts.
(e)
(1) The state board shall:
(A) Issue an order establishing the changed boundaries; and
(B) File the order with the:
(i) County clerk of each county where a resulting district is located;
(ii) Secretary of State; and
(iii) Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Office.
(2) The county clerk shall make a permanent record of the order.
(3) The boundaries established under this subsection shall be the boundaries of the resulting district until changes are made according to the provisions of law.
(f) The state board shall not consolidate affected districts that are not geographically contiguous unless the following limited conditions are determined to be valid reasons for consolidation:
(1) The consolidation will result in the overall improvement in the educational benefit to students in all the school districts involved; or
(2) The consolidation will provide a significant advantage in transportation costs or service to all the school districts involved.