(a) If a study committee prepares a report under section 706b of this chapter, the committee shall transmit the report to the school boards of each school district that participated in the study committee and any other school districts that the report identifies as necessary or advisable to the establishment of the proposed union school district for the review and comment of each school board.

(b) The study committee shall transmit the report to the Secretary who shall submit the report with his or her recommendations to the State Board. After providing notice to the study committee and after giving the committee an opportunity to be heard, the State Board shall consider the report and the Secretary's recommendations, and decide whether the formation of such union school district will be in the best interests of the State, the students, and the school districts proposed to be members of the union. The State Board may request that the Secretary and the study committee make further investigation and may consider any other information deemed by it to be pertinent. If, after due consideration and any further meetings it deems necessary, the State Board finds that the formation of the proposed union school district is in the best interests of the State, the students, and the school districts, it shall approve the report submitted by the committee, together with any amendments, as a final report of the study committee, and shall give notice of its action to the committee. The chair of the study committee shall file a copy of the final report with the town clerk of each proposed member district at least 20 days prior to the vote to establish the union. (Added 1967, No. 277 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; amended 2007, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 24; 2011, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 18; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 84, eff. Feb. 14, 2014.)