Section 16-8-1 Composition; Election; Single Member Election Districts; Qualifications.

(a) The county board of education shall be composed of five members, who shall be elected by the qualified electors of the county. (b) County boards of education unless otherwise provided by law may use the provisions of this subsection to establish single member election districts with one board member elected from each district. School boards exercising this option may establish five or seven such districts. Such plan shall be considered only after two weeks public notice has been given, outlining generally the school districts under consideration. The members so elected, or appointed in the event of a vacancy, shall be residents of the school district. Such residency shall have been established at least one year before the general election at which the candidate is to be elected, or appointed in the event of a vacancy. Whenever a member of a county board of education moves his or her domicile from the district he or she represents, he or she shall cease to be a member of the county board of education, and a vacancy shall occur. The member shall provide notice of the move to the secretary of the local board of education before the commencement of business at the first meeting of the local board of education following the move. The boundaries of such single member districts shall be determined by a majority vote of the county board of education. The county board of education shall apportion the districts according to the last federal decennial census for the county utilizing the principle of equal representation. Thereafter, each county board of education choosing to implement single member election districts shall reapportion those districts within six months following the publication of the results of each federal decennial census. (c) No person shall be eligible for election or appointment as a member of a county board of education unless he or she satisfies all of the following qualifications: (1) Is a person of good moral character. (2) Has obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent. (3) Is not employed by that county board of education, unless serving as a member of the county board of education on April 20, 2012. (4) Is not serving on the governing board of a private elementary or secondary educational institution. (5) Is not on the National Sex Offender Registry or the state sex offender registry. (6) Has not been convicted of a felony.