(a) The Board of Education of Marengo County shall consist of five members.

(b) The five members of the Board of Education of Marengo County shall each represent a separate district as these districts were constituted on January 1, 1996.

(c) At the annual meeting, the Board of Education of Marengo County shall elect one of its members to serve as president. The president shall be the presiding officer of the board, and shall have the same rights, privileges, powers, and authority and shall perform the same duties, take the same oath, and receive the same compensation as the other members of the board. In addition, the president shall have all the power and authority and perform all of the duties now or hereafter required of the president of county boards of education pursuant to the general laws of the state.

(d) The members of the board representing District 1 and District 2 shall be elected at the general election in 1996 for terms of four years and at the general election in 2000, and every six years thereafter, for terms of six years. The members of the board representing District 3, District 4, and District 5 shall be elected at the general election in 1998 with one member, selected by the board by lot, to serve for a term of four years and the two remaining members to serve for terms of six years. Thereafter, the members of the board representing District 3, District 4, and District 5 shall be elected every six years for terms of six years. The members of the board shall assume office on the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January next after their election and shall serve until their successors have been elected and have qualified. All the incumbent members of the board shall continue in office until the expiration of the term for which they were elected.

(e) At its annual meeting, the Board of Education of Marengo County shall elect one of its members to serve as vice-president.

(f) The Board of Education of Marengo County, elected as herein provided, shall have, exercise, and enjoy all of the rights, powers, privileges, and authority which are now, or which may be hereafter, conferred on county boards of education under the general laws of Alabama; and all laws now in force or hereinafter enacted applicable to or governing county boards of education in Alabama shall apply to and govern and control the board elected under this section, except insofar as they are or may be inconsistent with or contrary to this section.

(g) Each member of the Marengo County Board of Education shall receive a monthly expense allowance of three hundred dollars ($300). The expense allowance shall be in addition to all other compensation, salary, or expense allowance heretofore provided by law.