(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Consolidation" means any reorganization, merger, collapse, or annexation of any school districts or portions of any school districts either voluntarily or involuntarily;

(2) "Interim policy review board" means a board consisting of the presidents of the school district boards of directors of the school districts to be consolidated that shall be formed for the purpose of reviewing and adopting a uniform set of policies under this section; and

(3) "New school district" means the resulting school district after consolidation.

(b)

(1) As soon as possible after the school district boards of directors or the qualified electors of the school districts agree to be consolidated or as soon as possible after any decision is made that the school districts are to be involuntarily consolidated, the personnel policy committee of each of the school districts involved in the consolidation shall meet individually and elect members to form an interim personnel policy committee for the new school district.

(2) The personnel policy committees of the existing school districts shall elect:

(A)

(i) If three (3) or fewer school districts are consolidating, three (3) existing teacher members of the personnel policy committee from each school district to serve on the interim personnel policy committee; or

(ii) If four (4) or more school districts are consolidating, two (2) existing teacher members of the personnel policy committee from each school district to serve on the interim personnel policy committee; and

(B) One (1) administrator from each of the school districts to serve on the interim personnel policy committee.

(3)

(A) The interim personnel policy committee shall elect a chair and a secretary, both of whom shall be classroom teachers, and schedule a calendar of meetings to review all the written uniform policies of the respective school districts that affect the terms and conditions of the teachers' employment.

(B) The interim personnel policy committee shall put together a proposed set of policies for the new school district from the written policies.

(c)

(1) After drafting a proposed set of policies for the new school district, the interim personnel policy committee shall meet with the interim policy review board of the new school district to present and explain to the interim policy review board the proposed set of policies for the new school district.

(2) Upon request of the interim personnel policy committee, the interim policy review board shall be entitled to and shall organize itself and meet with the interim personnel policy committee at least twice before June 1 of the school year prior to consolidation for the purpose of reviewing, receiving, and discussing with the interim personnel policy committee the proposed policies for the new school district.

(d) The interim personnel policy committee shall serve as the personnel policy committee of the new school district until a new personnel policy committee is formed and successor personnel policy committee members are elected pursuant to this subchapter or until the new school district chooses to officially recognize in its policies an organization representing a majority of the teachers in the school district for purposes of negotiating as provided for under this subchapter.

(e)

(1) The interim policy review board shall adopt a uniform set of policies before the effective date of the consolidation that shall be the personnel policies for the new school district.

(2) In the event the interim policy review board decides to adopt any policy or policies different from those proposed by the interim personnel policy committee, the interim policy review board shall submit the proposals to the interim personnel policy committee at least seven (7) calendar days before being considered for adoption by the interim policy review board.

(3) The chair of the interim personnel policy committee or a committee member designated by the chair will have the opportunity to comment orally on any of the interim policy review board's proposals before their adoption.

(4) Any written policy of a new school district that affects the terms and conditions of a teacher's employment shall be considered a personnel policy.

(5) The new personnel policies shall not impair or diminish the existing contract rights of any teacher.

(f) In the event a school district with a personnel policy committee consolidates with another school that recognizes in its policies an organization representing the majority of the teachers of the school district for the purpose of negotiating personnel policies, salaries, and educational matters of mutual concern pursuant to § 6-17-202, each teacher in the school district with the personnel policy committee shall have the right in his or her first year of employment with the new school district to elect to have his or her contract governed by the negotiated personnel policies of the new school district or to continue with the terms of his or her existing contract under the personnel policies of the school district by which he or she was employed the year before the consolidation.

(g) The provisions of this section shall not apply to instances in which the State Board of Education votes to annex or consolidate one (1) school district to or with two (2) or more receiving or resulting school districts due to enforcement by the state board of the provisions of this title relating to academic distress, academic facilities distress, fiscal distress, or violations of the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts.