(a) There is established a school board for the City of Cullman, Alabama, which board shall be called "The Cullman City Board of Education." The board shall be composed of five members elected from the city at-large by the qualified electors of the City of Cullman. Places on the board shall be numbered one to five, inclusive.
(b) Each candidate for a place on the city board of education shall be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the city for at least 90 consecutive days immediately preceding the deadline date for qualifying as a candidate, and shall not have a record of conviction for any crime involving moral turpitude. The qualification fee for the first election to be held for the board created by this section shall be twenty-five dollars ($25) for each candidate. Thereafter, each candidate shall pay a qualifying fee prescribed by the Cullman City Council not later than six months prior to the qualifying deadline as provided by law.
(c)(l) The initial election for the city school board members shall be held in conjunction with the first Cullman City Council election held after the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, authorizing the election of the Cullman City Board of Education. The last two Cullman City Board of Education members appointed before June 26, 1995, shall continue to hold office and shall represent Places Four and Five. At the initial election, the members representing Places One, Two, and Three shall be elected for four-year terms; two years after the first election, the members representing Places Four and Five shall be elected for four-year terms. After initial terms, all members shall be elected for four-year terms. Subsequent school board elections shall be called by the city in conformity with the applicable state laws for the elections. Board members shall serve from the date on which they are sworn into office until the swearing in of their successors following the next regularly scheduled school board elections. Terms of office for the initially elected board members shall commence at noon on the first day of the month following their election. At its initial meeting, to be held within 15 days after the election is certified, the board shall elect a chair from its membership by majority vote. Thereafter, every two years immediately following the swearing in of elected board members, the board shall elect its chair.
(2) The Cullman City Council may, by written resolution, enact all or any of the following provisions for a special election for the Cullman City Board of Education:
a. Call a special election for the Cullman City Board of Education at any time more than 90 days after June 26, 1995.
b. Call for the election of all five members of the Cullman City Board of Education.
c. In the event the Cullman City Council calls for a special election for the Cullman City Board of Education prior to the 1996 city elections, any board members elected shall serve from the date they are sworn into office until the swearing in of their successors after the city election in the year 2000. Any member elected in the city election of the year 2000, or thereafter, shall be elected for four-year terms.
d. In the event the Cullman City Council calls for a special election under this section, the City of Cullman shall pay all costs associated with the election.
(d) A vacancy in the city board of education shall be filled by appointment by a majority of the remaining members of the city board of education for the unexpired term. In the event the vacancy is not filled by the remaining members of the city board within 30 days, the State Superintendent of Education shall fill the vacancy by appointment. The city superintendent of education shall notify the State Superintendent of Education when a vacancy on the city board of education has not been filled within 30 days.
(e) In the event no candidate receives a majority of all of the votes cast for anyone or more positions on the school board, the city council shall order a run-off election to be held separately or in conjunction with any scheduled primary, special, or general election, at which election the two candidates receiving the most votes for the office in the initial election shall be the only candidates. The candidate receiving the most votes in the run-off election shall be declared as elected. In the event of a tie vote between the run-off candidates, the city council shall decide the election by majority vote at a special meeting called for the purpose by the council's presiding officer.
(f) The compensation for the members of the school board shall be three hundred dollars ($300) per month to be paid from city school system funds. The board may change this amount by majority vote thereof, which changes shall be made not later than six months prior to the deadline for qualification of candidates for seats on the board of education. Thereafter, the compensation as set by the board from time to time shall be in effect for successor boards.
(g) The board of education shall have the financial records of the Cullman School System audited at least annually by an independent auditing firm with the results of the audit being a matter of public record.
(h) The members of the board shall have the powers, authority, duties, and responsibilities as are otherwise provided by law for members of boards of education as set forth in Chapter 11, Title 16.