20-6-504. Opening of a junior high school. (1) The trustees of any elementary district and the trustees of the high school district in which such elementary district is located may open a junior high school when such opening has been approved by the superintendent of public instruction; except that when the high school district operates a county high school, the opening of a junior high school shall be approved under the provisions of 20-6-505.

(2) When the trustees of such districts resolve to open a junior high school, they shall jointly apply to the superintendent of public instruction for approval to open such school by June 1 before the school fiscal year in which they intend to open the junior high school. The application shall contain such information as is required under 20-6-503 for an application to open a high school.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall investigate the application for the opening of a junior high school and shall approve or disapprove the opening of the junior high school before the fourth Monday of June preceding the first year of intended operation. If the opening is approved, the trustees of the elementary district and the high school district may jointly open such school.

(4) Whenever the opening of a junior high school is approved for the ensuing school fiscal year, the county superintendent shall estimate the average number belonging (ANB) after investigating the probable enrollment for the junior high school. The ANB determined by the county superintendent shall be used for budgeting and BASE funding program purposes during the ensuing school fiscal year.