(1) If a caucus is held for nominations under section 79-549 for a Class III school district, the board of education shall consist of six members to be elected by the registered voters of the school district at the statewide primary election. Two members shall be elected at each election for a term of six years. The members shall meet the qualifications found in section 79-543.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, members of the board of education of a Class III school district shall be nominated at the statewide primary election and elected at the statewide general election. The board of education of a Class III school district shall have no fewer than five members and no more than nine members as provided in section 79-549 or 79-550, and the members shall be nominated and elected at large or by district or ward as provided in section 32-554 or nominated by district or ward and elected at large as provided in section 79-550. The number of members to be nominated at the statewide primary election and elected at the statewide general election and the terms for which they will be nominated and elected shall be determined by the election commissioner or county clerk with the aid of the elected secretary of the board of education of the district. The terms of office of members of such board shall expire on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January. Terms shall be staggered so that approximately one-half of the members are elected to the board at each general election for terms of four years. When it becomes necessary to establish the staggering of terms by electing members for terms of different duration at the same election, candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected for the longest terms. The members shall meet the qualifications found in section 79-543.