In all special charter districts maintaining schools under any general school laws, where there is no provision in the special Acts creating such districts for the election of boards of education as otherwise provided, there shall be elected, in lieu of the school directors as now provided, a board of education, to consist of 7 members to be elected at the time and in the manner as provided by the general election law for the election and qualification of boards of education in other cases. In any district having a population of more than 100,000 but less than 2,000,000 such board may be increased in size to 11 members upon adoption by a majority of electors residing in the district and voting on the question in a referendum as provided in this Section. Such question shall be submitted to the electors at an election upon a resolution adopted by the Board. Members shall be elected biennially in the school district, whose term of office shall be 4 years, and there shall also be elected in each odd-numbered year a president of the board. Following the first such election, those members elected, other than the president, shall, by lot, determine 3 to serve 2 years and 3 to serve 4 years; thereafter, all terms shall be 4 years. In other cases, however, if 4 members, other than the president, are elected in 1983, then those elected shall, by lot, determine one to serve for 2 years and 3 to serve 4 years; thereafter all terms shall be 4 years. In neither case shall such determinations affect the biennial selection of the president. At the first regular school election after the adoption by the district electors of a question as provided in this Section increasing the size of the board in those districts entitled to exercise an option for and elect an 11 member board, 4 additional members shall be elected and shall determine by lot 2 to serve for 2 years and 2 for 4 years. Their successors shall serve for a 4 year term. In case of an 11 member board already in existence, if 7 members, other than the president, are elected in 1983 then those members elected shall, by lot determine one to serve 2 years and 6 to serve 4 years. Terms thereafter shall be 4 years. The board of education shall have all the powers and duties of trustees of schools in school townships and the powers and duties of boards of education in districts having a population of not fewer than 1,000 and not more than 500,000 as provided by this Act.
     The day upon which the election provided for in this section is to be held is subject to the provisions of the general election law.