A consolidation under sections 79-468 and 79-469 shall not affect the rights of the principals, teachers, janitors, and employees of any of the districts merged under such sections. They shall continue in the employ of the school district into which their former districts are merged. In determining their status, salaries, and other rights, their previous service with the merged district employing them at the time of the merger shall be counted as if they had been originally employed by the consolidated district.