Local boards of education may petition the board of county commissioners for an election in their respective local school administrative units or for any school areas therein.

A majority of the qualified voters who have resided for the preceding 12 months in an area which is adjacent to a city administrative unit may petition the county board of education for an election on the question of annexing such area to the city administrative unit. For any of the other purposes enumerated in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-501, twenty-five percent (25%) of the qualified voters who reside in a local school administrative unit may petition the local board of  education for an election. (1955, c. 1372, art. 14, s. 3; 1961, c. 1019, s. 2; 1981, c. 423, s. 1; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 975, s. 7.)