The State Board of Education shall review all plans and approve such plans as it deems wise in the best interests of the educational system of the Commonwealth. No plan of organization of administrative units shall be approved in which any proposed school district contains a pupil population of less than four thousand (4,000), unless when factors of topography, pupil population, community characteristics, transportation of pupils, use of existing school buildings, existing administrative units, potential population changes and the capability of providing a comprehensive program of education are considered by the State Board of Education as requiring the approval of a plan of organization of administrative units in which one or more proposed school districts contains a pupil population of less than four thousand (4,000). Pupil population as used herein shall mean the average daily membership for the school year 1966-1967 including kindergarten or grade one through grade twelve.

The State Board of Education upon petition of any school district which considers itself aggrieved by a plan of organization of administrative units filed within thirty (30) days after submission thereof shall fix a day and time for a hearing and may hear and consider such testimony as it may deem advisable to enable it to make a decision. Three (3) or more members of the State Board of Education shall constitute the State board for any hearing held hereunder. After reaching its decision, the State Board of Education shall enter such order as appears, either approving the plan in an amended form or in the form as submitted by the county board of school directors.

If no such petition is filed within thirty (30) days, the plan of organization of administrative units submitted by the county board of school directors shall be deemed approved by the State Board of Education without right of appeal as provided for in section 5 hereafter.¹