1. If the responsibility for teaching all or any group of students in a special school district located in a county of the first classification with a charter form of government and population of at least nine hundred thousand inhabitants is transferred or removed to one or more separate school districts by vote of the citizens, dissolution, annexation, court action, or any other authority under Missouri or federal laws, the latter school district or districts shall become the receiving or successor school district or districts.

2. The successor school district or districts shall honor the provisions of all teachers’ contracts of teachers of the sending or prior school district who are employed by the successor school district pertaining to the tenure status or years of credit toward tenure or both of said teachers and their salary position on the salary schedule and fringe benefits.

3. This section shall only apply to the transfer of an^* academic, special education, vocational education or technical education program or athletic program from one school district identified in subsection 1 of this section to one or more separate school districts.

4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a successor district to employ any person.