1. The general administration and the responsibility for the proper operation of the retirement system are hereby vested in a board of trustees of twelve persons who shall be resident taxpayers of the school district, as follows:

(1) Four trustees to be appointed for terms of four years by the board of education; provided, however, that the terms of office of the first four trustees so appointed shall begin immediately upon their appointment and shall expire one, two, three and four years from the date the retirement system becomes operative, respectively;

(2) Four trustees to be elected for terms of four years by and from the members of the retirement system; provided, however, that the terms of office of the first four trustees so elected shall begin immediately upon their election and shall expire one, two, three and four years from the date the retirement system becomes operative, respectively;

(3) The ninth trustee shall be the superintendent of schools of the school district;

(4) The tenth trustee shall be one retirant of the retirement system elected for a term of four years beginning the first day of January immediately following August 13, 1986, by the retirants of the retirement system;

(5) The eleventh trustee shall be appointed for a term of four years beginning the first day of January immediately following August 13, 1990, by the board of trustees described in subdivision (3) of section 182.701;

(6) The twelfth trustee shall be a retirant of the retirement system elected for a term of four years beginning the first day of January immediately following August 28, 1992, by the retirants of the retirement system.

2. If a vacancy occurs in the office of a trustee, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the office was previously filled, except that the board of trustees may appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy in the office of an elected member until the next regular election at which time a member shall be elected for the unexpired term. No vacancy or vacancies on the board of trustees shall impair the power of the remaining trustees to administer the retirement system pending the filling of such vacancy or vacancies.

3. In the event of a lapse of the school district’s corporate organization as described in subsections 1 and 4 of section 162.081, the general administration and responsibility for the proper operation of the retirement system shall continue to be vested in a twelve-person board of trustees, all of whom shall be resident taxpayers of a city, other than a city not within a county, of four hundred thousand or more. In such event, if vacancies occur in the offices of the four trustees appointed, prior to the lapse, by the board of education, or in the offices of the four trustees elected, prior to the lapse, by the members of the retirement system, or in the office of trustee held, prior to the lapse, by the superintendent of schools in the school district, as provided in subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of subsection 1 of this section, the board of trustees shall appoint a qualified person to fill each vacancy and subsequent vacancies in the office of trustee for terms of up to four years, as determined by the board of trustees.

4. Each trustee shall, before assuming the duties of a trustee, take the oath of office before the court of the judicial circuit or one of the courts of the judicial circuit in which the school district is located that so far as it devolves upon the trustee, such trustee shall diligently and honestly administer the affairs of the board of trustees and that the trustee will not knowingly violate or willingly permit to be violated any of the provisions of the law applicable to the retirement system. Such oath shall be subscribed to by the trustee making it and filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court.

5. Each trustee shall be entitled to one vote in the board of trustees. Seven trustees shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the board of trustees. At any meeting of the board of trustees where a quorum is present, the vote of at least seven of the trustees in support of a motion, resolution or other matter is necessary to be the decision of the board; provided, however, that in the event of a lapse in the school district’s corporate organization as described in subsections 1 and 4 of section 162.081, a majority of the trustees then in office shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the board of trustees, and the vote of a majority of the trustees then in office in support of a motion, resolution or other matter shall be necessary to be the decision of the board.

6. The board of trustees shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in all matters relating to or affecting the funds herein provided for, including, in addition to all other matters, all claims for benefits or refunds, and its action, decision or determination in any matter shall be reviewable in accordance with chapter 536 or chapter 621. Subject to the limitations of sections 169.270 to 169.400, the board of trustees shall, from time to time, establish rules and regulations for the administration of funds of the retirement system, for the transaction of its business, and for the limitation of the time within which claims may be filed.

7. The trustees shall serve without compensation. The board of trustees shall elect from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The board of trustees shall appoint an executive director who shall serve as the administrative officer of the retirement system and as secretary to the board of trustees. It shall employ one or more persons, firms or corporations experienced in the investment of moneys to serve as investment counsel to the board of trustees. The compensation of all persons engaged by the board of trustees and all other expenses of the board necessary for the operation of the retirement system shall be paid at such rates and in such amounts as the board of trustees shall approve, and shall be paid from the investment income.

8. The board of trustees shall keep in convenient form such data as shall be necessary for actuarial valuations of the various funds of the retirement system and for checking the experience of the system.

9. The board of trustees shall keep a record of all its proceedings which shall be open to public inspection. It shall prepare annually and furnish to the board of education and to each member of the retirement system who so requests a report showing the fiscal transactions of the retirement system for the preceding fiscal year, the amount of accumulated cash and securities of the system, and the last balance sheet showing the financial condition of the system by means of an actuarial valuation of the assets and liabilities of the retirement system.

10. The board of trustees shall have, in its own name, power to sue and to be sued, to enter into contracts, to own property, real and personal, and to convey the same; but the members of such board of trustees shall not be personally liable for obligations or liabilities of the board of trustees or of the retirement system.

11. The board of trustees shall arrange for necessary legal advice for the operation of the retirement system.

12. The board of trustees shall designate a medical board to be composed of three or more physicians who shall not be eligible for membership in the system and who shall pass upon all medical examinations required under the provisions of sections 169.270 to 169.400, shall investigate all essential statements and certificates made by or on behalf of a member in connection with an application for disability retirement and shall report in writing to the board of trustees its conclusions and recommendations upon all matters referred to it.

13. The board of trustees shall designate an actuary who shall be the technical advisor of the board of trustees on matters regarding the operation of the retirement system and shall perform such other duties as are required in connection therewith. Such person shall be qualified as an actuary by membership as a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries or by similar objective standards.

14. At least once in each five-year period the actuary shall make an investigation into the actuarial experience of the members, retirants and beneficiaries of the retirement system and, taking into account the results of such investigation, the board of trustees shall adopt for the retirement system such actuarial assumptions as the board of trustees deems necessary for the financial soundness of the retirement system.

15. On the basis of such actuarial assumptions as the board of trustees adopts, the actuary shall make annual valuations of the assets and liabilities of the funds of the retirement system.

16. The rate of contribution payable by the employers shall equal one and ninety-nine one-hundredths percent, effective July 1, 1993; three and ninety-nine one-hundredths percent, effective July 1, 1995; five and ninety-nine one-hundredths percent, effective July 1, 1996; seven and one-half percent effective January 1, 1999, and for subsequent calendar years through 2013. For calendar year 2014 and each subsequent year, the rate of contribution payable by the employers for each year shall be determined as provided in subsections 4 and 6 of section 169.350 and shall be certified by the board of trustees to the employers at least six months prior to the date such rate is to be effective.

17. In the event of a lapse of a school district’s corporate organization as described in subsections 1 and 4 of section 162.081, no retirement system, nor any of the assets of any retirement system, shall be transferred to or merged with another retirement system without prior approval of such transfer or merge by the board of trustees of the retirement system.