1. Residents of a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than forty thousand eight hundred but fewer than forty thousand nine hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification with a township form of government and with more than twenty-nine thousand seven hundred but fewer than twenty-nine thousand eight hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than thirteen thousand two hundred but fewer than thirteen thousand three hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than thirteen thousand five hundred but fewer than thirteen thousand six hundred inhabitants, a county of the second classification with more than nineteen thousand seven hundred but fewer than nineteen thousand eight hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than twenty thousand but fewer than twenty thousand one hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification with a township form of government and with more than thirty-three thousand one hundred but fewer than thirty-three thousand two hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than thirteen thousand four hundred but fewer than thirteen thousand five hundred inhabitants, a county of the first classification with more than sixty-eight thousand six hundred but fewer than sixty-eight thousand seven hundred inhabitants, a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than twelve thousand but fewer than twelve thousand one hundred inhabitants, and a county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than forty thousand four hundred but fewer than forty thousand five hundred inhabitants may organize a vocational school district in the manner provided in sections 178.770 to 178.780. Prior to the organization of a district under sections 178.770 to 178.890, the coordinating board for higher education shall establish standards for the organization of the district which shall include among other things:

(1) Whether a vocational school is needed in the proposed district;

(2) Whether the assessed valuation of taxable, tangible property in the proposed district is sufficient to adequately support the proposed vocational school; and

(3) Whether there were a sufficient number of graduates of high school in the proposed district during the preceding year to support a vocational school in the proposed district.

2. When a district is organized, it shall be a body corporate and a subdivision of the state of Missouri and shall be known as “The Vocational School District of ______, Missouri” and, in that name, may sue and be sued, levy and collect taxes within the limitations of sections 178.770 to 178.890, issue bonds and possess the same corporate powers as common and seven-director school districts in this state, other than urban districts, except as herein otherwise provided.