Any school district that is a project applicant under this chapter may apply for the funding of a school specifically under this article, pursuant to which it may be approved by the board for funding only to the extent of its project eligibility under this chapter. The governing board of each district for which that funding is approved by the board shall do all of the following, in the order specified:
(a)
Identify an area within the district that it determines to be appropriate for the construction of a school that meets the purposes of this article.
(b)
Establish criteria for the purpose of identifying the school design that will most effectively accomplish the purposes of this article and the needs of the district. The district shall thereupon issue, in a manner approved by the board, a request for architectural design proposals incorporating those criteria.