County Committees May Now Decrease the Governing Board of Small School Districts from Five to Three Members

Lozano Smith Client News Brief
December 2015
Number 77

Small school districts sometimes have difficulty finding people to fill all seats on a five member board. To address this issue, the California legislature recently passed Assembly Bill (AB) 331, providing county committees on school district organization (County Committees) the authority to decrease school district governing boards from five members to three members in districts with an average daily attendance (ADA) of less than 300 during the preceding year. Specifically, AB 331 amends Education Code section 5019 and is effective January 1, 2016.

While AB 331 provides County Committees with broader authority in adjusting the composition of school boards, it does not alter the process by which such changes are made. Under that process, a reduction from five to three members may be initiated in one of three ways: (1) a petition by the school district's electorate; (2) a resolution adopted by the school district; or (3) a resolution adopted by the County Committee.

If you have any questions regarding this legislation or school district reorganization in general, please contact one of our nine offices located statewide. You can also visit our website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or download our Client News Brief App.
 
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As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this News Brief does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.