SB 1224: Certificated school employees: assignments and reassignments: seniority: reporting.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to decrease the number of permanent employees of a school district, based on seniority, when a reduction in workforce is required due to specific circumstances, as provided. Existing law prohibits, except as otherwise provided, the services of a permanent employee from being terminated in these situations while any probationary employee, or any other employee with less seniority, is retained to render a service which the permanent employee is certificated and competent to render. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to make assignments and reassignments in a manner that employees are retained to render any service which their seniority and qualifications entitle them to render.

This bill would require a local educational agency that makes an assignment or reassignment of an employee due to seniority to report that assignment or reassignment to the State Department of Education. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to annually aggregate the number of assignments and reassignments reported and to make that number available to the public on its Internet Web site.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.