BP 4117.3 — Certificated Personnel Reduction

Section: 4000 - Personnel
Status: Active

Adopted: 2023-08-17

Policy text

CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL REDUCTION

The Governing Board may reduce the number of probationary and permanent certificated employees when, in its opinion, any of the following conditions make such reduction necessary:

1. Average daily attendance (ADA) in all of the schools in the district during the first six months of the school year has declined below the level for the same period in either of the previous two school years.
2. A particular kind of service is to be reduced or discontinued not later than the beginning of the following school year.
3. Attendance in the district will decline in the following year as a result of the termination of an interdistrict tuition agreement.
4. An amendment of state law requires modification of the curriculum.

Determination of the Order of Layoffs

When it is necessary to reduce the number of certificated employees for any of the reasons listed above, the services of employees shall be terminated in the inverse of the order in which they were employed by the district in probationary status, except as otherwise authorized by law.  

The Superintendent or designee shall maintain the seniority list for this purpose and shall make it available upon request.

Unless otherwise provided by law, a permanent employee shall have the right to be retained over a probationary employee or any employee with less seniority if the position is one for which they are certificated and competent to render service. 

To determine the order of termination between employees who first rendered paid service on the same date, the Board shall rank order those employees solely on the basis of the needs of the district and students.  Upon the request of an employee whose order of termination is to be determined based on such ranking, the Board shall furnish the employee, no later than five days prior to the commencement of the administrative hearing on the layoff, a written statement of the specific criteria used in determining the order of termination and the application of the criteria in ranking the employee relative to the other employees in the group. 

The district may deviate from terminating certificated employees in order of seniority for either of the following reasons:  

1. To fill a demonstrated specific need for personnel to teach a specific course or courses of study, or to provide services authorized by a services credential with a specialization in either student personnel services or health for a school nurse when the certificated employee has the necessary special training and experience which others with more seniority do not possess
2. To maintain or achieve compliance with constitutional requirements related to equal protection of the law

Notice and Hearing Rights

When it becomes necessary to reduce the number of permanent and/or probationary employees pursuant to Education Code 44955 as specified in items #1-4 above, the district shall give notice to the affected employees, no later than March 15, stating the reasons for the action and the employee’s right to a hearing.  The district shall adhere to the notice, hearing, and layoff procedures in Education Code 44949, 44955, and other applicable provisions of law.

When an employee has requested a hearing before an administrative law judge regarding the reduction or discontinuation of services, the Board shall make a final decision regarding the sufficiency of the cause and disposition of the layoff upon receipt of the administrative law judge’s proposed decision.  None of the findings, recommendations, or determinations of the administrative law judge shall be binding on the Board.  

The Board may conduct its own hearing, adopt the administrative law judge’s proposed decision, refer the case back to the administrative law judge for additional evidence, or reject or modify the proposed decision and make its own determination based upon its review of the record.

Following the Board’s decision, the Superintendent or designee shall give final notice, in the manner specified, to the affected employees before May 15 unless the parties agree otherwise in accordance with procedures required by law. 

When layoffs become necessary pursuant to Education Code 44955.5 as specified in item #5 above, layoff proceedings shall be carried out as required by law but in accordance with a schedule of notice and hearing adopted by the Board.  

Reappointment

If the number of employees is increased or the discontinued service is reestablished, permanent certificated employees shall have the right to reappointment, in order of seniority, for 39 months from the date of termination.  Probationary certificated employees shall have the same right for 24 months after being terminated, subject to the prior reappointment rights of permanent employees. 

During the period of the preferred right to reappointment, permanent certificated employees shall, in the order of original employment, be offered first opportunity for substitute service during the absence of any employee who has been granted a leave of absence or who is temporarily absent from duty.  Such substitute service may be terminated upon the return to duty of the other employee. Such substitute service shall not affect the retention of the employees’ previous classification and rights. Probationary certificated employees shall have the same right to substitute service during the period of preferred right to reappointment to the extent required by law, subject to the rights of permanent certificated employees.  

Before reappointing any certificated employee to teach a subject that they have not previously taught and for which they do not have a teaching credential or which is not within the employee’s major area of postsecondary study, the Board shall require the employee to pass a subject matter competency test in the appropriate subject.  (Education Code 44956)

Reappointed certificated employees shall not be subject to any requirements that were not imposed on employees who continued in service.  Their period of absence shall be treated as a leave of absence and not considered a break in the continuity of their service. 

Legal References:

State Description

22 CCR 1089-1 Notification of unemployment insurance benefits

Ed. Code 44830  Employment of certificated persons

Ed. Code 44949  Dismissal of probationary employees

Ed. Code 44955   Reduction in number of permanent employees

Ed. Code 44956-44959.5  Rights of employees

Gov. Code 3543.2  Scope of representation

Unemp. Ins. Code 1089  Notification of unemployment insurance benefits

**Management**    Description

Court Decision.   Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association v. Bakersfield City School District, (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 1260

Court Decision.    California Teachers Association v. Vallejo City Unified School District, (2007) 149 Cal.App.4th 135

Court Decision.     Cousins v. Weaverville Elementary School District, (1994) 24 Cal.App.4th 1846

Court Decision.      Forker v. Board of Trustees, (1984) 160 Cal.App.3d 13

Court Decision.      King v. Berkeley Unified School District, (1979) 89 Cal.App.3d 1016

Court Decision.      Moreland Teachers Assoc. v. Kurze, (1980) 109 Cal.App.3d 648