SB 442

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes in each county, except a county that is also a city and county, a county committee on school district organization, and authorizes the committee to take certain actions regarding the organization of school districts and community college districts in the territory under the committee's jurisdiction. Existing law authorizes, in any school district or community college district, a county committee on school district organization to establish trustee areas, rearrange the boundaries of trustee areas, abolish trustee areas, and increase to 7 or decrease to 5 the number of members of a governing board, or to adopt an alternative method of electing governing board members, as specified, except in a school district governed by a board of education provided for in the charter of a city or city and county. This bill would delete the exception for a school district governed by a board of education provided for in the charter of a city or city and county, for purposes of that provision. The bill would prohibit a county committee on school district organization from rearranging trustee area boundaries in a school district or community college district that has established a hybrid or independent redistricting commission, as specified. The California Voting Rights Act of 2001 prohibits an at-large method of election from being imposed or applied in a political subdivision, as defined, in a manner that impairs the ability of a protected class, as defined, to elect candidates of its choice or its ability to influence the outcome of an election, as a result of the dilution or the abridgment of the rights of voters who are members of a protected class. Existing law establishes procedures for transitioning from at-large elections to district-based or trustee elections. Existing law requires a resolution of the county committee approving a proposal to establish trustee areas to constitute an order of election, and requires the proposal to be presented to the electors of the district not later than the next succeeding election for members of the governing board. This bill would authorize the county committee, by resolution, to approve a proposal to establish trustee areas and elect governing board members using district-based elections without submitting the resolution to the electors of the district for approval. The bill would require such a resolution to include a declaration that the change in the method of electing members of the governing board is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001, and would require the resolution to govern all elections for governing board members occurring at least 125 days after the adoption of the resolution. The bill would also make conforming changes. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to change election systems upon the adoption by the board of trustees of a resolution in support of that change and upon the approval of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as specified. As part of the change in election systems, existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to determine the number of trustees. If the number of members of a governing board of a community college district is increased, existing law requires additional members of the governing board to be elected at the next regular district election of board members occurring at least 123 days after the governing board approved the increased number of board members. This bill would instead require the additional members of the governing board of a community college district to be elected at the next regular district election of board members occurring at least 125 days after the governing board approved the increased number of board members.