County offices of education: school districts: average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils: permanent status.
By eliminating the threshold of average daily attendance, AB 917 establishes a more uniform criterion for permanent status across all school districts, potentially impacting the job security of employees in smaller districts where average attendance is less than 250 pupils. The changes may also streamline administrative processes regarding employee classifications by removing previously complicated rules related to the unionization or consolidation of school districts with varying average daily attendance rates.
Assembly Bill 917, introduced by Assembly Member Vila Faras, seeks to amend existing provisions within the California Education Code pertaining to the employment and status of certificated employees in school districts. The core objective of this bill is to facilitate the classification of a school district employee as a permanent employee after completing two consecutive academic years and being re-elected for the following year, regardless of the average daily attendance of their school district. This considerably widens the scope for permanent status compared to existing law, which previously set a threshold of 250 pupils for many provisions.
Notable points of contention surrounding this bill revolve around the implications for district employment practices and the potential backlash from smaller districts. Critics argue that the new provisions might lead to an influx of permanent employee classifications without the necessary checks that the previous provisions provided. The bill also removes some administrative flexibility concerning continuing contracts offered to employees in smaller districts, which could create tension among educational stakeholders regarding workforce management.