ARTICLE 3. Organization of District Boards [72022. - 72036.5.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 3.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72022. Section 72022.

The county committee on school district organization, upon petition of the governing board of any community college district, may provide for the establishment, rearrangement, or abolishment of trustee areas in any community college district or increase or decrease the number of members of the governing board, in the same manner as trustee areas may be provided for in other districts under Sections 5020 to 5024, inclusive. When trustee areas are established or rearranged under this section, governing board members shall be elected for four-year terms, and shall be either five or seven in number. The number of trustee areas shall not be less than two nor more than seven. The terms of trustees shall, except as otherwise provided, be staggered so that as nearly as practicable one-half of the trustees shall be elected in each odd-numbered year. Subject to provisions of this section, any resident and registered elector of the school district not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state is eligible to candidacy for, and appointment and election to, the governing board of a community college district in which trustee areas have been provided under this section. When trustee areas are established or rearranged under this section, the petition to the county committee by the governing board shall provide for election of trustees by one of the following methods: (a) Election of an elector residing in and registered to vote in the trustee area he seeks to represent, by only the registered electors of the same trustee area; (b) Election, of an elector residing in and registered to vote in the trustee area he seeks to represent, by the registered electors of the entire community college district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72023. Section 72023.

In every community college district in which trustee areas have not been established, there shall be a governing board of either five or seven members elected at large from the district to serve a term of four years. If trustee areas have been established in a community college district the governing board shall consist of a member or members from each trustee area. The terms of trustees shall, except as otherwise provided, be staggered so that as nearly as practicable one-half of the trustees shall be elected in each odd-numbered year. In the Peralta Community College District, the governing board may consist of not to exceed 15 members, if the governing board so determines, whether or not trustee areas have been established. The governing board of the Redwoods Community College District may consist of eight members, provided the area contained in the Fort Bragg Unified School District and the Mendocino Unified School District is annexed to the Redwoods Community College District, and provided an additional coterminous trustee area of the district is established including such territory. Such governing board may consist of nine members if, in addition to the annexation specified above, the area contained within Del Norte County is annexed to the Redwoods Community College District, and provided an additional coterminous trustee area of the district is established including such territory.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72023.5. Section 72023.5.

(a) (1) (A) The governing board of each community college district shall order the inclusion within the membership of the governing board, in addition to the number of members otherwise prescribed, of one or more students. These students shall have the right to attend each and all meetings of the governing board, except that student members shall not have the right, or be afforded the opportunity, to attend executive sessions of the governing board. (B) A student member shall have the opportunity to cast an advisory vote immediately before votes are cast by the regular members of the governing board. (2) A student selected to serve on the governing board shall be enrolled in a community college of the district and shall be chosen, and shall be recalled, by the students enrolled in the community colleges of the district in accordance with procedures prescribed by the governing board. If the seat of a student member becomes vacant during the student member’s term, the governing board may authorize the officers of student body associations established pursuant to Section 76060 at each community college in the district to appoint a student to serve the remainder of the term in accordance with procedures established by the governing board. A student member shall be required throughout the term of the student member’s appointment to be enrolled in a community college of the district for at least five semester units, or its equivalent, and shall meet and maintain the minimum standards of scholarship for community college students prescribed by the community college district. The term of a student member shall be one year commencing on June 1 of each year. (3) A student member appointed pursuant to this section shall be entitled to mileage allowance to the same extent as a regular member, but is not entitled to the compensation prescribed by Section 72024. (4) A student member shall be seated with the members of the governing board and shall be recognized as a full member of the board at the meetings, including receiving all materials presented to the board members and participating in the questioning of witnesses and the discussion of issues. (5) A student member shall not be included in determining the vote required to carry any measure before the board. (6) A student member shall not be liable for any acts of the governing board. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a student member selected to serve on the governing board of a community college district pursuant to subdivision (a) may do any of the following: (1) Make and second motions at the discretion of the governing board. (2) Attend closed sessions, other than closed sessions on personnel matters or collective bargaining matters, at the discretion of the governing board. (3) Receive compensation, at the discretion of the governing board, up to the amount prescribed by Section 72024. (4) Serve a term of one year commencing on May 15 of each year, at the discretion of the governing board. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that any decision or action, including any contract entered into pursuant thereto, upon the motion or second of a motion of a student member, shall be fully legal and enforceable against the community college district or any party thereto. (d) The governing board of each community college district shall, by May 15 of each year, adopt rules and regulations implementing this section. These rules and regulations shall be effective until May 15 of the following year. (e) If a state court finds this section is unlawful, the court may order, as equitable relief, that the administering entity that is the subject of the lawsuit terminate any waiver awarded under this statute or provision, but no money damages, tuition refund or waiver, or other retroactive relief may be awarded. In any action in which the court finds this section is unlawful, the California Community Colleges are immune from the imposition of any award of money damages, tuition refund or waiver, or other retroactive relief.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72024. Section 72024.

(a) (1) In any community college district that is not located in a city and county, and in which the full-time equivalent students (FTES) for the prior college year exceeded 60,000, the governing board may prescribe, as compensation for the services of each member of the board who actually attends all meetings held by the board, a sum not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) in any month. (2) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 60,000 or less, but more than 25,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) in any month. (3) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 25,000 or less, but more than 10,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed four hundred dollars ($400) in any month. (4) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 10,000 or less, but more than 1,000, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed two hundred forty dollars ($240) in any month. (5) In any community college district in which the FTES for the prior college year was 1,000 or less, but more than 150, each member of the governing board of the district who actually attends all meetings held by the board may receive as compensation for his or her services a sum not to exceed one hundred twenty dollars ($120) in any month. (b) Any member of a governing board who does not attend all meetings held by the board in any month may receive, as compensation for his or her services, an amount not greater than a pro rata share of the number of meetings actually attended based upon the maximum compensation authorized by this subdivision. (c) The compensation of members of the governing board of a community college district newly organized or reorganized shall be governed by subdivision (a). For this purpose, the total FTES in all of the community colleges of the district in the college year in which the organization or reorganization became effective shall be deemed to be the FTES in the district for the prior college year. (d) A member may be paid for any meeting when absent if the board, by resolution duly adopted and included in its minutes, finds that, at the time of the meeting, he or she is performing services outside the meeting for the community college district, he or she was ill or on jury duty, or the absence was due to a hardship deemed acceptable by the board. The compensation shall be a charge against the funds of the district. (e) On an annual basis, the governing board may increase the compensation of individual board members beyond the limits delineated in this section, in an amount not to exceed 5 percent based on the present monthly rate of compensation. Any increase made pursuant to this section shall be effective upon approval by the governing board. The action may be rejected by a majority of the voters in that district voting in a referendum established for that purpose, as prescribed by Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 9100) of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72025. Section 72025.

(a) The governing board of the Long Beach Community College District may establish trustee areas pursuant to this section. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law: (1) If a proposal for the establishment of trustee areas is approved by a majority of the voters voting at the election, the establishment of trustee areas shall be effective upon the expiration of the term of the member having the shortest remaining unexpired portion of a term on the date of the election approving the establishment of trustee areas, or the date of expiration of the term of any member elected to the board during the year of the election approving the establishment of trustee areas, whichever is shorter. (2) The term of any member serving on the board on the date of the election approving the establishment of trustee areas shall be shortened until the date of expiration of the term of the member having the shortest remaining unexpired portion of a term on the date of the election approving the establishment of trustee areas, or the date of expiration of the term of any member elected to the board during the year of the election approving the establishment of trustee areas, whichever is shorter. (3) Vacancies shall be filled as provided by other provisions of law and the term of the person filling the vacancy shall be determined in accordance with paragraph (2).

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72026. Section 72026.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, if the governing board of a community college district finds that the boundaries of trustee areas do not conform to the district’s geography or population distribution due to annexation of territory to the district after the trustee boundaries were formed, the board may, in its discretion, order a special election seeking voter approval for rearrangement of such areas in the manner provided in this section. (b) (1) Upon adoption of a resolution by a majority of the members, the board shall call and conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed rearrangement of trustee area boundaries by publishing notice of the proposed rearrangement in accordance with Section 6061 of the Government Code. The notice shall be published at least 10 days prior to each hearing to be held and shall state the time and place of the hearing and the general nature of the proposed boundary rearrangement. (2) At the conclusion of the public hearing or hearings, the board may adopt a resolution by majority vote of its members ordering a special election on the proposed rearrangement of trustee areas within the district. The election shall be consolidated with the next scheduled primary or general statewide election and shall be called and conducted by the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction in the manner otherwise prescribed for elections in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5300) of Part 4 of Division 1 of Title 1. (c) The ballot shall contain the following words properly located on the ballot: “Shall the trustee areas in _____ (insert name) Community College District be rearranged?” To the right of or below those words, the words “Yes” and “No” shall be printed on separate lines, with voting targets. If a voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “Yes,” the voter’s vote shall be counted in favor of the adoption of the rearrangement. If the voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “No,” the voter’s vote shall be counted against its adoption. (d) If the proposal for the rearrangement of trustee areas within the district pursuant to this section is approved by a majority of the electors voting at the election and it appears that one or more trustee areas in the district will not be represented in the membership of the governing board or that one or more trustee areas will have more than its allotted number of representatives in the membership of the governing board, the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction shall call and conduct an election to determine who shall represent such trustee area or areas at the next regular election for community college trustees as otherwise provided by law. The term of office of a newly elected and qualified member shall expire on the date the term of the former member would have expired if the former member had remained in office. If the offices of two or more members become vacant due to the operation of this subdivision, the county superintendent of schools shall determine by lot which term of office of former members shall be assumed by which of the newly elected and qualified members.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72026.5. Section 72026.5.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any district which has annexed or annexes territory resulting in a proposal for a rearrangement of trustee areas and which holds an election pursuant to Section 72026 and a rearrangement of boundaries is approved by the voters, in the event that such rearrangement results in a trustee area having more or fewer than its allotted number of representatives, a governing board member representing a particular trustee area whose boundaries are rearranged so that he or she no longer resides within the trustee area may serve out his or her term of office as that area’s representative. Succeeding representatives shall be selected in the manner provided by law.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72027. Section 72027.

(a) Upon the formation of a community college district the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction shall call and set the date of an election for the purpose of electing the governing board of the district. The call shall be issued not later than 30 days after the formation of the district. The election shall be called, held, and conducted as are elections for members of governing boards of elementary school districts. (b) The first members of the governing board shall take office on the third Monday following their election. The term of office of subsequent members of the board shall begin on the second Friday in December following their election. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction may call and set the date for an election for the purpose of electing the governing board of the district on the same date that the election is held for the formation of the community college district. The call for both elections shall be issued at the same time. The election shall be called, held, and conducted the same as elections for members of the governing boards of elementary school districts. (d) The majority of the members of the first elected board of any newly formed community college district, the members of which majority received the highest number of votes, shall serve until the second Friday in December of the second succeeding odd-numbered year. The terms of the other members shall expire on the second Friday in December of the first succeeding odd-numbered year. Those members shall continue in office until their successors are elected and qualified.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72029. Section 72029.

The governing board of a community college district may by resolution limit campaign expenditures or contributions in elections to district offices.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72031. Section 72031.

The provisions of this section shall apply only to the Los Angeles Community College District. (a) Whenever in this code a section refers to a district, or to two or more districts, governed by a single governing board, or by governing boards of identical personnel, or to a district or districts in which the average daily attendance is in excess of 400,000, or makes a similar reference, all provisions of the section shall apply with equal force to both the city school district and community college district. (b) Commencing with the 2019 election for the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District, and each election thereafter, the governing board may adopt a resolution by majority vote to enact an alternative method by which members of the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District may be elected by trustee area. The trustee shall be required to reside and be registered to vote in the trustee area he or she seeks to represent, and the trustee shall be elected by only the registered electors of the same trustee area. Upon certification of the election, the candidate with the highest number of votes for a trustee area shall be deemed the candidate elected for that trustee area.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72034. Section 72034.

Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 366 of the Statutes of 1982, the terms of office of the members of the governing board of the Santa Monica Community College District whose terms were scheduled to expire in April 1985, expired in November 1984, and the terms of office of those members whose terms were scheduled to expire in April 1987, shall expire in November 1986. The terms of the members elected in November of even-numbered years shall commence on the first Tuesday following that election, and those elected shall serve for a term of four years. Each member shall continue to serve until his or her successor in office is elected and qualified. This section is declaratory of existing law.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72035. Section 72035.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law and the Charter of the City of San Diego, the number of members, the election of members, and the reapportionment of trustee areas of the governing board of the San Diego Community College District shall be conducted pursuant to this section. (a) Candidates for election as a member of the governing board of the district shall be nominated by trustee area at a district primary election held on the date of the statewide direct primary election. At the district primary election, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes within the trustee area shall be nominees for the general district election for that trustee area, and the nominee who receives a majority of the votes cast by the voters of the district in the districtwide general district election shall be elected to represent that trustee area. The general district election shall be held on the same date as the statewide general election. (b) Candidates for election as members of the governing board shall do both of the following: (1) File a declaration of candidacy as provided in this code. (2) File nominating papers following the procedural and substantive requirements in Sections 10220 to 10227, inclusive, of the Elections Code, except to the extent those requirements conflict with the requirements in subdivision (a) or this paragraph. For the purposes of this paragraph, any reference to the city elections official in the Elections Code means the elections official of the county. Each candidate shall be proposed by not less than 40 nor more than 60 voters in a trustee area. (c) Each member of the governing board elected at the general district election shall hold office for a term of four years commencing on the second Friday in December next succeeding the member’s election. (d) The territory of the district shall be divided into trustee areas and one member of the governing board shall be elected from each trustee area. A candidate for election as a member of the governing board shall reside in, and be registered to vote in, the trustee area the candidate seeks to represent. (e) The governing board of the district shall be composed of not less than five members and not more than nine, as determined by the governing board. Sections 5019 to 5030, inclusive, do not apply to the governing board’s determination of the number of members pursuant to this subdivision. If the number of members of the governing board is increased or decreased, the governing board shall establish new trustee areas, abolish trustee areas, or adjust the boundaries of trustee areas so that the number of trustee areas is equal to the number of governing board members. If the number of members of the governing board is increased, the additional members of the governing board shall be elected at the next regular general district election of board members occurring at least 123 days after the governing board approved the increased number of board members. Prior to the next general district election, the governing board shall divide by lot the additional trustee area positions that are created so that the term of one-half of the board members elected to those positions shall expire on the second Friday in December following the next general district election. The term of the other board members elected to fill the remainder of the additional positions shall expire on the second Friday in December following the second general district election succeeding their election. (f) The governing board shall adjust the boundaries of each trustee area in existence on January 1, 1992, to reflect population changes enumerated in the 1990 decennial federal census. The purpose of the adjustment is to establish trustee areas so that the population of each area is, as nearly as may be, the same proportion of the total population of the district as each of the other areas. Thereafter, the boundaries of trustee areas shall be adjusted pursuant to Section 5019.5 and may be abolished or rearranged as otherwise provided in this code. (g) Pursuant to Sections 5019 and 5030, the county committee on school district organization may propose to the district voters that the member residing in each trustee area be elected by the registered voters of that particular trustee area. The proposal shall be submitted to the voters of the district at the next regular general district election occurring at least 123 days after the adoption of the proposal by the county committee on school district organization. If that proposal is approved by a majority of the voters voting in the election, then notwithstanding subdivision (a), there shall be no direct primary election for governing board members at the next election for members. Instead, members shall be elected at a general district election held on the same day as the statewide general election. At that general district election, board member candidates shall be elected to represent the trustee area in which they reside and are registered to vote by the registered voters of that trustee area. The candidate in each trustee area receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72036. Section 72036.

Notwithstanding any other law, the governing board of a community college district may change election systems, in accordance with the provisions of this section and the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 14025) of Division 14 of the Elections Code), upon the adoption by the board of trustees of a resolution in support of electing the trustees in accordance with this section and upon the approval of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as follows: (a) The governing board of a community college district may establish elections by trustee areas. In establishing trustee areas, the territory of a district shall be divided into trustee areas, and one member of the governing board shall be elected from each trustee area. A candidate for election as a member of the governing board shall reside in, and be registered to vote in, the trustee area the candidate seeks to represent. The governing board shall set the initial boundaries of each trustee area to reflect substantially equal population in each district as enumerated in the most recent decennial federal census. Thereafter, the boundaries of trustee areas shall be adjusted pursuant to Section 5019.5, and may be abolished or adjusted as otherwise provided in this code. (b) The governing board of a community college district may establish a top-two primary election system. Candidates for election as a member of a governing board of a district shall be nominated by trustee area at a district primary election held on the date of the statewide direct primary election. At the district primary election, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes within the trustee area shall be nominees for the district general election for that trustee area, and the nominee who receives a majority of the votes cast by the voters of the trustee area in the district general election shall be elected to represent that trustee area. The district general election shall be held on the same date as the statewide general election. (c) The governing board of a community college district may determine the number of trustees pursuant to this subdivision. The governing board of a community college district shall be composed of not less than five members and not more than nine, as determined by the governing board. Sections 5019 to 5030, inclusive, do not apply to the governing board’s determination of the number of members pursuant to this subdivision. If the number of members of a governing board is increased or decreased, a governing board shall establish new trustee areas, abolish trustee areas, or adjust the boundaries of trustee areas so that the number of trustee areas is equal to the number of governing board members. If the number of members of a governing board is increased, the additional members of the governing board shall be elected at the next regular district general election of board members occurring at least 125 days after the governing board approved the increased number of board members. Before the next district general election, the governing board shall divide by lot the additional trustee area positions that are created so that the term of one-half of the board members elected to those positions shall expire on the first Friday in December following the next district general election. The term of the other board members elected to fill the remainder of the additional positions shall expire on the first Friday in December following the second district general election succeeding their election. (d) This section shall not apply to any community college district that has been authorized by statute to provide for its own trustee elections.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 72036.5. Section 72036.5.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the number of members, the election of members, and the reapportionment of trustee areas of the Governing Board of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District shall be provided for pursuant to this section and in accordance with the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 14025) of Division 14 of the Elections Code). (b) For purposes of this section, “district” means the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. (c) Candidates for election as a member of the governing board of the district shall be nominated by trustee area at a district primary election held on the date of the statewide direct primary election. At the district primary election, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes within the trustee area shall be nominees for the district general election for that trustee area, and the nominee who receives a majority of the votes cast by the voters of the trustee area in the district general election shall be elected to represent that trustee area. The district general election shall be held on the same date as the statewide general election. (d) Each member of the governing board elected at the district general election shall hold office for a term of four years commencing on the second Friday in December following the member’s election. (e) Candidates for election as members of the governing board shall do both of the following: (1) File a declaration of candidacy as provided in this code. (2) File nominating papers following the procedural and substantive requirements in Sections 10220 to 10227, inclusive, of the Elections Code, except to the extent those requirements conflict with the requirements of subdivision (c) or this paragraph. For the purposes of this paragraph, any reference to the city elections official in the Elections Code means the elections official of the county. Each candidate shall be proposed by not less than 40 nor more than 60 voters in a trustee area. (f) The territory of the district shall be divided into trustee areas and one member of the governing board shall be elected from each trustee area. A candidate for election as a member of the governing board of the district shall reside in, and be registered to vote in, the trustee area the candidate seeks to represent. (g) The governing board of the district shall be composed of not less than five members and not more than nine, as determined by the governing board. Sections 5019 to 5030, inclusive, do not apply to the governing board’s determination of the number of members pursuant to this subdivision. If the number of members of the governing board is increased or decreased, the governing board shall establish new trustee areas, abolish trustee areas, or adjust the boundaries of trustee areas so that the number of trustee areas is equal to the number of governing board members. If the number of members of the governing board is increased, the additional members of the governing board shall be elected at the next regular district general election of board members occurring at least 123 days after the governing board approved the increased number of board members. Prior to the next district general election, the governing board shall divide by lot the additional trustee area positions that are created so that the term of one-half of the board members elected to those positions shall expire on the second Friday in December following the next district general election. The term of the other board members elected to fill the remainder of the additional positions shall expire on the second Friday in December following the second district general election succeeding their election. (h) Boundaries for trustee areas established by a resolution of the governing board of the district or adopted by the county committee on school district organization prior to January 1, 2012, to reflect population changes enumerated in the 2010 decennial federal census shall be in effect when this section becomes operative. The boundaries of each trustee area shall be set so that the population of each area is, as nearly as may be, the same proportion of the total population of the district as each of the other areas. Thereafter, the boundaries of trustee areas shall be adjusted pursuant to Section 5019.5 and may be abolished or rearranged as otherwise provided in this code.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026