ARTICLE 3. Officers and Agents [35020. - 35046.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 3.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35020. Section 35020.

The governing board of each school district shall fix and prescribe the duties to be performed by all persons in public school service in the school district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35021. Section 35021.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any person, except a person required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code, may be permitted by the governing board of any school district to perform the duties specified in Section 44814 or 44815, or to serve as a nonteaching volunteer aide under the immediate supervision and direction of the certificated personnel of the district to perform noninstructional work which serves to assist the certificated personnel in performance of teaching and administrative responsibilities. With respect to this noninstructional work, the nonteaching volunteer aide shall serve without compensation of any type or other benefits accorded to employees of the district, except as provided in Section 3364.5 of the Labor Code. (b) No district may abolish any of its classified positions and utilize volunteer aides, as authorized herein, in lieu of classified employees who are laid off as a result of the abolition of a position. A district shall not refuse to employ a person in a vacant classified position and use volunteer aides in lieu of filling the classified position. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature to permit school districts to use volunteer aides to enhance its educational program but not to permit displacement of classified employees nor to allow districts to utilize volunteers in lieu of normal employee requirements.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35021.1. Section 35021.1.

A school district or county office of education may request that a local law enforcement agency conduct an automated records check of a prospective nonteaching volunteer aide in order to ascertain whether the prospective nonteaching volunteer aide has been convicted of any sex offense as defined in Section 44010. A plea or verdict of guilty, a finding of guilt by a court in a trial without jury, or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere shall be deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this section. If the local law enforcement agency agrees to provide that automated records check, the results therefrom shall be returned to the requesting district or county office of education within 72 hours of the written request. A local law enforcement agency may charge a fee to the requesting agency not to exceed the actual expense to the law enforcement agency.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35021.2. Section 35021.2.

(a) When a school district or county office of education pursuant to Section 11105.3 of the Penal Code requests from the Department of Justice records involving criminal offenses committed by a prospective volunteer, the school district or county office of education may request that the Department of Justice provide subsequent arrest notification service pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code. The Department of Justice shall comply with a request made pursuant to this section. (b) This section also applies to a person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation offering or conducting private school instruction on the elementary or high school level that requests, pursuant to Section 11105.3 of the Penal Code, records involving criminal offenses committed by a prospective volunteer.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35021.3. Section 35021.3.

(a) A school district or a county office of education may establish a registry of volunteer after school physical recreation instructors and other before and after school program volunteers. (b) (1) To be included on a registry established pursuant to this section, a prospective registrant shall submit to a criminal background check pursuant to Section 45125. The prospective registrant shall also submit current contact information to the school district or county office maintaining the registry and shall update that information whenever the information changes. (2) A school, school district, or county office of education may contribute funds to pay for all or part of the cost of a criminal background check required of a prospective registrant pursuant to paragraph (1). (c) A school district or county office maintaining a registry may impose other requirements on prospective registrants, including, but not limited to, certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. (d) Upon approval of the person acting as the coordinator of, or overseeing, the after school activities of the school, a school under the jurisdiction of a school district or county office of education maintaining a registry may allow a volunteer registered with the school district or county office to provide instruction in physical recreation to pupils after school hours or provide other services. (e) This section does not require a school district or county office of education to establish or maintain a registry and does not require a school to use a volunteer from a registry to provide instruction in physical recreation to pupils after school hours or provide other services. (f) Instruction in physical recreation provided to a pupil by a volunteer pursuant to subdivision (d) shall not be counted toward satisfaction of either the physical education course requirements for graduation from high school pursuant to Section 51225.3 or the number of minutes of instruction in physical education required pursuant to Section 51210, 51222, or 51223, as applicable.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35021.5. Section 35021.5.

(a) The governing board of a school district may establish a school police reserve officer corps to supplement a police department established pursuant to Section 38000. Any person deputized by a school district as a school police reserve officer shall complete the training prescribed by Section 832.2 of the Penal Code. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to allow school districts to use volunteer school police reserve officers to the extent necessary to provide a safe and secure school environment.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35022. Section 35022.

Every school district governing board consisting of five or more members shall, at its initial meeting and at each annual meeting, elect a president from among its members.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35023. Section 35023.

The governing board of each school district of every kind or class shall annually at its initial meeting select one of its members as its representative who shall have one vote for each member to be elected to the county committee provided by Article 1 (commencing with Section 4000) of Chapter 1 of Part 3. The secretary or clerk of the district shall furnish the county superintendent of schools with a certificate naming the representative selected by the board.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35024. Section 35024.

The governing board of any school district may appoint an executive committee. In the case of a governing board which has appointed a clerk, the committee shall consist of the president, the clerk, and one other member of the board. In the case of a governing board which has not appointed a clerk the committee shall consist of the president and two members of the board. The committee shall attend to the routine business of the board. Its action shall be reported to the board for ratification at its first meeting ensuing.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35025. Section 35025.

The governing board of any school district may employ a person not a member of the board to act as secretary and bookkeeper for the board, and may delegate to such secretary the duties prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (c) of Section 35250.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35026. Section 35026.

The governing board of any school district employing eight or more teachers may employ a district superintendent for one or more schools and may delegate to the district superintendent any of the duties provided for in Section 35250.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35028. Section 35028.

A person shall not be eligible to hold a position as city superintendent, district superintendent, deputy superintendent, associate superintendent, or assistant superintendent of schools unless the person is the holder of both a valid school administration certificate and a valid teacher’s certificate, unless the person is employed as a deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent in a purely clerical capacity.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35029. Section 35029.

A local governing board may waive any credential requirement for the chief administrative officer of the school district under its jurisdiction. Any individual serving as the chief administrative officer of a school district who does not hold a credential may be required by the local governing board to pursue a program of in-service training conducted pursuant to guidelines approved by the commission. No individual serving as the chief administrative officer of a school district shall be subject to the provisions of the merit system specified in Article 6 (commencing with Section 45240) of Chapter 5 of Part 25 of this division or any other similar merit system.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35029.1. Section 35029.1.

Notwithstanding Section 35029, a local governing board shall not hire an individual for the position of chief administrative officer of the school district under its jurisdiction whose credential has been revoked by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing pursuant to Sections 44421 to 44427, inclusive.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35030. Section 35030.

No governing board or county superintendent of schools shall affix the title of deputy, associate or assistant superintendent to any position not defined by this code as a position requiring certification qualifications or which does not qualify under the provisions of Section 44065 as a position requiring certification qualifications; except that any such title may be assigned to the position of business manager or a related business position but such position shall not, if so designated, be deemed to be a position requiring certification qualifications nor shall the employee be deemed to be a certificated employee.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35031. Section 35031.

Any district superintendent of schools, or deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent of schools, may be elected for a term of no more than four years. The governing board of any school district, with the consent of the employee concerned, may at any time terminate, effective on the next succeeding first day of July, the term of employment of, and any contract of employment with, the superintendent of schools, or any associate, deputy, or assistant superintendent of schools of the district, and reelect or reemploy the employee, on those terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon by the board and the employee, for a new term to commence on the effective date of the termination of the existing term of employment. In the event the governing board of a school district determines the superintendent of schools of the district, or deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent of schools, or employee in the senior management of the classified service is not to be reelected or reemployed as such upon the expiration of his or her term, he or she shall be given written notice thereof by the governing board at least 45 days in advance of the expiration of his or her term. In the event the governing board of a district fails to reelect or reemploy the superintendent of schools of the district, or deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent of schools, or employee in the senior management of the classified service as such and the written notice herein provided for has not been given, he or she shall be deemed reelected for a term of the same length as the one completed, and under the same terms and conditions and with the same compensation. The notice requirements of Section 44951 shall not apply to persons to whom this section applies.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35032. Section 35032.

Notwithstanding Section 35031, the governing board of a school district may at any time during any school year increase the salaries of any district superintendent of schools and deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent of schools without terminating the term of employment of, and reelecting or reemploying, such employee and such increase may be effective on any date ordered by the governing board.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35033. Section 35033.

If a unified school district is formed pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4200) of Part 3, of Division 1 of Title 1 to include all the territory of one or more elementary school districts, the governing board of the unified district may elect and reelect as district superintendent of schools of the unified district, or as deputy, associate, or assistant superintendent of schools of the unified district, for a four-year term, a person employed as district superintendent of schools of one of such elementary school districts at the time of the formation of the unified school district. The person may perform service in the position for the unified district for the term to which he is elected or reelected without possessing the certification document otherwise required if he has served continuously as district superintendent of the elementary district for at least 10 years prior to the formation of the unified district and if he is elected as district superintendent of schools of the unified district or as deputy, associate or assistant superintendent of schools of the unified district pursuant to this section.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35034. Section 35034.

(a) Where the entire area of a county is included within one unified school district or where the entire area of a county is included within one unified school district except for the portions of the county that are included in a school district that is under the jurisdiction of the county superintendent of schools of another county, the county superintendent of schools may be employed as the superintendent of schools of the unified school district; provided he or she is the holder of a certification document authorizing him or her to perform those services. If a county superintendent of schools is employed as the superintendent of schools of a unified school district, he or she may be paid the salary, in addition to that provided by law for his office of county superintendent of schools, that he or she and the governing board of the unified school district may agree upon. (b) Any county superintendent of schools who was employed as a district superintendent of a unified school district on or before September 20, 1963, may continue to perform those services without possessing the certification document otherwise required so long as he or she remains continuously employed or reemployed in his or her position. (c) Where the entire area of a county is included within one unified school district except for the portions of the county that are included in a school district that is under the jurisdiction of the county superintendent of schools of another county, the person who was county superintendent of schools at the time the unified school district was formed may be employed as the superintendent of schools of the unified school district without possessing the certification document otherwise required so long as he or she remains continuously employed or reemployed in his or her position.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35035. Section 35035.

The superintendent of each school district shall, in addition to other powers and duties granted to or imposed upon him or her: (a) Be the chief executive officer of the governing board of the school district. (b) Except in a school district where the governing board has appointed or designated an employee other than the superintendent, or a deputy, or assistant superintendent, to prepare and submit a budget, prepare and submit to the governing board of the school district, at the time it may direct, the budget of the school district for the next ensuing school year, and revise and take other action in connection with the budget as the governing board of the school district may desire. (c) Be responsible for the preparation and submission to the governing board of the school district, at the time the governing board may direct, the local control and accountability plan of the school district for the subsequent school year, and revise and take other action in connection with the local control and accountability plan as the governing board of the school district may desire. (d) Except in a school district where the governing board has appointed or designated an employee other than the superintendent, or a deputy, or assistant superintendent, ensure that the local control and accountability plan is implemented. (e) Subject to the approval of the governing board of the school district, assign all employees of the school district employed in positions requiring certification qualifications to the positions in which they are to serve. This power to assign includes the power to transfer a teacher from one school to another school at which the teacher is certificated to serve within the school district when the superintendent concludes that the transfer is in the best interest of the school district. (f) Upon adoption by the school district board of a school district policy concerning transfers of teachers from one school to another school within the school district, have authority to transfer teachers consistent with that policy. (g) Determine that each employee of the school district in a position requiring certification qualifications has a valid certificated document registered as required by law authorizing him or her to serve in the position to which he or she is assigned. (h) Enter into contracts for and on behalf of the school district pursuant to Section 17604. (i) Submit financial and budgetary reports to the governing board of the school district as required by Section 42130.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35036. Section 35036.

(a) Notwithstanding subdivision (d) of Section 35035, the superintendent of a school district may not transfer a teacher who requests to be transferred to a school offering kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that is ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, on the Academic Performance Index if the principal of the school refuses to accept the transfer. (b) The governing board of a school district may not adopt a policy or regulation, or enter into a collective bargaining agreement, that assigns, after April 15 of the school year prior to the school year in which the transfer would become effective, priority to a teacher who requests to be transferred to another school over other qualified applicants who have applied for positions requiring certification qualification at the school. (c) The prohibitions in this section shall become operative on January 1, 2007. If the prohibitions in this section are in direct conflict with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement in effect on January 1, 2007, the prohibitions of this section shall become operative on the employees governed by that agreement upon its expiration.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35038. Section 35038.

In any district the governing board of which is required to elect a clerk, the superintendent of schools of the county shall appoint one of the members of the governing board to fill the office of district clerk if a clerk is not elected by the governing board on the date prescribed, or if, except as provided in Section 35039, a vacancy occurs in the position of district clerk.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35039. Section 35039.

If the clerk of the district refuses to perform the duties prescribed in Section 35250 or by the governing board, the board may at a regular meeting dismiss him and appoint another member clerk. It shall immediately notify the superintendent of schools of the county of its action.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35041. Section 35041.

Anything in a city, county, or city and county charter to the contrary notwithstanding, the governing board or boards of any school district may appoint an administrative adviser and fix and order paid his compensation. The duties of the administrative adviser are to render administrative advice to the superintendent of schools and to other officers and employees of the school district such other administrative duties as may be assigned by the superintendent of schools and the governing board of the district, and to assist the legal counsel of the district in the preparation and conduct of school district litigation. The employee shall have been admitted to practice law in the state, and shall not be required to have any certification qualifications.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35041.3. Section 35041.3.

(a) A governing board of a school district should, but is not required to, make every reasonable effort to appoint a selective service registrar for each high school. The selective service registrar may be an employee of the high school where he or she is appointed or a school volunteer who is 18 years of age or older. The duty of the selective service registrar is to help pupils subject to the federal Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.) enrolled in the high school register in accordance with that act. (b) A school district should, but is not required to, make every reasonable effort to inform pupils enrolled with the district who are subject to the federal Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.) of all of the following: (1) The importance of meeting one’s Selective Service obligations. (2) The consequences of not registering as required under the federal Military Selective Service Act. (3) How to register with the Selective Service.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35041.5. Section 35041.5.

Anything in a city, county, or city and county charter to the contrary notwithstanding, the governing board or boards of any school district may, in lieu of appointing an administrative advisor pursuant to Section 35041, or any county board of education or any county superintendent of schools may, appoint a legal counsel and fix and order paid the counsel’s compensation as an employee or as an independent contractor. The duties of the legal counsel may include rendering legal advice to the superintendent of schools, the county board of education, and to other officers and employees of the school district or districts and other administrative duties as may be assigned by the superintendent of schools, the county board of education, and the governing board of the district or governing boards of the districts, and serving as the legal counsel of the superintendent of schools, the county board of education, and the district or districts in the preparation and conduct of school district litigation and administrative proceedings, and rendering advice in relation to school bond and tax increase measures and prepare all legal papers and forms necessary for the voting of school bonds and tax increase measures in the district or districts. The legal counsel shall have been admitted to practice law in the state, and shall not be required to have any certification qualifications. The term “legal counsel” as used herein includes a solo practitioner, partnership, or a law corporation. The county board of education and the superintendent of schools of the same county shall appoint the same legal counsel.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35044. Section 35044.

The governing board of each school district shall provide for the payment of the traveling expenses of any representatives of the board when performing services directed by the board.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35045. Section 35045.

The governing board of any school district having an average daily attendance of 10,000 or more may appoint a director of school building planning, who shall be a person qualified by training, experience and demonstrated ability to manage the building, construction and contracting business of the district. The director shall be responsible for the coordination of the building program of the district and shall advise the superintendent of schools and other employees of the district with respect to the negotiation and performance of school building construction contracts let by the governing board of the school district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 35046. Section 35046.

(a) The governing board of a school district may award consultancy contracts to retired certificated employees of the school district or of the county superintendent of schools who have been employed by the school district or by the county superintendent of schools for at least 10 years and who are at least 55 years of age. (b) The governing board of a school district may enter into a contract with a retired certificated employee who has been employed by the school district or by the county superintendent of schools at least 10 years and who is at least 55 years of age whereby the retired employee is granted a consultancy contract with the school district, which contract is renewable on an annual basis for up to five years or until the retired employee reaches age 65, whichever comes first. (c) Persons hired by a consultancy contract as authorized by this section are considered employees and are subject to the earnings limitation provided in Section 23919.

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