Article 1. County Committees On School District Organization of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 1.

There is in each county, except a county which is also a city and county, a county committee on school district organization. The number of members of the county committee in each county shall be determined as provided in this article.

If all of the territory of a county under the jurisdiction of the county superintendent of schools of the county is included in one unified school district, the governing board of the unified school district shall constitute the county committee.

Except as provided in Section 4001, if there are fewer than six school districts or community college districts in the territory under the jurisdiction of the county superintendent of schools of the county, he or she shall determine the number of, and appoint, the members of the county committee.

In every county with six or more school districts or community college districts in the territory under the jurisdiction of the county superintendent of schools of the county, the county committee on school district organization shall have 11 members.

(a) If the number of school districts or community college districts in a county with six or more districts decreases to fewer than six, Section 4001 or 4002 shall apply, as appropriate.
  (b) If the number of school districts or community college districts in a county with fewer than six districts increases to six or more, Section 4003 shall apply.
  (c) Each member serving on a county committee when the number of school districts or community college districts changes as described in subdivision (a) or (b) shall serve out his or her term of office.

(a) The county superintendent of schools shall call an annual meeting of the representatives of the governing board of each school district, elected pursuant to Section 35023, and the representatives of the governing board of each community college district, elected pursuant to Section 72403. This annual meeting shall be held between October 1 and December 1.
  (b) The county superintendent of schools shall give notice of the annual meeting to the representatives of each governing board by prepaid mail addressed to the clerk or secretary of the governing board of each district. The notice shall be deemed sufficient and complete when deposited in the United States mail.

(a) Any vacancy created by the expiration of the term of office of a member of the county committee on school district organization shall be filled by the majority vote of the representatives of the governing boards at the annual meeting called and held pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4005. The county committee may authorize the representatives of the governing boards to vote, for this purpose, through the use of absentee ballots that are submitted, in the form and manner prescribed by the county committee, prior to the date set for the annual meeting.
  (b) If the representatives fail to elect members to fill the vacancies on the county committee pursuant to subdivision (a), the vacancies shall be filled by the county superintendent of schools.
  (c) Vacancies on the county committee which occur prior to the expiration of the term of office of a member of the county committee, which are caused by the happening of any of the events specified in Section 1770 of the Government Code, shall be filled as follows:
  (1) In a county in which the members of the county committee are appointed by the county superintendent of schools, by the appointment of the county superintendent of schools.
  (2) In a county in which the members of the county committee are elected by the representatives of the governing boards, by the majority vote of the remaining members of the committee. However, if the remaining members of the committee do not fill the vacancy within 70 days of its occurrence, the county superintendent of schools shall fill the vacancy by his or her appointment. Persons elected or appointed to fill a vacancy pursuant to this subdivision shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
  (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the allowance for absentee ballots will increase participation in the selection of county committees and will not diminish the public review of candidates for those county committees.

No county superintendent of schools, employee of the office of a county superintendent of schools, employee of a school district, or employee of a community college district shall be a member of the county committee. Any member of the governing board of a school district or community college district in the same or any other county who is otherwise eligible may simultaneously serve as a member of the county committee.

(a) At least two members of every county committee shall be elected from among the registered voters residing within each county supervisorial district in the county.
  (b) If any change in the boundaries of a county supervisorial district in the county affects an incumbent member of the county committee, the affected member shall serve the remainder of his or her term of office and succeeding county committees shall be elected in accordance with subdivision (a).

The term of each member of the county committee shall begin upon election pursuant to Section 4006 or upon appointment pursuant to Section 4002, as appropriate, and shall be for four years.

The members of the county committee shall serve without compensation. However, they shall receive reimbursement for any actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(a) The county counsel, or if there is no county counsel, the district attorney, may provide legal services to the county committee.
  (b) In any county in which the board of supervisors has transferred functions and duties to the county board of education pursuant to Section 1080 and the county board of education has agreed to include the expenses of the county committee in the single budget adopted pursuant to Section 1623 for which a county tax is levied, the county committee may appoint legal counsel in the same manner that the county superintendent of schools of that county may appoint counsel. The expenses of an appointment pursuant to this subdivision shall be a proper charge against the county school service fund.

Within 30 days after the election or appointment of the county committee, the county superintendent of schools shall call the first meeting of the county committee, for purposes of electing a committee chairperson and a committee vice chairperson from among the members of the committee. The county superintendent of schools shall serve as the secretary of the county committee.

Meetings of the county committee may be called by the chairperson, or by a quorum of the committee.

For purposes of this article, a majority of the members of county committee shall constitute a quorum.