Article 10. Bilingual Office Employees of California Education Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 25. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 10.

The Legislature hereby finds that when a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 has a substantial number of pupils who, together with their parents or guardians, speak a single primary language other than English, and does not have in its employ one or more bilingual employees fluent in both English and the primary language of such pupils and their parents or guardians, a serious educational disadvantage results for the pupils. Effective communication between the school authorities and both the affected pupils and their parents and guardians is absolutely essential to an effective educational program. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to remove some of the barriers that face pupils who, together with their parents or guardians, speak a single primary language other than English, and to provide them, through more effective communication, with the most beneficial education possible from the public elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools of this state.

When at least 15 percent of the pupils enrolled in a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 speak a single primary language other than English, the governing board of the school district in which such school is located shall hire a bilingual person for the administrative office of each such school, as soon as a position is available as provided by Section 45403, to serve as a bilingual community liaison person or a paraprofessional, clerical, or other qualified employee of each such school, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 45100) of this part, who is fluent in both English and in the primary language spoken by such pupils and their parents or guardians.

The bilingual person employed pursuant to this article shall have as a principal function the communication with parents or guardians of such students in the primary language of the parents or guardians. The governing board of the school district may make additional, reasonable assignments of duties for such bilingual employees.

This article shall not be construed as requiring school districts to replace existing classified personnel or to employ additional classified personnel. However, in any case in which additional classified positions are added to the administrative staff of a school which does not already employ a person as described in Section 45401, or if a vacancy is to be filled in a classified position in the administrative staff of such a school, the provisions of Section 45401 shall be adhered to in filling such position.