Except as provided in Sections 5027 and 5028, in any school district or community college district having trustee areas, the county committee on school district organization and the registered voters of a district, pursuant to Sections 5019 and 5020, respectively, may at any time recommend one of the following alternate methods of electing governing board members:

(a) That each member of the governing board be elected by the registered voters of the entire district.

(b) That one or more members residing in each trustee area be elected by the registered voters of that particular trustee area.

(c) That each governing board member be elected by the registered voters of the entire school district or community college district, but reside in the trustee area which he or she represents.

The recommendation shall provide that any affected incumbent member shall serve out his or her term of office and that succeeding board members shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the method recommended by the county committee.

Whenever trustee areas are established in a district, provision shall be made for one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members.

In counties with a population of less than 25,000, the county committee on school district organization or the county board of education, if it has succeeded to the duties of the county committee, may at any time, by resolution, with respect to trustee areas established for any school district, other than a community college district, amend the provision required by this section without additional approval by the electors, to require one of the alternate methods for electing board members to be utilized.

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 350, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1993.)