When a local plan for the education of individuals with exceptional needs is developed or revised pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 56195) of Part 30, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) Whenever any certificated employee, who is performing service for one employer, is terminated, reassigned, or transferred, or becomes an employee of another employer because of the reorganization of special education programs pursuant to Chapter 797 of the Statutes of 1980, the employee shall be entitled to the following:

(1) The employee shall retain the seniority date of his or her employment with the district or county office from which he or she was terminated, reassigned, or transferred, in accordance with Section 44847. In the case of termination, permanent employees shall retain the rights specified in Section 44956 or, in the case of probationary employees, Sections 44957 and 44958, with the district or county office initiating the termination pursuant to Section 44955.

(2) The reassignment, transfer, or new employment caused by the reorganization of special education programs pursuant to Chapter 797 of the Statutes of 1980, shall not affect the seniority or classification of certificated employees already attained in any school district that undergoes the reorganization. These employees shall have the same status with respect to their seniority or classification, with the new employer, including time served as probationary employees. The total number of years served as a certificated employee with the former district or county office shall be credited, year for year, for placement on the salary schedule of the new district or county office.

(b) All certificated employees providing service to individuals with exceptional needs shall be employed by a county office of education or an individual school district. Special education local plan areas or responsible local agencies resulting from local plans for the education of individuals with exceptional needs formulated in accordance with Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000) shall not be considered employers of certificated personnel for purposes of this section.

(c) Subsequent to the reassignment or transfer of any certificated employee as a result of the reorganization of special education programs, pursuant to Chapter 797 of the Statutes of 1980, that employee shall have priority, except as provided in subdivision (d), in being informed of and in filling certificated positions in special education in the areas in which the employee is certificated within the district or county office by which the certificated employee is then currently employed. This priority shall expire 24 months after the date of reassignment or transfer, and may be waived by the employee during that time period.

(d) A certificated employee who has served as a special education teacher in a district or county office and has been terminated from his or her employment by that district or county office pursuant to Section 44955, shall have first priority in being informed of and in filling vacant certificated positions in special education, for which the employee is certificated and was employed, in any other county office or school district that provides the same type of special education programs and services for the pupils previously served by the terminated employee. For a period of 39 months for permanent employees and 24 months for probationary employees from the date of termination, the employee shall have the first priority right to reappointment as provided in this section, if the employee has not attained the age of 65 years before reappointment.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 854, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1998.)