(a) (1) After January 1, 2001, the classified employees of any school district that has already adopted this article on September 17, 1965, may, in accordance with this article, petition the governing board to request that the process to determine how personnel commission members are appointed be determined by a majority vote of the classified employees entitled to vote. That petition shall read substantially as follows:

“We, the undersigned classified employees of the ____________ (name of school district), constituting 15 percent or more of the classified personnel entitled to vote, request the governing board to submit to an election the question of how personnel commission members shall be appointed.NAME ____ POSITION CLASSIFICATION _____________”

(2) “Classified employee,” as used in this section, shall be construed to include all personnel who are a part of the classified service as defined in Section 45103.

(b) (1) Within 90 days after receipt of a petition pursuant to subdivision (a), the governing board shall conduct an election by secret ballot of its classified personnel to determine the following question and the ballot shall read:

“Shall personnel commission members in the ____________ (name of school district) be appointed as follows:

(A) One member appointed by the governing board of the district.

(B) One member appointed by the classified employees of the district.

(C) Those two members shall, in turn, appoint the third member.____ Yes____ No”

(2) Although the ballot conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not require the employees’ signatures or other personal identifying requirements, the governing board shall devise an identification system to ensure against fraud in the balloting process.

(3) The governing board shall appoint a three- to five-person tabulating committee. At least one member of the committee shall be a member of the governing board, to canvass the ballots and present the results to the governing board and one member shall be a classified employee nominated by the exclusive representative of the classified employees of the district. If a simple majority votes in favor of the process for appointing personnel commission members, that process shall become applicable in the district as follows:

(A) The first vacancy on the commission shall be filled by a person nominated by the classified employees of the district.

(B) The second vacancy on the commission shall be filled by a person appointed by the governing board of the district.

(C) The third vacancy of the commission shall be appointed by the first two members.

(4) If the ballot conducted pursuant to paragraph (2) fails to pass, personnel commission members shall be appointed in accordance with the procedure described in subdivision (c), and a petition by the classified employees for another election shall not occur sooner than two years after an election.

(c) (1) Subject to subdivisions (a) and (b), in a school district that has already adopted this article on September 17, 1965, members of the personnel commission shall be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction who shall consider the recommendation of the governing board and other interested parties. Subsequent appointments shall be made in accordance with this section.

(2) No later than 90 days before making the appointment, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify the classified employees and the governing board, in writing, of the vacancy on the personnel commission and provide them with guidelines and procedures for making a recommendation and challenging a nomination. If a vacancy occurs during the term of a member of the personnel commission, the superintendent may appoint a new member after providing the foregoing notice no later than 30 days before making the appointment.

A commissioner whose term has expired may continue to discharge the duties of the office until a successor is appointed but for no more than 90 calendar days.

(d) As used in this section, “classified employees” means an organization of classified employees that represents the greatest number of classified employees of the district as determined by the board. If no organization exists within the district, the governing board, by written rule, shall prescribe the method by which the recommendation is to be made by its classified employees.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 488, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.)