No tenured employee shall be deprived of his or her position for causes other than those specified in Sections 87453, 87467, and 87484, and Sections 87732 to 87739, inclusive, and no probationary employee shall be deprived of his or her position for cause other than as specified in Section 87740 except in accordance with the provisions of Section 87463 and Sections 87743 to 87762, inclusive.

Whenever in any school year the average daily attendance in all of the schools of a district for the first six months in which school is in session shall have declined below the corresponding period of either of the previous two school years, or whenever a particular kind of service is to be reduced or discontinued not later than the beginning of the following school year, and when in the opinion of the governing board of the district it shall have become necessary by reason of either of these conditions to decrease the number of tenured employees in the district, the governing board may terminate the services of not more than a corresponding percentage of the employees of the district, tenured as well as probationary, at the close of the school year. However, the services of no tenured employee may be terminated under this section while any probationary employee, or any other employee with less seniority, is retained to render a service in a faculty service area in which the records of the district maintained pursuant to Section 87743.4 reflect that the tenured employee possesses the minimum qualifications prescribed by the board of governors and is competent to serve under district competency criteria.

Notice of the termination of services either for a reduction in attendance or reduction or discontinuance of a particular kind of service to take effect not later than the beginning of the following school year, shall be given before the 15th of May in the manner prescribed in Section 87740 and services of the employees shall be terminated in the inverse of the order in which they were employed, as determined by the board in accordance with Sections 87413 and 87414. In the event that a tenured or probationary employee is not given the notices and a right to a hearing as provided for in Section 87740, he or she shall be deemed reemployed for the ensuing school year.

The board shall make assignments and reassignments in a manner that employees shall be retained to render any service which their seniority and qualifications entitle them to render.

(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 973, Sec. 51.5. Operative July 1, 1990, pursuant to Sec. 70(d) of Ch. 973.)