SB 249 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

County boards of education: elections: consolidation.

Summary

The California Constitution requires the Legislature to provide for the appointment or election of the State Board of Education and a board of education in each county or for the election of a joint county board of education for 2 or more counties. Existing law requires the regular election to select governing board members in any school district, community college district, or county board of education to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year. Notwithstanding that requirement, after the initial election, any subsequent election of governing board members in any school district, community college district, or county board of education may be established, upon the adoption of an appropriate resolution by the governing board or the county board of education, to regularly occur on the same day as the statewide direct primary election, the statewide general election, or the general municipal election, as specified. This bill, notwithstanding any other law, and commencing January 1, 2026, would require any election for the elected members of a county board of education to instead be consolidated with the statewide general election. The bill would require the term of office of all incumbent elected members of a county board of education to be extended accordingly, and would require the county committee on school district organization to determine the manner in which the county board of education elected shall effect a staggering of terms, if necessary. By imposing additional duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would make conforming changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Tags: Elections

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Aug 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

Assembly Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action Aug 29, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/10/25 - Amended Senate → 04/30/25 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Apr 30, 2025

MODERATE

The April 30 amendment significantly simplifies SB 249 by removing the 'secondary education' framing entirely and mandating that all county board of education elections be consolidated with the statewide general election starting January 1, 2026, eliminating prior options for direct primary or same-date-as-school-district elections. The Elections Code provisions (Sections 1302 and 10404.5) were narrowed to apply only to school and community college districts, since county boards are now handled exclusively under the Education Code. A legislative intent statement about enacting subsequent secondary education legislation was also removed.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in two ways: (1) the 'secondary education' framing and related legislative intent statement were removed, and (2) the Elections Code provisions no longer cover county boards of education, which are now handled solely under the Education Code with a mandatory consolidation requirement rather than the prior flexible options.

SCOPE

The bill title changed from 'An act relating to secondary education' to simply 'An act,' and the digest removed 'Secondary education' as a topic, narrowing the stated purpose of the bill.

A final section stating 'It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to secondary education' was removed from the bill.

Section 1302 of the Elections Code no longer references county boards of education; it now applies only to school and community college districts, since county board elections are governed exclusively by the amended Education Code Section 1007.

Section 10404.5 of the Elections Code was narrowed to apply only to resolutions by governing boards of school districts, removing all references to county boards of education.

REQUIREMENT

Section 1007 was restructured so that county board of education elections must be consolidated with the statewide general election starting January 1, 2026. The prior option to hold elections on the same date as school district governing board elections (via direct primary or otherwise) was eliminated.

TECHNICAL

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' and state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the bill's new fiscal and mandate implications.

01/30/25 - Introduced → 03/10/25 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 10, 2025

MODERATE

SB 249 was transformed from a one-line placeholder expressing legislative intent to enact future secondary education legislation into a substantive bill that mandates consolidation of county board of education elections with the statewide general election starting January 1, 2026, and creates a framework for school districts and community college districts to consolidate their governing board elections with major state or municipal elections. The amendment adds six new sections amending the Education Code and Elections Code, extends terms of incumbent county board members, repeals an obsolete vacancy-filling provision, and establishes procedural requirements including board of supervisor approval and voter notification timelines.

SCOPE

The bill now mandates that all county board of education elections be consolidated with the statewide general election beginning January 1, 2026, replacing the prior system where they could be held on the same date as school district governing board elections or the direct primary.

The original one-line intent statement is retained but moved to the final section of the bill, now serving as a secondary purpose alongside the primary election consolidation framework.

REQUIREMENT

Adds a mechanism (Elections Code Section 1302(b)) allowing any school district, community college district, or county board of education to consolidate its election with the statewide primary, general, or municipal election upon adoption of a resolution approved by the board of supervisors.

Requires the county committee on school district organization to determine how county boards will stagger member terms after consolidation, and extends the terms of all incumbent county board members accordingly.

TIMELINE

Establishes that boards must submit consolidation resolutions at least 240 days before the currently scheduled election, the board of supervisors has 60 days to approve or deny, and the elections official must notify registered voters within 30 days of approval.

TECHNICAL

Repeals Education Code Section 1017, which provided a vacancy-filling mechanism for county board members whose terms expired in even-numbered years - made obsolete by the new consolidation requirements.

FISCAL

Adds a state mandate reimbursement provision (Section 6) requiring the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs mandated by the bill, as determined by the Commission on State Mandates.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 2, 2025

How they voted

27–10

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 40

Jun 2, 2025

D Democratic30

27 Yea 3

90% Yea

R Republican10

10 Nay

100% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

lower

Jul 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jul 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on ELECTIONS and ED.

lower

Jun 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 1391.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1193.) (May 23).

upper

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 3. Noes 1. Page 933.) (April 29).

upper

Apr 9, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E. & C.A. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 735.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Coms. on ED. and E. & C.A.

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors