Section 52124.

(a) A school district that implements a class size reduction program pursuant to this chapter is subject to this section.

(b) A school district may establish a program to reduce class size in kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive, and that program shall be implemented at each schoolsite according to the following priorities:

(1) If only one grade level is reduced at a schoolsite, the grade level shall be grade 1.

(2) If only two grade levels are reduced at a schoolsite, the grade levels shall be grades 1 and 2.

(3) If three grade levels are reduced at a schoolsite, then those grade levels shall be kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 or grades 1 to 3, inclusive. Priority shall be given to the reduction of class sizes in grades 1 and 2 before the class sizes of kindergarten or grade 3 are reduced.

(4) If four grade levels are reduced at a schoolsite, then those grade levels shall be kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive. First priority shall be given to the reduction of class sizes in grades 1 and 2, and second priority shall be given to the reduction of class size in kindergarten and grade 3. This paragraph shall be operative only in those fiscal years for which funds are appropriated expressly for the purposes of this paragraph.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature to continue to permit the use of combination classes of more than one grade level to the extent that school districts are otherwise permitted to use that instructional strategy. However, a school district that uses a combination class in a class for which funding is received pursuant to this chapter shall not claim funding pursuant to this chapter if the total number of pupils in the combination class, regardless of grade level, exceeds 20 pupils per certificated teacher assigned to provide direct instructional services.

(d) The governing board of a school district shall certify to the Superintendent that it has met the requirements of this section in implementing its class size reduction program. If a school district receives funding pursuant to this chapter but has not implemented its class size reduction program for all grades and classes for which it received funding pursuant to this chapter, the Superintendent shall notify the Controller and the school district in writing and the Controller shall deduct an amount equal to the amount received by the school district under this chapter for each class that the school district failed to reduce to a class size of 20 or fewer pupils from the next principal apportionment or apportionments of state funds to the district, other than basic aid apportionments required by Section 6 of Article IX of the California Constitution.

(e) Except for a school district participating pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 52122, and except as set forth in Section 52124.3, the amount deducted pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be adjusted as follows:

(1) Twenty percent of the amount to which the district would otherwise be eligible for each class for which the annual enrollment determined pursuant to Section 52124.5 is greater than or equal to 20.5 but less than 21.0.

(2) Forty percent of the amount to which the district would otherwise be eligible for each class for which the annual average enrollment determined pursuant to Section 52124.5 is greater than or equal to 21.0 but less than 21.5.

(3) Eighty percent of the amount to which the district would otherwise be eligible for each class for which the annual average enrollment determined pursuant to Section 52124.5 is greater than or equal to 21.5 but less than 21.9.

(4) The amount deducted pursuant to subdivision (d) for each class for which the annual average enrollment determined pursuant to Section 52124.5 is greater than or equal to 21.9 shall be the amount of funding the district received for the class pursuant to this chapter.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a school district located in the County of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, or Ventura may claim funding pursuant to this chapter for the 2003–04 school year based on enrollment counts before the October 2003 fires, in classes for which the class size reduction program is implemented, if the following criteria are met:

(1) The school district submits to the Superintendent a "Request for Allowance of Attendance because of Emergency Conditions" pursuant to Section 46392 and the emergency conditions were caused by the October 2003 fires.

(2) The school district certifies that it suffered a loss of enrollment in classes in which the class size reduction program is implemented and this loss of enrollment is due to the October 2003 fires and would result in a decrease in funding that the district receives pursuant to this chapter.

(g) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2014, and as of January 1, 2015, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2015, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative or is repealed.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 515, Sec. 1) by Stats. 2009, 3rd Ex. Sess., Ch. 12, Sec. 16. Effective February 20, 2009. Inoperative July 1, 2014. Repealed as of January 1, 2015, by its own provisions. See later operative version, as amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 515, Sec. 2.)