Los Angeles school and union officials are scrambling to decode the meaning of last minute legislation, Assembly Bill 114, that seems to grant California teachers protection against layoffs.
The measure emerged less than an hour before lawmakers approved it in a late-night session on Tuesday.
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Dean E. Vogel, president of the California Teachers Association said it provides stability for students and teachers.
Vogel said the bill would stem the tide of teacher job losses. As many as 30,000 teachers have lost their jobs statewide since the recession began.
Marla Eby, a spokeswoman for UTLA --the union that represents teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District --said her union is still trying to figure out what AB 114 means.
Officials at LAUSD are also scrambling to determine the impact of the new law.
The measure blocks K-12 districts from laying off teachers for the upcoming fiscal year.
It contains provisions requiring districts to ignore the possible trigger that could hit them if revenue projections prove to be too optimistic.
The state Department of Finance is interpreting this provision to mean some districts might even rescind pink slips issued earlier this year.
Some school officials around the state say the law will make it difficult to manage their finances while others said this was the first time they could recall the state ordering districts to assume a certain level of funding, which is a matter usually left to the districts themselves.
Another provision of Assembly Bill 114 would make the state liable for more than $2 billion in retroactive school funds if the voters turn down a measure on school funding that Governor Brown hopes to put on the November ballot.
It the measure does not get on the ballot, the state would still be liable for the money.
An LAUSD spokeswoman told NBC LA that the district has 45 days from when the governor signs the bill to implement it. That would be in August.
In the meantime, the district plans to review the measure and seek guidance from Los
Angeles County.
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy said he is very leery of the state budget and is waiting to see what is going to happen and whether the district will have to make mid-year cuts in personnel.
He said he would have to talk to state officials and seek legal counsel to advise the district on its options.
