Santa Barbara Federation of Teachers, Local 1081 v. Santa Barbara High School District

In this appeal, two cases involving substantially identical facts and issues of law have been consolidated for consideration by this court. The appeal in both cases is from a judgment denying a petition for writ of mandate sought by the nominal appellant, Santa Barbara Federation of Teachers, Local 1081, on behalf of several individual petitioners (hereinafter petitioners) who are employees of the Santa Barbara School District in one case, and of the Santa Barbara High School District in the second case. Both school districts are governed by the same board of education (see Santa Barbara School District v. Superior Court (1975) 13 Cal.3d 315, 339-347 [ 118 Cal.Rptr. 637 , 530 P.2d 605 ]) and will be referred to hereinafter collectively as respondent.

Petitioners sought to compel respondent to grant them probationary status on the basis of their cumulative years of employment, allowing them to attain permanent status by tacking on their additional years of employment since the date of the petition. The issue on appeal is whether respondent’s classification of the petitioners as temporary employees for the school years 1974-1975, 1975-1976 and 1976-1977 was…