Steele

Heretofore the petitioners were employed as probationary teachers by the Board of Trustees of the Pittsburg School District. Prior to the tenth day of June, 1931, the clerk of the district deposited in the mails of the United States written communications directed to the petitioners advising the petitioners that their services would not be needed during the ensuing year. Said letters were actually received by the petitioners prior to the tenth day of June, 1931. Claiming the dismissal to be ineffectual, the petitioners applied for a writ of mandate directing their reinstatement. The defendants answered and the application was presented to the trial court on an agreed statement of facts. The court made findings in favor of the defendants and from the judgment entered on the findings the petitioners have appealed.

In 1929 the provisions regarding schools were taken out of the Political Code and made into the School Code. At that time section 1609, subdivision (i), became sections 5.680-5.682; but the wording was not changed. Both parties in their briefs set forth the history of the statute involved. We have duly considered those parts of both briefs. Moreover, we have made a more…