California School Employees Ass'n v. Travis Unified School District

Defendant/appellant Travis Unified School District (District) appeals from a judgment issuing a peremptory writ of mandate on behalf of plaintiff/respondent California School Employees Association *246 (CSEA). At issue is the District’s obligation under Education Code section 44032 1 to reimburse school bus drivers for expenses they incur while transporting students to athletic events and on other field trips. We hold that section 44032 requires such reimbursement and affirm the judgment.

CSEA is the representative of the District’s noncertificated school employees, among whom are school bus drivers. The drivers filed reimbursement claims for meals taken during overtime and weekend trips they made for the District. Initially the District paid the claims, but later denied them and recouped the money by deducting it from the claimants’ paychecks. CSEA appealed the denial of the claims to the Governing Board of the District, but the Board denied the appeal, taking the position “that the subject of meal reimbursement for school bus drivers while on duty is a matter related to wages and therefore subject to negotiation between the parties. ... It was the intent of the…