San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 3500
Position Control
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish a districtwide position control framework for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and the San Francisco County Office of Education (SFCOE) to support fiscal accountability, legal compliance, and transparent staffing practices.
A centralized position control framework ensures that all positions serving SFUSD and SFCOE are properly authorized, funded, and monitored, and that staffing decisions align with instructional, operational, and statutory responsibilities.
This policy affirms the Board of Education’s commitment to responsible stewardship of public resources across both the district and the county office of education, and to maintaining internal controls that support accurate budgeting, payroll integrity, and equitable allocation of staffing resources.
(cf. 0500 Accountability)
(cf. 0460 Local Control and Accountability Plan)
(cf. 3000 Concepts and Roles)
(cf. 3100 Budget)
(cf. 3460 Financial Reports and Accountability)
(cf. 4000 Personnel Concepts, Roles, and Organizational Personnel Policies)
Policy Statement
The Board is committed to establishing and maintaining internal controls that prevent the creation, modification, or filling of positions without proper authorization and budget verification. The Board further recognizes that accurate position data is critical for budget development, multi-year financial projections, payroll integrity, and compliance with the California Education Code.
(cf. 9000 Role of the Board)
The Superintendent or designee shall maintain a centralized position control system that serves as the official record of all authorized district positions. The system shall include, but not be limited to, each position’s classification, full-time equivalent (FTE), location, funding source, account code, status, and effective dates.
Requirements
The Superintendent or designee shall establish procedures to ensure that:
- A position may not be created, modified, or filled unless it has been approved, budgeted, and recorded in the district’s position control system.
- All position requests are reviewed for fiscal impact and funding availability prior to approval.
- Human Resources, Budget Services, Payroll, and the Position Control Office maintain consistent and reconciled data in accordance with district internal control practices.
- The district prevents and promptly corrects over-hiring, unauthorized positions, or misaligned funding allocations.
- Periodic reports on authorized, filled, and vacant positions are provided to the Board or its committees, as appropriate.
Implementation
The Superintendent or designee shall develop administrative regulations that define processes for position creation, modification, elimination, reconciliation, and reporting. These regulations shall align with Education Code requirements, collective bargaining agreements, district staffing plans, and the annual budget adoption process.
The Board expects all departments and sites to comply with districtwide position control requirements to ensure responsible fiscal management and support the district’s strategic goals.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
33127-33131 Standards and criteria for local budgets and expenditures
35020 Duties of employees fixed by governing board
35010 Control of District; prescription and enforcement of rules
35035 Powers and duties of Superintendent
35160-35185 Powers and Duties
42122-42129 Budget requirements
42130-42134 Financial certifications
42140-42141 Disclosure of fiscal obligations
42602 Use of unbudgeted funds
52060-52072 Local Control and Accountability Plan
GOVERNMENT CODE
3540-3549.3 Public education employer-employee relations
CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
15060 Standardized account code structure
15440-15451 Criteria and standards for school District budgets
15494-15497 Local Control and Accountability Spending Plan
UNITED STATES CODE
Title 20, 6312 Local Educational Agency Plan