Cal. Education Code § 1317

(a) The county board of education shall adopt the merit system as provided in Article 6 (commencing with Section 45240) of Chapter 5 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2, and Article 3 (commencing with Section 88060) of Chapter 4 of Part 51 of Division 7 of Title 3, if the county has a merit (civil service) system in effect at the time of the adoption of this article as provided in Section 1310. (b) Notwithstanding Article 6 (commencing with Section 45240) of Chapter 5 of Part 25, any personnel commission in a county of the third class, as described in Section 2562, may, after a public hearing, and after consultation with all affected employee organizations, adopt a regulation providing for the appointment of one or more alternate members of the personnel commission. The appointment of any alternate member shall be with the concurrence of all affected employee organizations. Thereafter, an alternate may serve only in the absence of a regular commission member. (c) This section shall not apply to a county board of education which has been transferred specific duties and functions of the county board of supervisors pursuant to Section 1080 on or after June 1, 1977.