Mountain Empire Unified School District

Important Dates:

• By January 1, 2024, a participating school district shall notify classified employees that the school district has elected to participate in the program for the 2024-25 school year. Once a school district elects to participate in the program and notifies classified employees, the school district is prohibited from reversing the decision.
• By March 1, 2024, a classified employee that elects to participate in the program shall notify the school district in writing, on a form prescribed by the CDE. To participate, the classified employee must meet certain eligibility criteria, specify amounts to be withheld up to 10 percent from their monthly paychecks, and choose to receive a payment during the 2025 summer recess period. Detailed eligibility requirements are described further below.
• By April 1, 2024, a participating school district shall notify the CDE that it elects to participate in the program, specify the number of classified employees that have elected to participate, and estimate the total amount to be withheld from participating classified employee paychecks for the 2024-25 school year.
• By June 1, 2024, a participating school district shall notify participating classified employees of the “estimated” amount of state match funding the employee can expect to receive as a result of participating in the program.
• During the 2024-25 school year, a participating school district shall withhold specified amounts from their participating classified employees' monthly paychecks. Participating employees are allowed to withdraw their election to participate in the CSESAP or reduce the amount of the withholding, by notifying the school district no later than September 1, after the start of the school year. In addition, a classified employee that separates from employment with the school district during the 2024-25 school year may request from the school district any pay withheld.

• On or before July 31, 2025, a participating school district shall request payment from the CDE on a form developed by the CDE for classified employee pay withheld. If the total amount requested by school districts exceeds the appropriated amount available for the CSESAP, the CDE will apply a proration accordingly.
• During summer recess in 2025, school districts must pay their classified employees the amounts withheld from their monthly paychecks plus the CSESAP match funds expected from the state, in one payment in accordance with the employee's selected payment option. The summer recess period may vary for each school district and is the period that regular class sessions are not being held by the school district during the month of July.
It is important to note that a classified employee must meet certain eligibility criteria as a condition of participation in the CSESAP:
• The employee must have been employed with the school district for at least one year at the time the employee elects to participate;
• The employee is employed by the school district in their regular assignment for 11 months or less, out of a 12-month period. For purposes of determining total months employed, the employing school district shall exclude any hours worked outside of the regular assignment; and
• The regular annual salary the classified employee receives directly from the school district is $62,400 or less for an entire school year, at the time of enrollment. For purposes of determining regular annual pay, exclude any pay received by the classified employee during the previous summer recess period. Pay earned by a classified employee with limited employment during the months of June, July, and August that is not for the summer session shall not be excluded.