Writing includes any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement, or record is required or authorized by this code, it shall be made in writing in the English language unless it is expressly provided otherwise.

Wherever any notice or other communication is required by this code to be mailed by registered mail by or to any person or corporation, the mailing of such notice or other communication by certified mail shall be deemed to be a sufficient compliance with the requirements of law.

“Section” means a section of this code unless some other statute is specifically mentioned.

The present tense includes the past and future tenses, and the future, the present.

The masculine gender includes the feminine.

“Spouse” includes “registered domestic partner,” as required by Section 297.5 of the Family Code.

The singular number includes the plural, and the plural, the singular.

“Shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive.

“Oath” includes affirmation.

“State” means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. In the latter case, it includes the District of Columbia and the territories.

“Governing board” means board of school trustees, community college board of trustees, and city, and city and county board of education.

“City superintendent of schools” includes the superintendent of schools of a district lying wholly or partly within a city and county.

“Any school district” and “all school districts” mean school districts of every kind or class, except a community college district.

“Union school district” means a district composed of two or more school districts situated in the same county.

“Joint union school district” means a district composed of two or more school districts situated wholly or in part in different counties.

A unified school district means a district maintaining grades kindergarten or 1 through 12. A unified district may comprise territory in more than one county.

“City school district” includes a school district lying wholly or partly within a city and county.

Whenever “high school district” is used in this code, unless a contrary intent appears, it includes union high school districts, joint union high school districts, and county high school districts.

A high school district, other than a city high school district, comprising two or more elementary school districts lying wholly in the same county is a union high school district, and such designation shall be part of its name.

A school district lying in more than one county is a joint school district.

“State Board” or “state board” whenever used in this code means the State Board of Education, unless the context requires otherwise.

The word “department” whenever used in this code, unless the context otherwise requires, means the State Department of Education.

With respect to the personnel of school districts and other educational agencies, the terms “certificated” and “certified” have the same meaning.

“World language” means any language other than English, including American Sign Language, and is synonymous with “foreign language.”

“County” or “counties” as used in Sections 2300, 12300 to 12307, inclusive, 41000 to 41964, inclusive, 42100 to 42128, inclusive, 46000 to 46392, inclusive, 84000 to 84850.5, inclusive, and 85000 to 85430, inclusive, whichever are in effect, includes a city and county.

Wherever, pursuant to this code, any state department, officer, board, agency, committee, or commission is authorized to adopt rules and regulations, such rules and regulations which are building standards, as defined in Section 18909 of the Health and Safety Code, shall be adopted pursuant to the provisions of Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code unless the provisions of Sections 18930, 18933, 18938, 18940, 18943, 18944, and 18945 of the Health and Safety Code are expressly excepted in the provision of this code under which the authority to adopt the specific building standard is delegated. Any building standard adopted in violation of this section shall have no force or effect. Any building standard adopted prior to January 1, 1980, pursuant to this code and not expressly excepted by statute from such provisions of the State Building Standards Law shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1985, or until adopted, amended, or superseded by provisions published in the State Building Standards Code, whichever occurs sooner.

“Frontier school district” means a school district that meets either of the following conditions:

“Superintendent” or “superintendent” whenever used in this code means the Superintendent of Public Instruction, unless the context requires otherwise.

“At-promise” has the same meaning as “at-risk,” as that term is generally understood, and consistent with federal law.

The term “emotional disturbance,” as defined in Section 300.8(c)(4) of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and used throughout this code and the California Code of Regulations, as that term relates to the provision of special education services, may also be known as “emotional disability” under state law.