Barnes V. Seattle School District No. 1

A number of certificated administrative personnel of the Seattle School District received notices on June 4, 1975, of probable cause to adversely affect their teaching contracts for the 1975-76 school year. These notices informed them their status would be changed for the ensuing school term from their present contract status as administrators to that of teachers at severe reductions in salary, and stated this action was required by declining enrollment and an adverse emergency financial situation created by the failure of the 1976 special levy. The district's action was appealed to the Superior Court where these cases were consolidated. That court ruled adversely to the district and held, in ruling upon a motion for partial summary judgment, that the district's financial difficulties did not constitute probable cause to adversely affect the contract status of a certificated employee under the applicable statutes. The trial court reasoned that discharge or  adverse