Notwithstanding Section 20037, “final compensation” for the purposes of determining any pension or benefit with respect to a school member who retires or dies on or after January 1, 2000, and with respect to benefits based on service with a school employer, means the highest annual compensation that was earnable by the school member during the consecutive 12-month period of employment immediately preceding the effective date of his or her retirement or the date of his or her last separation from service if earlier or during any other period of 12 consecutive months
during his or her membership in this system that the member designates on the application for retirement.
Source:
Section 20035.5, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=20035.5..