(a) In each community college district, the governing board may make repairs, alterations, additions, or painting, repainting, or decorating upon school buildings, repair or build apparatus or equipment, make improvements on the school grounds, erect new buildings, and perform maintenance as defined in Section 20656 by day labor, or by force account, whenever the total number of hours on the job does not exceed 350 hours. Moreover, in any district whose number of full-time equivalent students is 15,000 or greater, the governing board may, in addition, make repairs to school buildings, grounds, apparatus, or equipment, including painting or repainting, and perform maintenance, as defined in Section 20656, by day labor or by force account whenever the total number of hours on the job does not exceed 750 hours, or when the cost of materials does not exceed twenty-one thousand dollars ($21,000).
(b) For purposes of this section, day labor shall include the use of maintenance personnel employed on a permanent or temporary basis.