Washington
West's RCWA 28A.315.030
WEST'S REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON ANNOTATED
TITLE 28A. COMMON SCHOOL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 28A.315. ORGANIZATION AND REORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS
§ 28A.315.030. County regional committee members--Assignment of committee member position numbers
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, the term of office of each regional committee member and position shall expire as of the second Monday of January 1995. Each regional committee member position shall therefore be open for election purposes in 1994. Members of each regional committee shall be elected by majority vote and shall serve for the staggered terms of office set forth in > RCW 28A.315.080 and until their successors are certified as elected pursuant to > RCW 28A.315.060. Regional committee member position numbers shall be assigned by the educational service district superintendent for purposes of all elections held pursuant to > RCW 28A.315.060.
West's RCWA 28A.315.040
§ 28A.315.040. Regional committees--Created
There is hereby created in each educational service district a committee which shall be known as the regional committee on school district organization, which committee shall be composed of not less than seven nor more than nine registered voters of the educational service district, the number to correspond with the number of board member districts established for the governance of the educational service district in which the regional committee is located. One member of the regional committee shall be elected from the registered voters of each such educational service district board member district.
West's RCWA 28A.315.050
§ 28A.315.050. Regional committees--Membership limitation
Persons possessing the status of any of the following positions shall not be eligible to be a member of a regional committee: The superintendent of public instruction, a member of the state board of education, an educational service district superintendent, a member of a board of directors of a school district, a member of an educational service district board, a member of a governing board of either a private school or a private school district which conducts any grades kindergarten through twelve, officers appointed by any such governing board, and employees of a school district, an educational service district, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, a private school, or a private school district.
West's RCWA 28A.315.060
§ 28A.315.060. Regional committees--Election of members--Qualifications
The members of each regional committee shall be elected in the following manner:
(1) On or before the 25th day of September, 1994, and not later than the 25th day of September of every subsequent even-numbered year, each superintendent of an educational service district shall call an election to be held in each educational service district within which resides a member of a regional committee whose term of office expires on the second Monday of January next following, and shall give written notice thereof to each member of the board of directors of each school district in the educational service district. Such notice shall include instructions, and the rules and regulations established by the state board of education for the conduct of the election. The state board of education is hereby empowered to adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW which establish standards and procedures which the state board deems necessary to conduct elections pursuant to this section; to conduct run-off elections in the event an election for a position is indecisive; and to decide run-off elections which result in tie votes, in a fair and orderly manner.
(2) Candidates for membership on a regional committee shall file a declaration of candidacy with the superintendent of the educational service district wherein they reside. Declarations of candidacy may be filed by person or by mail not earlier than the 1st day of October, and not later than the 15th day of October of each even-numbered year. The superintendent may not accept any declaration of candidacy that is not on file in his or her office or not postmarked before the 16th day of October, or if not postmarked or the postmark is not legible, if received by mail after the 20th day of October of each even- numbered year.
(3) Each member of the regional committee shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for all candidates for the position by the members of the boards of directors of school districts in the educational service district. All votes shall be cast by mail ballot addressed to the superintendent of the educational service district wherein the school director resides. No votes shall be accepted for counting if postmarked after the 16th day of November or if not postmarked or the postmark is not legible, if received by mail after the 21st day of November of each even-numbered year. An election board comprised of three persons appointed by the board of the educational service district shall count and tally the votes not later than the 25th day of November or the next business day if the 25th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday of each even-numbered year. Each vote cast by a school director shall be recorded as one vote. Within ten days following the count of votes, the educational service district superintendent shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction the name or names of the person(s) elected to be members of the regional committee.
(4) In the event of a change in the number of educational service districts or in the number of educational service district board members pursuant to chapter 28A.310 RCW a new regional committee shall be elected for each affected educational service district at the next election conducted pursuant to this section. Those persons who were serving on a regional committee within an educational service district affected by a change in the number of districts or board members shall continue to constitute the regional committee for the educational service district within which they are registered to vote until the majority of a new board has been elected and certified.
(5) No member of a regional committee shall continue to serve thereon if he or she ceases to be a registered voter of the educational service district board member district or if he or she is absent from three consecutive meetings of the committee without an excuse acceptable to the committee.
West's RCWA 28A.315.070
§ 28A.315.070. Regional committees--Vacancies, filling of
In case of a vacancy from any cause on a regional committee, the remaining members of the committee shall fill such vacancy by appointment pursuant to a majority vote of the remaining members: Provided, That should there exist fewer members on a regional committee than constitutes a majority of the legally established committee member positions, the educational service district board members of the district in which the committee is located, by the vote of a majority of the members in its legally established number of board member positions, shall appoint a sufficient number of committee members to constitute a legal majority on the committee. Appointees to fill vacancies shall meet the requirements provided by law for committee members and shall serve until the next regular election for members of regional committees at which time a successor shall be elected for the balance of the unexpired term.
West's RCWA 28A.315.080
§ 28A.315.080. Regional committees--Terms of members
The terms of members of the regional committees shall be for four years and until their successors are certified as elected. For the 1994 election conducted pursuant to > RCW 28A.315.030 and the election of a new regional committee following a change in the number of educational service districts or board members, regional committee member positions one, three, five, seven, and nine shall be for a term of two years, positions two, four, six, and eight shall be for a term of four years.
West's RCWA 28A.315.090
§ 28A.315.090. Regional committees--Members' expenses reimbursed
Members of each regional committee shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
West's RCWA 28A.315.380
§ 28A.315.380. Joint school districts--Administration--County to which joint school district considered as belonging
For all purposes essential to the maintenance, operation, and administration of the schools of a district, including the apportionment of current state and county school funds, the county in which a joint school district shall be considered as belonging shall be as designated by the state board of education. Prior to making such designation, the state board of education shall hold at least one public hearing on the matter, at which time the recommendation of the joint school district shall be presented and, in addition to such recommendation, the state board shall consider the following prior to its designation:
(1) Service needs of such district;
(2) Availability of services;
(3) Geographic location of district and servicing agencies; and
(4) Relationship to contiguous school districts.
West's RCWA 28A.315.390
§ 28A.315.390. Joint school districts--Special rules for electors voting for directors
The registered voters residing within a joint school district shall be entitled to vote on the office of school director of their district.
Jurisdiction of any such election shall rest with the county auditor of the county administering such joint district as provided in > RCW 28A.315.380.
At each general election, or upon approval of a request for a special election as provided for in > RCW 29.13.020, such county auditor shall:
(1) See that there shall be at least one polling place in each county;
(2) At least twenty days prior to the elections concerned, certify in writing to the superintendent of the school district the number and location of the polling places established by such auditor for such regular or special elections; and
(3) Do all things otherwise required by law for the conduct of such election.
It is the intention of this section that the qualified electors of a joint school district shall not be forced to go to a different polling place on the same day when other elections are being held to vote for school directors of their district.
West's RCWA 28A.315.400
§ 28A.315.400. Joint school districts--Directors--Vacancies
A vacancy in the office of director of a joint district shall be filled in the manner provided by > RCW 28A.315.530 for filling vacancies, such appointment to be valid only until a director is elected and qualified to fill such vacancy at the next regular district election.
West's RCWA 28A.315.450
§ 28A.315.450. Directors--Elections--Terms--Number
The governing board of a school district shall be known as the board of directors of the district.
Unless otherwise specifically provided, as in > RCW 29.13.060, each member of a board of directors shall be elected by ballot by the registered voters of the school district and shall hold office for a term of four years and until a successor is elected and qualified. Terms of school directors shall be staggered, and insofar as possible, not more than a majority of one shall be elected to full terms at any regular election. In case a member or members of a board of directors are to be elected to fill an unexpired term or terms, the ballot shall specify the term for which each such member is to be elected.
Except for a school district of the first class having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more which shall have a board of directors of seven members, the board of directors of every school district of the first class or school district of the second class shall consist of five members.
West's RCWA 28A.315.460
§ 28A.315.460. Directors--First class districts having city with population of 400,000 people or more--Terms
After July 1, 1979, the election of directors of any first class school district having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more, shall be to four year terms. The initial four year terms required by this section shall commence upon the expiration of terms in existence at July 1, 1979. Nothing in this amendatory act > [FN1] shall affect the term of office of any incumbent director of any such first class school district.
West's RCWA 28A.315.490
§ 28A.315.490. Directors--Elected when--Qualifications
Directors of school districts shall be elected at regular school elections. No person shall be eligible to the office of school director who is not a citizen of the United States and the state of Washington and a registered voter of either the school district or director district, as the case may be.
West's RCWA 28A.315.530
§ 28A.315.530. Directors--Filling vacancies
(1) In case of a vacancy from any cause on the board of directors of a school district other than a reconstituted board resulting from reorganized school districts, a majority of the legally established number of board members shall fill such vacancy by appointment: Provided, That should there exist fewer board members on the board of directors of a school district than constitutes a majority of the legally established number of board members, the educational service district board members of the district in which the school district is located by the vote of a majority of its legally established number of board members shall appoint a sufficient number of board members to constitute a legal majority on the board of directors of such school district; and the remaining vacancies on such board of directors shall be filled by such board of directors in accordance with the provisions of this section: Provided further, That should any board of directors for whatever reason fail to fill a vacancy within ninety days from the creation of such vacancy, the members of the educational service district board of the district in which the school district is located by majority vote shall fill such vacancy.
(2) Appointees to fill vacancies on boards of directors of school districts shall meet the requirements provided by law for school directors and shall serve until the next regular school district election, at which time a successor shall be elected for the unexpired term.
(3) If a vacancy will be created by a board member who has submitted a resignation, that board member may not vote on the selection of his or her replacement.
West's RCWA 28A.315.540
§ 28A.315.540. Directors--Compensation--Waiver
Each member of the board of directors of a school district may receive compensation of fifty dollars per day or portion thereof for attending board meetings and for performing other services on behalf of the school district, not to exceed four thousand eight hundred dollars per year, if the district board of directors has authorized by board resolution, at a regularly scheduled meeting, the provision of such compensation. A board of directors of a school district may authorize such compensation only from locally collected excess levy funds available for that purpose, and compensation for board members shall not cause the state to incur any present or future funding obligation.
Any director may waive all or any portion of his or her compensation under this section as to any month or months during his or her term of office, by a written waiver filed with the district as provided in this section. The waiver, to be effective, must be filed any time after the director's election and before the date on which the compensation would otherwise be paid. The waiver shall specify the month or period of months for which it is made.
The compensation provided in this section shall be in addition to any reimbursement for expenses paid to such directors by the school district.
West's RCWA 28A.315.550
§ 28A.315.550. Directors--Number and terms of in new second class districts
Upon the establishment of a new school district of the second class, the directors of the old school districts who reside within the limits of the new district shall meet at the call of the educational service district superintendent and shall constitute the board of directors of the new district. If fewer than five such directors reside in any such new second class school district, they shall become directors of said district, and the educational service district board shall appoint the number of additional directors required to constitute a board of five directors for the new second class district. Vacancies once such a board has been reconstituted shall not be filled unless the number of remaining board members is less than five in a second class district, and such vacancies shall be filled in the manner otherwise provided by law.
Each board of directors so constituted shall proceed at once to organize in the manner prescribed by law and thereafter shall have all the powers and authority conferred by law upon boards of directors of other districts of the same class. Each initial director shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified: Provided, That the election of the successor shall be held during the second district general election after the initial directors have assumed office. At such election, no more than five directors shall be elected either at large or by director districts, as the case may be, two for a term of two years and three for a term of four years. Directors thereafter elected and qualified shall serve such terms as provided for in > RCW 28A.315.450.
West's RCWA 28A.315.570
§ 28A.315.570. Directors--Terms in certain first class districts to be staggered
Any first class school district having a board of directors of five members as provided in > RCW 28A.315.450 and which elects directors for a term of six years under the provisions of > RCW 29.13.060 shall cause the office of at least one director and no more than two directors to be up for election at each regular school district election held hereafter and, except as provided in > RCW 28A.315.680, any first class school district having a board of directors of seven members as provided in > RCW 28A.315.450 shall cause the office of two directors and no more than three directors to be up for election at each regular school district election held hereafter.
West's RCWA 28A.315.600
§ 28A.315.600. Directors--Number and terms of in first class districts containing no former first class district
Upon the establishment of a new school district of the first class as provided for in > RCW 28A.315.580 containing no former first class district, the directors of the old school districts who reside within the limits of the new district shall meet at the call of the educational service district superintendent and shall constitute the board of directors of the new district. If fewer than five such directors reside in such new district, they shall become directors of said district and the educational service district board shall appoint the number of additional directors to constitute a board of five directors for the district. Vacancies, once such a board has been reconstituted, shall not be filled unless the number of remaining board members is less than five, and such vacancies shall be filled in the manner otherwise provided by law.
Each board of directors so constituted shall proceed at once to organize in the manner prescribed by law and thereafter shall have all the powers and authority conferred by law upon boards of directors of first class school districts until the next regular school election in the district at which election their successors shall be elected and qualified. At such election no more than five directors shall be elected either at large or by director districts, as the case may be, two for a term of two years and three for a term of four years: Provided, That if such first class district is in a county with a population of two hundred ten thousand or more and contains a city of the first class, two directors shall be elected for a term of three years and three directors shall be elected for a term of six years.
West's RCWA 28A.315.610
§ 28A.315.610. Directors--Number and terms of in first class districts containing only one former first class district
Upon the establishment of a new school district of the first class as provided for in > RCW 28A.315.580 containing only one former first class district, the directors of the former first class district and two directors representative of former second class districts selected by a majority of the board members of former second class districts shall meet at the call of the educational service district superintendent and shall constitute the board of directors of the new district. Vacancies, once such a board has been reconstituted, shall not be filled unless the number of remaining board members is less than five, and such vacancies shall be filled in the manner otherwise provided by law.
Each board of directors so constituted shall proceed at once to organize in the manner prescribed by law and thereafter shall have all the powers and authority conferred by law upon boards of directors of first class school districts until the next regular school election in the district at which election their successors shall be elected and qualified. At such election no more than five directors shall be elected either at large or by director districts, as the case may be, two for a term of two years and three for a term of four years: Provided, That if such first class district is in a county with a population of two hundred ten thousand or more and contains a city of the first class, two directors shall be elected for a term of three years and three directors shall be elected for a term of six years.
West's RCWA 28A.315.620
§ 28A.315.620. Directors--Number and terms of in first class districts containing more than one former first class district
Upon the establishment of a new school district of the first class as provided for in > RCW 28A.315.580 containing more than one former first class district, the directors of the largest former first class district and three directors representative of the other former first class districts selected by a majority of the board members of the former first class districts and two directors representative of former second class districts selected by a majority of the board members of former second class districts shall meet at the call of the educational service district superintendent and shall constitute the board of directors of the new district. Vacancies once such a board has been reconstituted shall not be filled unless the number of remaining board members is less than seven, and such vacancies shall be filled in the manner otherwise provided by law.
Each board of directors so constituted shall proceed at once to organize in the manner prescribed by law and thereafter shall have all of the powers and authority conferred by law upon boards of first class districts until the next regular school election and until their successors are elected and qualified. At such election other than districts electing directors for six-year terms as provided in > RCW 29.13.060, as now or hereafter amended, five directors shall be elected either at large or by director districts, as the case may be, two for a term of two years and three for a term of four years. At such election for districts electing directors for six years other than a district having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more and electing directors for six year terms, five directors shall be elected either at large or by director districts, as the case may be, one for a term of two years, two for a term of four years, and two for a term of six years.
West's RCWA 28A.315.630
§ 28A.315.630. Directors--Number and terms of in new first class district having city with population of 400,000 people or more
Upon the establishment of a new school district of the first class having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more, the directors of the largest former first class district and three directors representative of the other former first class districts selected by a majority of the board members of the former first class districts and two directors representative of former second class districts selected by a majority of the board members of former second class districts shall meet at the call of the educational service district superintendent and shall constitute the board of directors of the new district. Each board of directors so constituted shall proceed at once to organize in the manner prescribed by law and thereafter shall have all the powers and duties conferred by law upon boards of first class districts, until the next regular school election and until their successors are elected and qualified. Such duties shall include establishment of new director districts as provided for in > RCW 28A.315.670. At the next regular school election seven directors shall be elected by director districts, two for a term of two years, two for a term of four years and three for a term of six years. Thereafter their terms shall be as provided in > RCW 28A.315.460.
Vacancies once such a board has been reconstituted shall not be filled unless the number of remaining board members is less than seven, and such vacancies shall be filled in the manner otherwise provided by law.
West's RCWA 28A.315.650
§ 28A.315.650. Directors--Terms specified for directors in divided districts whose terms are not the same
Whenever all directors to be elected in a school district that is divided into directors' districts are not all to be elected for the same term of years, the county auditor, prior to the date set by law for filing a declaration of candidacy for the office of director, shall determine by lot the directors' districts from which directors shall be elected for a term of two years and the directors' districts from which directors shall be elected for a term of four years. In districts with a combination of directors' districts and directors at large, the county auditor shall determine the terms of office in such a manner that two-year terms and four-year terms are distributed evenly to the extent possible between the director district and at large positions. Each candidate shall indicate on his or her declaration of candidacy the directors' district from which he or she seeks to be elected or whether the candidate is seeking election as a director at large.
West's RCWA 28A.315.670
§ 28A.315.670. Directors' districts in first class districts having city with population of 400,000 people or more--Boundaries--Director candidate eligibility--Declaration of candidacy--Primary limited to voters within district--Terms of directors
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district of the first class having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more shall be divided into seven director districts. The boundaries of such director districts shall be established by the members of the school board, such boundaries to be established so that each such district shall comply, as nearly as practicable, with the criteria established in > RCW 29.70.100. Boundaries of such director districts shall be adjusted by the school board following the procedure established in > RCW 29.70.100 after each federal decennial census if population change shows the need thereof to comply with the criteria of > RCW 29.70.100. No person shall be eligible for the position of school director in any such director district unless such person resides in the particular director district. Residents in the particular director district desiring to be a candidate for school director shall file their declarations of candidacy for such director district and for the position of director in that district and shall be voted upon, in any primary required to be held for the position under Title 29 RCW, by the registered voters of that particular director district. In the general election, each position shall be voted upon by all the registered voters in the school district. The order of the names of candidates shall appear on the primary and general election ballots as required for nonpartisan positions under Title 29 RCW. Except as provided in > RCW 28A.315.680, every such director so elected in school districts divided into seven director districts shall serve for a term of four years as otherwise provided in > RCW 28A.315.460.