FINAL BILL REPORT

                      HB 1176

                                 C 60 L 91

                            Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Specifying timing and voting on filling school board vacancies.

By Representatives Leonard, Holland, Peery, Brough, Cole, Forner, Rayburn, Vance, Brumsickle, Jones, Miller, Fuhrman, Phillips, Winsley, Paris and Betrozoff.

House Committee on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Background:  The procedure for filling a school board vacancy is as follows:

"In case of a vacancy from any cause on the board of directors of a school district ... a majority of the legally established number of board members shall fill such vacancy by appointment...."

Washington law does not specifically prohibit a school board member who has announced a resignation, thereby creating a vacancy, from voting on the selection of the successor to his or her position.  A recent court case in King County raised questions concerning a resigning board member's authority to vote on the selection of his successor.

Summary:  A school board director who has submitted a resignation may not vote on the selection of his or her replacement.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 96    0

Senate   43    0

Effective:     July 28, 1991