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AN ACT Relating to school district board of directors' terms of office; amending RCW 28A.315.450, 28A.315.570, 28A.315.620, and 28A.315.680; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.315.670; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 28A.315.460 and 29.13.060.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.315.450 and 1991 c 363 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:

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.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.315.570 and 1990 c 33 s 318 are each amended to read as follows:

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.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.315.620 and 1991 c 363 s 26 are each amended to read as follows:

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.))

Sec. 4. RCW 28A.315.670 and 1991 c 363 s 28 and 1991 c 288 ss 5, 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

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~~)).

Sec. 5. RCW 28A.315.680 and 1995 c 335 s 106 are each amended to read as follows:

The school boards of any school district of the first class having within its boundaries a city with a population of four hundred thousand people or more shall establish the director district boundaries. Appointment of a board member to fill any vacancy existing for a new director district prior to the next regular school election shall be by the school board. Prior to the next regular election in the school district and the filing of declarations of candidacy therefor, the incumbent school board shall designate said director districts by number. Directors appointed to fill vacancies as above provided shall be subject to election, one for a six-year term, and one for a two-year term and thereafter the term of their respective successors shall be for four years. The term of office of incumbent members of the board of such district shall not be affected by RCW 28A.315.450, ((~~28A.315.460,~~)) 28A.315.570, 28A.315.670, and 28A.315.680.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 28A.315.460 and 1991 c 363 s 21 & 1979 ex.s. c 183 s 10; and

(2) RCW 29.13.060 and 1991 c 363 s 32, 1990 c 33 s 563, & 1989 c 10 s 7.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act shall not affect the term of office of any incumbent director.