Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
HB 1683
Brief Description: Adjusting school director districts.
Sponsors: Representative Ortiz-Self; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Establishes a minimum number of school directors who must be elected by director district for certain school districts.
Hearing Date: 1/15/26
Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).
Background:

School boards of directors have broad discretionary power to provide for the development and implementation of education programs and services, and the school district's management and operation.  With the exception of Seattle Public Schools, which has seven directors, school boards of directors consist of five members.

 

Among other requirements, school directors must be registered voters of either the school district or the applicable director district, a geographic subunit of the school district.  School director positions are nonpartisan and elected directors serve four-year terms.

 

School directors are elected by voters throughout the school district, either in an at-large capacity without representing a specific director district, or in accordance with requirements obligating directors to reside within the applicable director district.  Primary elections for director district candidates are also generally voted on by voters throughout the school district.
Summary of Bill:

By calendar year 2027, the elections of school directors must be in accordance with the following:

  • In school districts with enrollments of 3,001 to 5,000 students, no less than three school directors must be elected by designated member districts.
  • In school districts with enrollments greater than 5,000 students, no less than four school directors must be elected by designated member districts.

 

School districts with enrollments of 3,000 or fewer students are exempted from the member district election requirements.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.