H-2730.2

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1683

ByHouse Education (originally sponsored by Representative Ortiz-Self; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction)

AN ACT Relating to school director districts; amending RCW 28A.343.300; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.343 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.343 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By January 1, 2027, all elections of directors of any school district with a head count enrollment of 2,000 students or more must be conducted in accordance with the following requirements regarding designated director districts:

(a) For any school district with a head count enrollment of more than 5,000 students, as reported on or before the last business day of September, at least four members of the school board must be elected by voters residing within designated director districts; and

(b) For any school district with a headcount enrollment of between 2,000 and 5,000 students as reported on or before the last business day of September, at least three members of the board of directors must be elected by voters residing within designated director districts.

(2) School districts with a head count enrollment of less than 2,000 students are exempt from the requirements of this section.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.343.300 and 2009 c 107 s 1 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 29A.04.340 and section 1 of this act, 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))400,000 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.

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