The superintendent of public instruction, through the superintendent of schools of any school district, or other officer or board performing like functions with respect to the schools of any other educational administrative district, may cause to be appointed voluntary adult recruits as supervisors and, from the student body of any public or private school or institution of learning, students, who shall be known as members of the "school patrol" and who shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of the authority making the appointment.
The members of such school patrol shall wear an appropriate designation or insignia identifying them as members of the school patrol when in performance of their duties, and they may display "stop" or other proper traffic directional signs or signals at school crossings or other points where school children are crossing or about to cross a public highway, but members of the school patrol and their supervisors shall be subordinate to and obey the orders of any peace officer present and having jurisdiction.
School districts, at their discretion, may hire sufficient numbers of adults to serve as supervisors. Such adults shall be subordinate to and obey the orders of any peace officer present and having jurisdiction.
Any school district having a school patrol may purchase uniforms and other appropriate insignia, traffic signs and other appropriate materials, all to be used by members of such school patrol while in performance of their duties, and may pay for the same out of the general fund of the district.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to fail to stop his or her vehicle when directed to do so by a school patrol sign or signal displayed by a member of the school patrol engaged in the performance of his or her duty and wearing or displaying appropriate insignia, and it shall further be unlawful for the operator of a vehicle to disregard any other reasonable directions of a member of the school patrol when acting in performance of his or her duties as such.
School districts may expend funds from the general fund of the district to pay premiums for life and accident policies covering the members of the school patrol in their district while engaged in the performance of their school patrol duties.
Members of the school patrol shall be considered as employees for the purposes of RCW
28A.400.370.