wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5861 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that students and communities benefit from school boards of directors that reflect the diversity of the communities and neighborhoods they serve. The legislature further recognizes that electing school directors from designated director districts promotes greater diversity on school boards. Therefore, the legislature intends to require all school districts with enrollments of 2,000 students or more to elect school board directors from designated director districts.
The board of directors of every ‑second-class school district which is not divided into directors' districts may submit to the voters at any regular school district election a proposition to authorize the board of directors to divide the district into directors' districts or a combination of no fewer than three director districts and no more than two at large positions. If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition is affirmative, the board of directors shall proceed to divide the district into directors' districts following the procedure established in RCW 29A.76.010.
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By January 1, 2027, the board of directors of all first-class school districts, except those already divided into director districts as prescribed in (a)(i) and (ii) of this subsection, must adopt a redistricting plan, following the procedure established in RCW 29A.76.010, to divide the district into directors' districts in accordance with the following requirements:
Any first-class school district with a head count enrollment at or between 2,000 to 5,000 students, as reported on or before the last business day of September, must be divided into no fewer than three director districts and no more than two at large positions; and
Any first-class school district with a head count enrollment of more than 5,000 students, as reported on or before the last business day of September, must be divided into no fewer than four director districts and no more than one at large position.
The requirements of this subsection (2) do not apply to any school district of the first class having within its boundaries a city with a population of 400,000 people or more.
Director districts established in accordance with this section may not become effective until the next regular school election after the redistricting plan has been approved, at which time a new five member board of directors shall be elected.
School board directors elected in accordance with the district requirements of this section must be elected as follows:
One director from each of the director districts, from among the residents of the respective director district, to be elected by the electors of the entire school district; and
in the case of at large positions, directors from among the residents of the entire school district, to be elected by the electors of the entire school district.
School board directors elected in accordance with the requirements of this section must be elected to staggered terms, two for a term of two years and three for a term of four years, unless such district elects its directors for six years, in which case, one for a term of two years, two for a term of four years, and two for a term of six years.
Upon receipt by the educational service district superintendent of a resolution adopted by the board of directors or a written petition from a first-class or second-class school district signed by at least 20 percent of the registered voters of a school district previously divided into directors' districts, which resolution or petition shall request dissolution of the existing directors' districts and reapportionment of the district into no fewer than three directors' districts and with no more than two directors at large, the superintendent, after formation of the question to be submitted to the voters, shall give notice thereof to the county auditor who shall call and hold a special election of the voters of the entire school district to approve or reject such proposal, such election to be called, conducted and the returns canvassed as in regular school district elections.
If approval of a majority of those registered voters voting in said election is acquired, at the expiration of terms of the incumbent directors of such school district their successors shall be elected in the manner approved.
No first-class school district may dissolve existing director districts to create fewer director districts than what is required under section 2(2) of this act.