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Censure and Reprimand

There are multiple ways for a board to address problems within their body. Some of these include: Internal Board Actions The board can issue formal reprimands, censure the director, or remove them from specific committee assignments. While the board cannot remove an elected director from office, these actions serve as…

Vacancy and Absence

RCW 28A.343.370 governs what happens when there’s a vacancy on the school district’s board of directors. If there is a vacancy, the following must occur: Remaining members appoint a qualified person by majority vote within 90 days. If fewer than a majority remain, the ESD board appoints enough to form…

Abstaining and Dissent

Directors may abstain from voting. Their abstention or dissent is recorded in the minutes but does not invalidate board action. A dissenting member generally does not sign off on items they opposed, unless district policy requires otherwise

Board Operations

The full scope of board operations is too broad to cover exhaustively here, but the sections below address the areas people ask us about most. We also have webpages on: Vacancy and Absence Abstaining and Dissent Censure and Reprimand Multiple Directors at One Event Board members may attend conferences, community…

Conflicts of Interest

According to RCW 28A.320.015, school boards have broad discretionary power to adopt policies that promote the effective management of the school district. This includes ensuring that board members avoid conflicts of interest that could affect their decision-making. It is generally advisable for school board members to disclose any potential conflicts…

Open Public Meetings Act

The Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) is meant to ensure that the public can observe every step of government decision-making. The foundational principles of the act are that “public commissions, boards, councils… and all other public agencies of this state…exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business” and…

Oath of Office

A Legal Requirement Washington state law RCW 28A.343.360 specifically requires that every person elected or appointed to the office of school director must “take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office…

Duties of Board Members

The duties of school board members range from the small — responding to an email — to the large, like voting to approve a superintendent’s contract. The full scope is too broad to cover exhaustively here, but the sections below address the responsibilities people ask about most. In support of…

Policy & Legal Services

The key legal responsibilities of school directors include setting policy for their districts, ensuring quality educational programs, overseeing and evaluating the superintendent, adopting budgets, communicating with the community, and upholding laws governing public education. RCW 28A.150.230 – District school directors’ responsibilities, adds even more to that list. In fulfilling those…

Parliamentary Procedures

The most common resource for parliamentary procedures is Robert’s Rules of Order. The central purpose of Robert’s Rules is to ensure that the board’s majority can decide, the minority can be heard, and the rights of individual board members are protected. By standardizing procedures, the rules prevent meetings from descending…