School board compensation

AN ACT Relating to school board compensation; amending RCW 1
28A.343.400 and 28A.320.050; adding a new section to chapter 28A.345 2
RCW; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that school director 5
compensation has not changed in 40 years. The legislature recognizes 6
it is the policy of the state to: (1) Ensure, for the sake of 7
educational excellence, that the electorate has the broadest and most 8
diverse possible field in which to choose qualified candidates for 9
its school boards; (2) ensure that the opportunity to serve on school 10
boards is open to all, regardless of financial circumstances; and (3) 11
ensure that the time-consuming and demanding service as directors is 12
not limited to those able or willing.13
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.343.400 and 1987 c 307 s 2 are each amended to 14
read as follows: 15
(1) Each member of the board of directors of a school district 16
may receive compensation of ((fifty dollars)) $100 per day or portion 17
thereof for attending board meetings and for performing other 18
services on behalf of the school district, not to exceed ((four 19
thousand eight hundred dollars per year, if the district board of 20
Z-0540.1
HOUSE BILL 2366
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Callan, Thai, Berry, Reed, Zahn, Thomas, Morgan,
Berg, McClintock, Fosse, Hill, and Pollet; by request of
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Prefiled 01/09/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Education.
p. 1 HB 2366
directors has authorized by board resolution, at a regularly 1
scheduled meeting, the provision of such compensation. A board of 2
directors of a school district may authorize such compensation only 3
from locally collected excess levy funds available for that purpose, 4
and compensation for board members shall not cause the state to incur 5
any present or future funding obligation )) $13,750 per year. 6
Compensation provided to a director under this section that is in 7
excess of $3,000 per year must be authorized by the board of 8
directors at a regularly scheduled meeting and may only be collected 9
from levy funds available for this purpose. 10
(2) Any director may waive all or any portion of his or her 11
compensation under this section as to any month or months during his 12
or her term of office, by a written waiver filed with the district as 13
provided in this section. The waiver, to be effective, must be filed 14
any time after the director's election and before the date on which 15
the compensation would otherwise be paid. The waiver shall specify 16
the month or period of months for which it is made.17
(3) The compensation provided ((in)) under this section shall be 18
in addition to any reimbursement for expenses paid to such directors 19
by the school district. 20
(4) Any adjustment in compensation made pursuant to this section 21
applies to sitting school directors at the time such adjustment 22
becomes effective.23
(5) The office of financial management shall, at intervals not to 24
exceed five years, review and adjust the compensation provided to 25
school directors. The adjustments must reflect cumulative changes in 26
the cost of living, as measured by the consumer price index or a 27
comparable index as determined by the office of financial management.28
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.320.050 and 1977 c 73 s 1 are each amended to 29
read as follows: 30
(1)(a) The actual expenses , including costs for child care, of 31
school directors in going to, returning from and attending upon 32
directors' meetings or other meetings called or held pursuant to 33
statute shall be paid. 34
(b) Likewise, the expenses of school superintendents and other 35
school representatives chosen by the directors to attend any 36
conferences or meetings or to attend to any urgent business at the 37
behest of the state superintendent of public instruction or the board 38
of directors shall be paid. 39
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(2) The board of directors may pay the actual and necessary 1
expenses for travel, lodging and meals a superintendent candidate 2
incurs when he or she attends an employment interview in the school 3
district. 4
(3) The school directors, school superintendents, other school 5
representatives or superintendent candidates may be advanced 6
sufficient sums to cover their anticipated expenses in accordance 7
with rules and regulations promulgated by the state auditor and which 8
shall substantially conform to the procedures provided in RCW 9
43.03.150 through 43.03.210. 10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.345 11
RCW to read as follows: 12
(1) The Washington state school directors' association shall 13
develop and provide a training program on school district funding and 14
finance for all members of school district boards of directors.15
(2) The training program must enhance school directors' 16
understanding of: 17
(a) State and local funding structures; 18
(b) Budgeting practices; and 19
(c) Fiscal accountability requirements applicable to school 20
districts. 21
(3)(a) All individuals serving as school directors on the 22
effective date of this section must complete the training within one 23
year of the effective date of this section. 24
(b) All individuals elected or appointed as school directors 25
after the effective date of this section must complete the training 26
at least once during the first year of the director's term of office.27
(c) School directors are strongly encouraged to renew or retake 28
the training at least once during each term of office to remain 29
current with changes in state and local funding laws and fiscal 30
accountability standards. 31
(4) School directors may not be charged any fee for attendance 32
and must be compensated for participating in the training under this 33
section. 34
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Section 4 of this act takes effect January 35
1, 2027.36
p. 3 HB 2366
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. If specific funding for the purposes of 1
section 4 of this act, referencing section 4 of this act by bill or 2
chapter number and section number, is not provided by June 30, 2026, 3
in the omnibus appropriations act, section 4 of this act is null and 4
void.5
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