COSTS INCURRED IN ATTENDING BOARD MEETINGS

DISTRICTS ‑- SCHOOLS ‑- BOARD MEMBERS ‑- COSTS INCURRED IN ATTENDING BOARD MEETINGS

RCW 28A.58.310 does authorize school board members to be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in attending regular or special school board meetings, whether such meetings are in the neighborhood where the school board member lives or at any other place.

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                                                                   April 10, 1974

Washington State School
Directors' Association
200 East Union Street
Olympia, Washington 98501                                                                                                               Cite as:  AGLO 1974 No. 42

Attention:  !ttMr. Michael G. Boivin
            Assistant Executive Secretary
 
Gentlemen:
 
            By recent letter you have asked for our opinion on the following question:
 
            "'Does RCW 28A.58.310 authorize school board members to be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in attending regular or special school board meetings, whether such meetings are in the neighborhood where the school board member lives or at any other place?'"
 
            In our opinion, the foregoing question is answerable in the affirmative.
 
                                                                     ANALYSIS
 
            RCW 28A.58.310 provides as follows:
 
            "The actual expenses of school directors in going to, returning from and attending upon directors' meetings or other meetings called or held pursuant to statute shall be paid.  Likewise, the expenses of school superintendents and other school representatives chosen by the directors to attend any conferences or meetings or to attend to any urgent business at the behest of the state superintendent of public instruction or the board of directors shall be paid.  The school directors, school superintendents or other school representatives may be advanced sufficient sums to cover their anticipated expenses in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the state auditor and which shall substantially conform to the procedures provided in RCW 43.03.150 through 43.03.210."
 
             [[Orig. Op. Page 2]]
            A plain reading of this statute requires an affirmative answer to your question for the simple reason that the statute draws no distinction whatsoever between school directors' meetings held in the "neighborhood" in which a particular board member lives and those meetings held at some other place.  Accord, the informal advice previously given to you by Assistant Attorney General Richard M. Montecucco, in his memorandum opinion of March 28, 1974, copy enclosed.
 
            We trust the foregoing will be of some assistance to you.
 
Very truly yours,
 
SLADE GORTON
Attorney General
 
PHILIP H. AUSTIN
Deputy Attorney General