Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1987 NO. 1 >

School districts have the authority to provide programs that offer care for children, including children not enrolled as students of the school district. The facilities of the school district may be used to provide these programs. School district funds may be used for the operation of the child care programs and for the construction or remodeling of facilities to house such programs. School districts may not contract with private or other public agencies to provide child care services, either in district facilities or elsewhere, without express statutory authority. The school districts are authorized to charge fees for child care services but, if they charge fees, they may not waive some or all of the fees otherwise chargeable based upon such factors as the income of the parents. The districts are not authorized to furnish transportation to children in child care programs established by the district unless authorized by a specific statute.

AGLO 1982 NO. 1 >

In order to receive reimbursement for unused sick leave, pursuant to RCW 28A.58.097, at the time of separation from school district employment due to retirement, an employee must have separated from such employment and have been granted a retirement allowance under the laws governing the Teachers' Retirement System or the Public Employees' Retirement System, whichever applies;  however, it is not necessary that the employee have actually filed for retirement prior to the date of his or her separation so long as the application is thereafter filed within a reasonable period of time and without the occurrence of any intervening covered employment.

AGO 2006 NO. 1 >

The governing bodies of special purpose districts lack authority to adopt motions or resolutions supporting or opposing ballot propositions. The Legislature has not granted such districts the authority to support or oppose ballot measures and, absent such authority, doing so would not constitute “normal and regular conduct.”

AGLO 1976 NO. 1 >

Without an express grant of statutory authority it would not be permissible for a public hospital district to contract with a private organization, including a religious order, for the operation of a hospital facility owned by such a district.

AGO 1971 NO. 1 >

(1) RCW 41.40.410, as amended by § 1, chapter 84, Laws of 1965, requires all public school districts to provide coverage in the Washington public employees' retirement system for their eligible noncertificated employees even though such employees may be members of a craft or trade union which has its own union pension trust plan; the fact of membership in such a craft or trade union does not constitute a basis for personal ineligibility for membership in the public employees' retirement system under the provisions of RCW 41.40.120.(2) Chapter 39.12 RCW, providing for payment of the "prevailing rate of wage" (including pension benefits, where applicable) on public works projects does not apply when a school district directly hires noncertificated craft or trade union members on a regular basis to perform work on school district property under the supervision of the school district administrators.(3) A school district which is covering its noncertificated employees under the Washington public employees' retirement system is not authorized to make additional pension contributions to a union pension trust fund set up by a craft or trade union to which these employees belong.

AGO 1965 NO. 1 >

(1) A school district pursuant to chapter 75, Laws of 1963 (RCW 41.04.180-41.04.190), may contract with more than one insurance carrier or health service contractor and allow each employee to choose the plan he or she desires, as long as each plan meets all of the requirements of chapter 75, Laws of 1963. (2) A school district pursuant to chapter 75, Laws of 1963, may designate specific categories of its employees to be covered by a group policy or contract to the exclusion of other categories of employees. (3) A school district which has designated specific categories of employees to be covered by a group policy or contract to the exclusion of other categories of employees is not required to make provision for like benefits for such excluded categories of employees by entering into similar contracts for such employees if the categories established by the district are not arbitrary, capricious or invidiously discriminatory. (4) If existing employees' term contracts do not provide in any manner for such insurance, the school district may not provide such benefits during the term of such contracts since under RCW 41.04.190 such benefits constitute additional compensation and under Article II, § 25, Amendment 35, extra compensation may not be granted to any employee after the contract of employment has been entered into.

AGO 1984 NO. 1 >

Lands which are owned by an incorporated city or town (including but not limited to those situated outside the corporate limits of that municipality) are not subject to weed district assessments imposed pursuant to RCW 17.04.240.

AGO 1993 NO. 1 >

1.  RCW 28A.400.300 requires school districts to grant employees a minimum of 10 days per year of leave for illness, injury, and emergencies.  The maximum leave that can be accrued for this purpose is 12 days per year.  Within this minimum and maximum a school district board of directors can define how such leave is to be used.  If the board defines leave for illness, injury, and emergencies so that it only applies to the employee's illness, injury, and emergencies, then the board has the authority to authorize employee leave beyond the 12-day limit to care for sick family members. 2.   RCW 49.12.270 requires employers to permit employees to use sick leave to care for their sick children.  RCW 49.12.270 does not limit the ability of a school district board of directors to allow family leave to care for sick family members beyond the 12-day limit for leave for illness, injury, and emergencies.

AGO 2011 NO. 2 >

Cities, counties, and special districts cannot contract directly with another agency for architectural and engineering services without first complying with the procurement procedures set forth in RCW 39.80, except where the legislature has granted specific statutory authority to do so.

AGO 1976 NO. 2 >

RCW 52.36.020, as amended by § 1, chapter 88, Laws of 1974, 1st Ex. Sess., does not require a school district with facilities located within a city or town to compensate a fire protection district for service provided such facilities even though the city or town has entered into a contract with the fire protection district for the provision of fire protection services.