Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1960 NO. 113 >

The board of directors of a school district is not subject to personal liability for accidents occurring out of the use of school buses where the use is authorized by the board of directors as a definite and proper part of the curriculum or educational program of the district.

AGO 1962 NO. 118 >

A Board of directors of a school district may not permit the distribution of Gideon Bibles on school premises by either school employees or representatives of the Gideon Society in view of the prohibition found in the constitution and statutes of this state regarding separation of church and state.

AGO 1964 NO. 122 >

RCW 41.04.180 authorizes a school district to contract for and make premium payments (either up to 50% or $5.00, whichever is less) toward the purchase of group disability insurance for its employees, but such authority does not authorize it to make payments under a "franchise plan."

AGO 1962 NO. 127 >

A school district may not legally subscribe to service of a nonprofit corporation for research and information directed toward coordinating programs and procedures pertaining to policy making on the director level since such services are legally available to districts only through the Washington state school directors' association.

AGO 1960 NO. 129 >

The board of directors of a school district does not have the authority to authorize the investment of funds from the general fund of the school district which are not required for immediate expenditure.

AGO 1962 NO. 155 >

The board of directors of a school district does not have the authority to pay the expenses incurred by teacher applicants who come to the district for interviews.

AGO 1962 NO. 160 >

The board of directors of a second class school district has the authority under certain conditions to lease the basement of a former school building to a community organization for a community fallout shelter.

AGO 1962 NO. 174 >

(1) and (2) Chapter 42.23 RCW and specifically RCW 42.23.020 prohibits the employment of either a school director or his wife for compensation except as specifically provided in the act. (3) A proviso of RCW 42.23.030 allows the employment of a school director or his wife in school districts other than districts of the first class, up to certain maximum amounts, ($200) which amount is measured by the total liability of the district under the contract or contracts at the time they are executed and not by the size of monthly installments into which the contract may be divided for subsequent payment. (4) No individual may be employed by a school district as a teacher, whether on a full-time, part-time, or "substitute" basis, unless such individual has a valid teacher's certificate as required by § 1, Article VII, subchapter 4, chapter 97, Laws of 1909 (cf. RCW 28.67.010).

AGO 1956 NO. 211 >

1. The board of directors of a first class school district is authorized to purchase and hold either real or personal property without a vote of the district electors and may purchase options to purchase real estate if it has provided for such expenditures in its budget.  The board of directors of a second class school district is authorized to purchase real estate contiguous to a school site upon which a schoolhouse is situated by unanimous vote of the board, but to purchase real estate non-contiguous [[noncontiguous]] requires a vote of the majority of the electors of the district, and the board of directors of a third class school district is authorized to purchase additional sites either contiguous or non-contiguous [[noncontiguous]] only when authorized by a majority of the vote of the electors of the district.  2. There is no statutory limitation on the time for which an option to purchase real estate may run.

AGO 1952 NO. 283 >

A member of the board of a first class school district may not act by proxy or in absentia, but must be personally present at a board meeting in order to participate in the proceedings of the board.