School District Tax Measures and School Board Member Elections on the August 1st 2023 Ballot
Last updated: June 17th, 2023
Contents
- Summary
- School districts that have 0 candidates for at least 1 of their school board member seats
- School board seats that have 4 or more candidates
- School districts with 8 or more candidates
- Sortable table of school board member seats statistics
- School board responsibilities
- School board election process
- School board member compensation
- Interactive charts for the latest (2021-2022) superintendents’ total compensations
- Sources
Summary
For the August 2023 election:
- There are no school district measures (levies or bonds) on this August 2023 election.
- However, there are 918 school board member seats up for election - one or more from all 295 school districts.
- 76 school board member seats (8.3% of the total) have zero candidates.
- 534 school board member seats (58.2% of the total) have just 1 candidate.
- 98 school board member seats (10.7% of the total) are unexpired term seats up for election. 97 are 2 year and 1 is a 3 year unexpired term. These 98 seats are usually from school board members who resigned for one reason or another before their term ended. These members who resigned were likely replaced temporarily by a person appointed by a vote of the remaining school board members.
- 90 school board member seats (9.8% of the total) have 3 or more candidates. Those 90 seats will be on the August Primary Election ballot. Voters will decide the top 2 candidates for each seat for the November General Election ballot. Candidates for the other 828 seats will automatically be on the November General Election ballot.
| Number of Candidates | Number of School Board Member Seats | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 76 | 8.3% |
| 1 | 534 | 58.2% |
| 2 | 218 | 23.7% |
| 3 | 70 | 7.6% |
| 4 | 16 | 1.7% |
| 5 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 6 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Total | 918 | 100.0% |
Of the 918 school board seats up for election, 100 are at-large.
There are 295 traditional public school districts in WA.
- 2 of these districts have 2 year terms for their school board members: Harrington and Wenatchee.
- 290 of these districts have 4 year terms.
- 3 of these districts have 6 year terms: Everett, Spokane, and Tacoma.
School districts that have 0 candidates for at least 1 of their school board seats
| District | District | District |
|---|---|---|
| ALMIRA SCHOOL DISTRICT 017 | MT. PLEASANT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 29-93 | SCHOOL DISTRICT 070 |
| BOISTFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 234 | NESPELEM SCHOOL 14 | SCHOOL DISTRICT 158 - LIND |
| CARBONADO HISTORICAL SCHOOL DIST. NO. 19 | NORTH MASON SCHOOL 403 | SCHOOL DISTRICT 160 - RITZVILLE |
| COLFAX SCHOOL DISTRICT - 300 | NORTHPORT SD 211 | SCHOOL DISTRICT 420 |
| COLUMBIA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 400 | OAKESDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT - 324 | SELKIRK SCHOOL DISTRICT - 70 |
| COLUMBIA SD 206 | OMAK SCHOOL 19 | SKYKOMISH SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 404 |
| CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 073 | ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DIST #137 | SOAP LAKE SCHOOL DIST #156 |
| DIXIE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 101 | ORCHARD PRAIRIE SCHOOL DISTRICT | STAR SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 54 |
| EASTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 28 | ORONDO SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.13 | STEHEKIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 69 |
| EVERGREEN SD 205 | PRESCOTT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402-37 | STEVENSON-CARSON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 303 |
| GRANGER SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 204 | PULLMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT - 267 | THORP SCHOOL DISTRICT 400 |
| GREEN MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 103 | QUEETS / CLEARWATER SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 20 | TUKWILA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 406 |
| HIGHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 203 | REARDAN EDWALL SCHOOL DISTRICT 009 | WARDEN SCHOOL DIST #146 |
| KIONA-BENTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 52 | ROOSEVELT SCHOOL DISTRICT # 403 | WILBUR SCHOOL DISTRICT 200 |
| KLICKITAT SCHOOL DISTRICT # 402 | ROSALIA SCHOOL DISTRICT - 320 | WILSON CREEK SCHOOL DIST #167 |
| LAMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT - 264 | SCH DIST 104 - SATSOP | |
| LOON LAKE SD 183 | SCH DIST 117 - WISHKAH | |
| MORTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 214 | SCH DIST 65 - MCCLEARY | |
| MOSSYROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 206 | SCH DIST 97 - QUINAULT | |
| MT BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT 507 | SCHOOL DISTRICT #155 |
School board seats that have 4 or more candidates
| Lead County | District | Office | Term | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT NO. 1 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| King | KENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 415 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT NO. 3 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| King | SEATTLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT NO. 1 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT NO. 1 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| King | VASHON ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402 | DIRECTOR POSITION NO. 3 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Kitsap | CENTRAL KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 3 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Kitsap | CENTRAL KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 4 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Lewis | CHEHALIS SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 302 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 5 AT-LARGE | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Pierce | SUMNER-BONNEY LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 320 | DIRECTOR DIST. 4 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Skagit | ANACORTES SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 103 | DIRECTOR POSITION 5 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Snohomish | EVERETT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2 | DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE POSITION 5 | 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Snohomish | MARYSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 25 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 3 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Snohomish | MONROE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 103 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 1 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Spokane | MEDICAL LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | DIRECTOR DIST NO. 3 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Spokane | MEDICAL LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | DIRECTOR DIST NO. 4 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Thurston | OLYMPIA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 111 | SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR, DISTRICT NO. 2 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Whatcom | MERIDIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT 505 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 5 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 4 |
| Kitsap | NORTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 400 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 4 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 5 |
| Kitsap | SOUTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402 | DIRECTOR DISTRICT 2 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 5 |
| Spokane | DEER PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT | DIRECTOR AT LARGE 5 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 5 |
| Spokane | MEDICAL LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | DIRECTOR DIST NO. 2 | 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan | 6 |
School districts with 8 or more candidates
| County | District | Candidates Count | Seats Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowlitz | KALAMA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402 | 8 | 4 |
| Cowlitz | TOUTLE LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 130 | 8 | 4 |
| Grays Harbor | SCH DIST 64 - N. BEACH | 8 | 3 |
| King | HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401 | 8 | 3 |
| Skamania | MILL A SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 31 | 8 | 5 |
| Snohomish | MARYSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 25 | 8 | 3 |
| Snohomish | SULTAN SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 311 | 8 | 3 |
| Walla Walla | WALLA WALLA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 140 | 8 | 3 |
| Whatcom | LYNDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT 504 | 8 | 4 |
| Benton | RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 400 | 9 | 3 |
| King | VASHON ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402 | 9 | 4 |
| Pierce | SUMNER-BONNEY LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 320 | 9 | 3 |
| Snohomish | MONROE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 103 | 9 | 4 |
| Spokane | CHENEY SCHOOL DISTRICT | 9 | 4 |
| Spokane | DEER PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT | 9 | 3 |
| Chelan | WENATCHEE SCHOOL DISTRICT | 10 | 5 |
| Clallam | SEQUIM SCHOOL DISTRICT 323 | 10 | 4 |
| Island | OAK HARBOR SCH 201 | 10 | 5 |
| Kitsap | CENTRAL KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401 | 10 | 3 |
| Kitsap | SOUTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 402 | 10 | 3 |
| Thurston | OLYMPIA SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 111 | 10 | 3 |
| Whatcom | BLAINE SCHOOL DISTRICT 503 | 10 | 5 |
| Kitsap | NORTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 400 | 11 | 3 |
| King | SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT | 12 | 4 |
| Spokane | MEDICAL LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | 17 | 4 |
Sortable table of school board seats statistics
School board responsibilities
According to WA State Statute
- (a) Establish performance criteria and an evaluation process for its superintendent, classified staff, certificated personnel, including administrative staff, and for all programs constituting a part of such district’s curriculum. Each district shall report annually to the superintendent of public instruction the following for each employee group listed in this subsection (2)(a): (i) Evaluation criteria and rubrics; (ii) a description of each rating; and (iii) the number of staff in each rating;
- (b) Determine the final assignment of staff, certificated or classified, according to board enumerated classroom and program needs and data, based upon a plan to ensure that the assignment policy: (i) Supports the learning needs of all the students in the district; and (ii) gives specific attention to high-need schools and classrooms;
- (c) Provide information to the local community and its electorate describing the school district’s policies concerning hiring, assigning, terminating, and evaluating staff, including the criteria for evaluating teachers and principals;
- (d) Determine the amount of instructional hours necessary for any student to acquire a quality education in such district, in not less than an amount otherwise required in RCW 28A.150.220, or rules of the state board of education;
- (e) Determine the allocation of staff time, whether certificated or classified;
- (f) Establish final curriculum standards consistent with law and rules of the superintendent of public instruction, relevant to the particular needs of district students or the unusual characteristics of the district, and ensuring a quality education for each student in the district; and
- (g) Evaluate teaching materials, including text books, teaching aids, handouts, or other printed material, in public hearing upon complaint by parents, guardians or custodians of students who consider dissemination of such material to students objectionable.
According to the WSSDA (Washington State School Directors’ Association)
- Hire, supervise and evaluate the superintendent
- Set the vision, mission and strategic goals for the district
- Review, revise and adopt policies
- Establish and oversee the budget
- Serve as community representatives
- Monitor the district’s progress towards its goals
According to the OSPI
From a 6/7/2023 request for information:
Local school boards determine the compensation paid to superintendents on an annual basis. They also determine the length of the contract. The contracts typically have an end date of June 30 each year. A multi-year agreement has renewal options that the board can exercise at their discretion based on the annual performance review of the individual.
Interactive charts for the latest (2021-2022) superintendents’ total compensations
Total Compensation For Superintendents Vs Percent Low Income Students
Total Compensation For Superintendents Vs Enrollments
School board election process
If there are 0, 1, or 2 candidates, there is no primary election in August for that seat.
If there are 3 or more candidates, then there is a primary election in August to whittle the numbers down to the top 2.
If there are 0 candidates, there is another special 3 day open filing period right after the August election to allow volunteers to enter the race for the seat to be on the November election.
School board member compensation
According to WA State Statute
Each member of the board of directors of a school district may receive compensation of $50 per day or portion thereof for attending board meetings and for performing other services on behalf of the school district, not to exceed $4,800 per year, if the district board of directors has authorized by board resolution, at a regularly scheduled meeting, the provision of such compensation. A board of directors of a school district may authorize such compensation only from locally collected excess levy funds available for that purpose, and compensation for board members shall not cause the state to incur any present or future funding obligation.
Sources
Office of the Secretary of State, Washington