This bill modifies existing law and adds a new statutory section to change school board director compensation, expense rules, and training requirements. It raises allowable per-day compensation for directors to $100 per day or portion thereof, sets an annual cap of $13,750, and requires board authorization at a regular meeting for any director compensation over $3,000 per year. Directors may waive all or part of their compensation by filing a written waiver after election and before payment; compensation under the changes is in addition to any expense reimbursement and applies to sitting directors when the adjustment becomes effective. The bill amends RCW 28A.343.400 and RCW 28A.320.050 and adds a new section to chapter 28A.345 RCW. The bill also changes procedures for expenses and administrative review. It requires payment of actual expenses, including child care, for directors attending meetings; permits payment of expenses for superintendents and other representatives whom directors select to attend conferences or urgent business at the request of the state superintendent or board; and allows boards to pay travel expenses for superintendent candidates attending interviews. It permits advancement of anticipated expenses under state auditor rules substantially conforming to RCW 43.03.150–43.03.210. The Office of Financial Management must review and adjust school director compensation at intervals not exceeding five years, with adjustments reflecting cumulative changes in the cost of living as measured by the consumer price index or a comparable index. The bill creates a new procedural requirement for training: the Washington State School Directors’ Association must develop and provide a no-fee training program on school district funding and finance covering state and local funding structures, budgeting practices, and fiscal accountability. Current directors must complete the training within one year of its effective date and new directors within the first year of their term; directors must be compensated for participating and renewal is encouraged at least once per term. Section 4 (the training requirement) takes effect January 1, 2027, but is null and void if specific funding for it is not provided in the omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2026. The extracted text does not provide new statutory definitions for terms used or the specific appropriation language or amount that would fund section 4.

If enacted, school board members can collect up to $100 for each day they attend meetings or perform board duties and as much as $13,750 in a year, but any pay over $3,000 a year must be approved at a regular board meeting and drawn from levy funds unless a director files a written waiver. Districts will also be required to pay actual expenses (including child care) for directors and certain expenses for superintendents, representatives, and superintendent candidates, and may advance anticipated expenses under state auditor rules. The immediate practical effect is likely higher compensation and reimbursement costs for school districts funded from levies, more routine board votes to authorize higher pay, and increased district liability for travel, childcare, and interview-related expenses; the Office of Financial Management will review and likely index future increases to inflation at intervals up to five years. The Washington State School Directors’ Association must create a free training on school funding and finance that current directors must complete within a year of the training becoming effective and new directors during their first year, with directors being paid for attending. That training requirement is set to take effect January 1, 2027 but will not apply unless specific funding for it is included in the omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2026, so whether districts incur those training-related costs depends on an unspecified appropriation.