Title 28A — Title 28A COMMON SCHOOL PROVISIONS

Any compliance reporting requirements as a result of laws in this chapter that apply to second-class districts may be submitted in accordance with RCW 28A.330.250.[ 2011 c 45 s 45.]Notes:Conflict with federal requirements—2011 c 45: See note following RCW 28A.330.250.

Every board of directors, unless otherwise specifically provided by law, shall:(1) Enforce the rules prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction for the government of schools, pupils, and certificated employees.(2) Adopt and make available to each pupil, teacher and pa…

(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt and distribute to all school districts lawful and reasonable rules prescribing the substantive and procedural due process guarantees of pupils in the common schools. Such rules shall authorize a school district to use infor…

(1) The rules adopted pursuant to RCW 28A.600.010 shall be interpreted to ensure that the optimum learning atmosphere of the classroom is maintained, and that the highest consideration is given to the judgment of qualified certificated educators regarding conditions necessary to …

(1) School districts should make efforts to have suspended or expelled students return to an educational setting as soon as possible. School districts must convene a meeting with the student and the student's parents or guardians within twenty days of the student's long-term susp…

(1) The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Article I, sections 5 and 11 of the Washington state Constitution guarantee that students retain their rights of free speech and free exercise of religion, notwithstanding the student's enrollment and attendance in a …

(1) Student editors of school-sponsored media are responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content of the media subject to the limitations of subsection (2) of this section. This subsection does not prevent a student media adviser from teaching prof…

Each school district board of directors may establish student grading policies which permit teachers to consider a student's attendance in determining the student's overall grade or deciding whether the student should be granted or denied credit. Such policies shall take into con…

School district boards of directors shall review school district policies regarding access and egress by students from secondary school grounds during school hours. Each school district board of directors shall adopt a policy specifying any restrictions on students leaving second…

All pupils who attend the common schools shall comply with the rules and regulations established in pursuance of the law for the government of the schools, shall pursue the required course of studies, and shall submit to the authority of the teachers of such schools, subject to s…

(1) The legislature encourages each middle school, junior high school, and high school to implement a comprehensive guidance and planning program for all students. The purpose of the program is to support students as they navigate their education and plan their future; encourage …

The Washington state honors awards program is hereby established for the purpose of promoting academic achievement among high school students enrolled in public or approved private high schools by recognizing outstanding achievement of students in academic core subjects. This pro…

The recipients of the Washington state honors awards shall be selected based on student achievement in both verbal and quantitative areas, as measured by a test or tests of general achievement selected by the superintendent of public instruction, and shall include student perform…

The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules for the establishment and administration of the Washington state honors awards program. The rules shall establish: (1) The test or tests of general achievement that are used to measure verbal and quantitative achievement,…

The superintendent of public instruction shall provide participating high schools with the necessary materials for conferring honors. The superintendent of public instruction shall require participating high schools to encourage local representatives of business and industry to r…

Each year high schools in the state of Washington graduate a significant number of students who have distinguished themselves through outstanding academic achievement. The purpose of RCW 28A.600.100 through 28A.600.150 is to establish a consistent and uniform program which will r…

There is established by the legislature of the state of Washington the Washington state scholars program. The purposes of this program annually are to:(1) Provide for the selection of three seniors residing in each legislative district in the state graduating from high schools wh…

The office of student financial assistance shall have the responsibility for administration of the Washington scholars program. The program will be developed cooperatively with the Washington association of secondary school principals, a voluntary professional association of seco…

The office of student financial assistance shall establish a planning committee to develop criteria for screening and selection of the Washington scholars each year in accordance with RCW 28A.600.110(1). It is the intent that these criteria shall emphasize scholastic achievement …

Each year on or before March 1st, the Washington association of secondary school principals shall submit to the office of student financial assistance the names of graduating senior high school students who have been identified and recommended to be outstanding in academic achiev…

Each year, three Washington scholars and one Washington scholars-alternate shall be selected from the students nominated under RCW 28A.600.140, except that during fiscal year 2007, no more than two scholars plus one alternate may be selected. The office of student financial assis…

Any middle school, junior high school, or high school using educational pathways shall ensure that all participating students will continue to have access to the courses and instruction necessary to meet admission requirements at baccalaureate institutions. Students shall be allo…

(1)(a) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. The centers for disease control and prevention estimates that as many as three million nine hundred thousand sports-related and rec…

(1) Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, public schools must annually report information about each diagnosed concussion sustained by a student during athletic and other activities using a procedure developed by the department of health under RCW 43.70.435.(2) At a minimum, th…

(1) The Washington interscholastic activities association shall work with member schools' board of directors, a nonprofit organization that educates communities about sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes, and the University of Washington medicine center for sports cardiology t…

Each school district board of directors is hereby granted and shall exercise the authority to control, supervise and regulate the conduct of interschool athletic activities and other interschool extracurricular activities of an athletic, cultural, social or recreational nature fo…

(1)(a) The Washington interscholastic activities association shall establish a nine-person appeals committee to address appeals of noneligibility issues. The committee shall be comprised of the secretary from each of the activity districts of the Washington interscholastic activi…

(1) The process for charging and collecting associated student body card fees, school-based athletic program fees, optional noncredit school club fees, and other fees from students in grades nine through twelve who are low income must be identical to the process for charging and …

The legislature finds that illegal drug activity and weapons in schools threaten the safety and welfare of school children and pose a severe threat to the state educational system. School officials need authority to maintain order and discipline in schools and to protect students…

No right nor expectation of privacy exists for any student as to the use of any locker issued or assigned to a student by a school and the locker shall be subject to search for illegal drugs, weapons, and contraband as provided in RCW 28A.600.210 through 28A.600.240.[ 1990 c 33 s…

(1) A school principal, vice principal, or principal's designee may search a student, the student's possessions, and the student's locker, if the principal, vice principal, or principal's designee has reasonable grounds to suspect that the search will yield evidence of the studen…

(1) In addition to the provisions in RCW 28A.600.230, the school principal, vice principal, or principal's designee may search all student lockers at any time without prior notice and without a reasonable suspicion that the search will yield evidence of any particular student's v…

(1) Beginning in the 2023-24 school year and in accordance with the requirements of this section, public high school students age 16 years and older may earn elective high school credit through paid work experience.(2) Proposals for earning elective high school credit through pai…

(1) Prior to course scheduling or course registration for the next school term, each public school that serves students in any of grades nine through 12 must provide all students and their parents or legal guardians with: Information about each available dual credit program and a…

(1) The education data center established in RCW 43.41.400, in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, …

The superintendent of public instruction and the office of student financial assistance shall develop advising guidelines to assure that students and parents understand that college credits earned in high school dual credit programs may impact eligibility for financial aid.[ 2011…

(1) College in the high school is a dual credit program located on a high school campus or in a high school environment in which a high school student is able to earn both high school and college credit by completing college level courses with a passing grade. A college in the hi…

(1) The program established in this section through RCW 28A.600.400 shall be known as the running start program.(2) For the purposes of RCW 28A.600.310 through 28A.600.400, "participating institution of higher education" or "institution of higher education" means:(a) A community …

(1) Every school district must allow eligible students as described in subsection (2) of this section to participate in the running start program.(2) In addition to the eligibility provided for in subsection (6) of this section, student eligibility for the running start program i…

A school district shall provide general information about the program to all pupils in grades 10, 11, and 12 and the parents and guardians of those pupils, including information about the opportunity to enroll in the program through online courses available at community and techn…

A pupil who enrolls in an institution of higher education in grade eleven may not enroll in postsecondary courses under RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.390 for high school credit and postsecondary credit for more than the equivalent of the coursework for two academic years. A pup…

Once a pupil has been enrolled in a postsecondary course or program under RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.400, the pupil shall not be displaced by another student.[ 1994 c 205 s 5; 1990 1st ex.s. c 9 s 405.]Notes:Finding—Severability—1990 1st ex.s. c 9: See notes following RCW 28…

A pupil may enroll in a course under RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.390 for both high school credit and postsecondary credit.[ 1994 c 205 s 6; 1990 1st ex.s. c 9 s 406.]Notes:Finding—Severability—1990 1st ex.s. c 9: See notes following RCW 28A.225.220.

A school district shall grant academic credit to a pupil enrolled in a course for high school credit if the pupil successfully completes the course. If no comparable course is offered by the school district, the school district superintendent shall determine how many credits to a…

Any state institution of higher education may award postsecondary credit for college-level academic and vocational courses successfully completed by a student while in high school and taken at an institution of higher education. The state institution of higher education shall not…

Transportation to and from the institution of higher education is not the responsibility of the school district.[ 1994 c 205 s 9; 1990 1st ex.s. c 9 s 409.]Notes:Finding—Severability—1990 1st ex.s. c 9: See notes following RCW 28A.225.220.

(1) School districts in Washington and community colleges in Oregon and Idaho may enter into cooperative agreements under chapter 39.34 RCW for the purpose of allowing eleventh and twelfth grade students who are enrolled in the school districts to earn high school and college cre…

The superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the student achievement council shall jointly develop and adopt rules governing RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.380 and 28A.600.402, if rules are necessary. The rules shall be writ…

RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.390 are in addition to and not intended to adversely affect agreements between school districts and institutions of higher education in effect on April 11, 1990.[ 2023 c 350 s 4; 1994 c 205 s 11; 1990 1st ex.s. c 9 s 412.]Notes:Finding—Severability…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6260-S.SL) ***(1) Students participating in running start programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.4 full-time equivalents, including school district and institution of higher education enrollment.(2) In calculating the combined …