Procedure No. 4400P

Community Relations

Page 1 of 19

SEDRO-WOOLLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Election Activities

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION

711 Capitol Way Rm. 206, PO Box 40908  Olympia, Washington 98504-0908  (360) 753-1111  FAX (360) 753-1112

Toll Free 1-877-601-2828  E-mail: pdc@pdc.wa.gov  Website: www.pdc.wa.gov

Guidelines for School Districts in Election Campaigns

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE LAW RE: USE OF FACILITIES IN CAMPAIGNS

RCW 42.17.130

Forbids use of public office or agency facilities in campaigns.

No elective official nor any employee of his office nor any person appointed to or employed by

any public office or agency may use or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public office

or agency, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any

person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition. Facilities of

public office or agency include, but are not limited to, use of stationery, postage, machines, and

equipment, use of employees of the office or agency during working hours, vehicles, office

space, publications of the office or agency, and clientele lists of persons served by the office or

agency: PROVIDED, That the foregoing provisions of this section shall not apply to the

following activities:

(1) Action taken at an open public meeting by members of an elected legislative body to

express a collective decision, or to actually vote upon a motion, proposal, resolution,

order, or ordinance, or to support or oppose a ballot proposition so long as (a) any

required notice of the meeting includes the title and number of the ballot proposition, and

(b) members of the legislative body or members of the public are afforded an

approximately equal opportunity for the expression of an opposing view;

(2) A statement by an elected official in support of or in opposition to any ballot proposition

at an open press conference or in response to a specific inquiry;

(3) Activities which are part of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency.

RCW 28A.320.090

Preparing and distributing information on district’s instructional program, operation and

maintenance--Limitation.

The board of directors of any school district shall have authority to authorize the expenditure of

funds for the purpose of preparing and distributing information to the general public to explain

the instructional program, operation and maintenance of the schools of the district: PROVIDED,

That nothing contained herein shall be construed to authorize preparation and distribution of

information to the general public for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a school district

election.

Procedure No. 4400P

Community Relations

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WAC 390-05-271

General applications of RCW 42.17.130.

(1) RCW 42.17.130 does not restrict the right of any individual to express his or her own

personal views concerning, supporting, or opposing any candidate or ballot proposition, if

such expression does not involve a use of the facilities of a public office or agency.

(2) RCW 42.17.130 does not prevent a public office or agency from (a) making facilities

available on a nondiscriminatory, equal access basis for political uses or (b) making an

objective and fair presentation of facts relevant to a ballot proposition, if such action is

part of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency.

WAC 390-05-273

Definition of normal and regular conduct.

Normal and regular conduct of a public office or agency, as that term is used in the proviso to

RCW 42.17.130, means conduct which is (1) lawful, i.e., specifically authorized, either expressly

or by necessary implication, in an appropriate enactment, and (2) usual, i.e., not effected or

authorized in or by some extraordinary means or manner. No local office or agency may

authorize a use of public facilities for the purpose of assisting a candidate's campaign or

promoting or opposing a ballot proposition, in the absence of a constitutional, charter, or

statutory provision separately authorizing such use.

Similar prohibitions on the use of public facilities by state employees and state officers are

described in a memorandum from the Attorney General’s Office regarding RCW 42.52 and

available at www.wa.gov/ago/pubs.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

1. Public facilities may not be used to support or oppose a candidate or ballot proposition.

RCW 42.17.130. Facilities include school district equipment, buildings, supplies,

employee work time, and district publications. The statute includes an exception to the

prohibition for "activities which are part of the normal and regular conduct of the office

or agency.”

2. School districts are authorized by statute to prepare and distribute information to the

general public to explain the instructional program, operation and maintenance of the

schools of the district. This includes informing the community of the needs the district

faces and needs students have that the community may not realize exist. RCW

28A.320.090 which authorizes the board of directors of any school district to expend

funds for this purpose provides that nothing in that statute is to be construed as

authorizing preparation or distribution of information to the general public for the

purpose of influencing the outcome of a school district election.

4. School district employees do not forfeit their rights to engage in political activity because

of their employment. Neither may district employees be subjected to coercion, pressure,

or undue influence to participate in political activity or to take a particular position.

Procedure No. 4400P

Community Relations

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Public officials and employees should make it clear that any participation is personal

rather than officially sponsored.

5. Supervisory school personnel have a duty to know, apply, and communicate to their

staffs the difference between acceptable information activities and inappropriate

promotional activities in support district ballot measures.

6. School directors are free to support school district ballot issues and engage in other

political activities as long as such activities do not make use of district facilities, time or

resources and do not either pressure or condone employees' use of district facilities, time

or resources to support school district ballot issues.

7. The PDC is charged with enforcing RCW 42.17.130. This requires consideration and

analysis of activities, which may or may not be determined to be in violation of the

statute. The PDC has, over the years, developed methods of considering and analyzing

activities engaged in by school districts and public offices. Among the factors considered

are the normal and regular conduct of the district and the timing, tone, and tenor of

activities as compared with ballot measure elections. As in any matter where intent is to

be considered, hard and fast rules, which will be applicable to all situations, are difficult

to establish.

The combination of a number of activities into a coordinated campaign involving close

coordination between district activities and citizens' committee activities which closely

resembles traditional election campaign activities and which is targeted at and/or occurs

close in time to a school district ballot measure election is likely to draw close scrutiny

and careful consideration by the PDC as to whether a violation has occurred.

8.a. Historically, the PDC has routinely advised and held that with respect to election-related

publications, one district wide objective and fair presentation of the facts per ballot

measure is appropriate.

In addition, if a district has also customarily distributed this information through means

other than a district wide mailing (e.g. kid mail, regularly scheduled district or school

newsletter, website, bilingual documents, or other format), that conduct has also been

permitted under RCW 42.17.130 so long as the activity has been normal and regular for

the district.

b. The PDC will presume that every school district may distribute district wide an objective

and fair presentation of the facts for each ballot measure. If the district distributes more

than this district wide single publication, the district must be able to demonstrate to the

PDC that this conduct is normal and regular for that district. In other words, the district

must be able to demonstrate that for other major policy issues facing the district, the

district has customarily communicated with its residents in a manner similar to that

undertaken for the ballot measure.

Districts are urged to read the definitions of "normal and regular" at WAC 390-05-271

and WAC 390-05-273. Districts need to be aware, however, that in no case will the PDC

view a marketing or sales effort related to a campaign or election as normal and regular

conduct.

Procedure No. 4400P

Community Relations

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USE OF THE GUIDELINES

This document is intended to assist school districts, employees, directors, and others in

complying with the requirements of the Washington State statutes, regulations, and case law

governing school districts and election campaigns. As noted in the principles, hard and fast rules

are difficult to establish for every fact pattern that may appear in the course of election

campaigns. The “General Considerations” column in the chart applies to the entire category and

is not limited to the specific bullet point immediately to the left of the general consideration.

Situations may arise which are not squarely addressed by the guidelines or which merit

additional discussion. The PDC urges districts to review the guidelines in their entirety, and to

consult with their own legal counsel and with the PDC. The PDC can be reached at 1-877-601-

2828.

Procedure 4400P

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Public Disclosure Commission

Guidelines for School Districts in Election Campaigns

Persons Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Principals or

Building

Administrators

 May inform staff during non-work

hours1

of opportunities to participate

in campaign activities.2

 Shall not pressure or coerce

employees to participate in

campaign activities.

 Has there been communications

with staff and with union

representatives regarding the

prohibition on the use of the

school’s internal mail or email

system to support or oppose a

ballot measure?

 Are encouraged to communicate to

staff the difference between

acceptable and unacceptable activities

related to a ballot measure.

 Shall not use internal memoranda

solely for the purpose of informing

employees of meetings supporting

or opposing ballot measures.

 In the course of normal publications

for the school, may distribute an

objective and fair presentation of the

facts3

based on and expanded upon the

information4

prepared by the district

in accordance with the normal and

regular conduct of the school and the

district.5

 Shall not coordinate informational

activities with campaign efforts, in

a manner that makes the district

appear to be supporting or opposing

a ballot measure.

 Is the distribution of this

information consistent with the

normal practices of the school

(such as kid mail, newsletters,

websites, or some other format)?

1 Districts may set the definition of work hours for their employees. For example, to the extent that a district defines the lunch hour as a non-work hour, activities to

support or oppose a candidate or a ballot measure that do not use public resources and that are held away from district facilities are permitted during the lunch

hour.

2 RCW 42.17.680(2) provides that “[n]o employer or labor organization may discriminate against an officer or employee in the terms or conditions of employment

for (a) the failure to contribute to, (b) the failure in any way to support or oppose, or (c) in any way supporting or opposing a candidate, ballot proposition, political

party, or political committee.”

3 Throughout these guidelines, the clause “objective and fair presentation of the facts” means that in addition to presenting the facts, the materials should present

accurately the costs and other anticipated impacts of a ballot measure.

4 For the purposes of these guidelines, “information” refers to the documents prepared, printed, and mailed districtwide by the district’s central administration solely

for the purposes of informing residents regarding an upcoming ballot measure. The district and a school may continue to distribute information consistent with the

customary practices of the district and a school, including but not limited to kid mail, newsletters, websites, and multi-lingual documents. These publications may

continue, but if they discuss the ballot measure, the information should be an objective and fair presentation of the facts.

5 For the purpose of these guidelines, the term “normal and regular” is defined in WAC 390-05-273 and clarified further by WAC 390-05-271.

Procedure 4400P

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Persons Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Principals or

Building

Administrators

(continued)

 May speak at community forums and

clubs to present factual and objective

information on a ballot measure

during regular work hours.

 Shall not use public resources to

operate a speakers’ bureau in a

manner that may be viewed as

promoting a ballot measure.

 Is the information provided an

objective and fair presentation of

the facts?

 May encourage staff and members of

the public to vote, as long as such

encouragement routinely occurs for

other elections.

 Is the activity consistent with the

school’s normal and regular

course of business?

 May respond to questions regarding a

ballot measure if such activity is

consistent with his or her normal and

regular duties.

 Do the materials accurately

present the costs and other

anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure?

 May wear campaign buttons or similar

items while on the job if the district’s

policy generally permits employees to

wear political buttons.

 May engage in campaign activities on

their own time, during non-work

hours and without using public

resources.

PTSAs  May use school facilities for meetings

supporting or opposing a ballot

measure to the extent that the facilities

are made available on an equal access,

nondiscriminatory basis, and it is part

of the normal and regular activity of

the district.

 Shall not use school facilities to

produce materials that support or

oppose a ballot measure, unless the

district offers printing services on

an equal access, nondiscriminatory

basis to others.

Procedure 4400P

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PTSAs

(continued)

 May print and distribute a separate

newsletter advocating support for the

ballot measure so long as no district

resources are used (such as kid mail,

newsletters, websites, or some other

format).

 Shall not print and distribute

materials promoting the ballot

measure in the school newsletter.

 May remind voters of upcoming

election dates in the PTSA newsletter

or in their part of the school

newsletter.

 Shall not use a school or districtsponsored event to promote or

oppose a candidate or a ballot

measure.

School Boards  May collectively vote to support or

oppose a ballot measure at a properly

noticed public meeting, where

opponents of the measure are given an

equal opportunity to express views.6

 Shall not pressure or coerce the

superintendent to participate in

campaign activities.

 Shall not explicitly include passage

of a ballot measure in the district’s

annual goals.

School Board

Members

 May engage in political activities on

his or her own time, if no public

equipment, vehicle or facility is used.

(An elected official may use his or her

title, but should clarify that he/she is

speaking on his/her own behalf, and

not on behalf of the district. If the

board has adopted a resolution, the

board member can then speak on

behalf of the district.)

 Shall not direct district staff to

perform tasks to support or oppose

campaign activities or ballot

measures.

 Shall not use public facilities or

resources in engaging in political

activities.

 Is the board member using staff

time, a public vehicle, or other

public resources?

 Has the board adopted a

resolution? If yes, the board

member can speak on behalf of the

district. If not, has the board

member made it clear that he or

she is not speaking on behalf of

the district?

6 RCW 42.17.130(1) provides that action may be “taken at an open public meeting by members of an elected legislative body to express a collective decision, or to

actually vote upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or ordinance, or to support or oppose a ballot proposition so long as (a) any required notice of the meeting

includes the title and number of the ballot proposition, and (b) members of the legislative body or members of the public are afforded an approximately equal

opportunity for the expression of an opposing view.”

Procedure 4400P

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Students  Students may originate school projects

for credit that promote or oppose

candidates or ballot measures.

 Student school projects supporting

or opposing ballot measures shall

not use public resources that are not

regularly and routinely made

available for other student projects.

 Is the school project studentinitiated?

 Students may use public resources to

carry out school projects promoting or

opposing ballot measures, to the

extent that such resources are

regularly and routinely made available

for other student projects.

 Teachers shall not assign school

projects to students that require

creating or distributing materials to

influence an election’s outcome.

 Is the district using the student

project to influence the outcome

of an election?

 District employees and officials

shall not use student projects to

influence an election’s outcome.

Superintendents or

Their Designees

 May speak at community forums and

clubs to present an objective and fair

presentation of the facts on a ballot

measure during regular work hours.7

 Shall not use public resources to

operate a speakers’ bureau in a

manner that may be viewed as

promoting a ballot measure.

 Is the superintendent using public

resources in a manner that

promotes or opposes a candidate

or a ballot measure?

 May fully participate in campaign

activities, including meeting with

citizens’ campaign committees to plan

strategies, during non-work hours and

without the use of public resources.

 Shall not use public resources to

promote or defeat a candidate or

ballot measure.

 Does the presentation accurately

present the costs and other

anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure?

Superintendents or

Their Designees

(continued)

 May inform staff during non-work

hours of opportunities to participate in

campaign activities without using

public resources.

 Shall not pressure or coerce

employees to participate in

campaign activities.

 May respond to questions regarding a

ballot measure if such activity is

consistent with his or her normal and

regular duties.

 Shall not use district resources to

organize the distribution of

campaign materials.

7 Districts may set the definition of work hours for their employees. For example, to the extent that a district defines the lunch hour as a non-work hour, activities to

support or oppose a candidate or a ballot measure that do not use public resources and that are held away from district facilities are permitted during the lunch

hour.

Procedure 4400P

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 May wear campaign buttons or similar

items while on the job if the district’s

policy generally permits employees to

wear political buttons.

 Does the district have a policy

permitting employees to wear

political buttons?

 May place window signs or bumper

stickers on their privately-owned cars,

even if those cars are parked on school

property during working hours.

 Are encouraged to communicate to

staff the difference between

acceptable and unacceptable activities

related to a ballot measure.

 May encourage staff and members of

the public to vote, as long as such

encouragement routinely occurs for

other elections.

Teachers or Other

Employees

 May speak at community forums and

clubs to present an objective and fair

presentation of the facts on a ballot

measure during regular work hours if

such activity is consistent with his or

her normal and regular duties.

 May inform staff during non-work

hours of opportunities to participate in

campaign activities without using

public resources.

 Shall not use work hours or public

resources to promote or oppose a

candidate or ballot measure (such as

gathering signatures, distributing

campaign materials, arranging

speaking engagements,

coordinating phone banks, or

fundraising).

 Do the presentations accurately

present the costs and other

anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure?

 Is the employee acting on his or

her own time, during non-work

hours?

 May engage in campaign activities on

their own time, during non-work

hours and without using public

resources.

 Shall not pressure or coerce other

employees to participate in

campaign activities.

 Is the employee using public

resources in a matter that

promotes or defeats a candidate or

a ballot measure?

Procedure 4400P

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 May respond to questions regarding a

ballot measure if such activity is

consistent with his or her normal and

regular duties.

 May wear campaign buttons or similar

items while on the job if the district’s

policy generally allows employees to

wear political buttons.

 Does the district have a policy

permitting employees to wear

political buttons?

 May, during non-work hours, make

available campaign materials to

employees in lunchrooms and break

rooms, which are used only by staff or

other authorized individuals.

 Shall not use district resources to

organize the distribution of

campaign materials.

Teachers or Other

Employees

(continued)

 May place window signs or bumper

stickers on their cars, even if those

cars are parked on school property

during working hours.

 May encourage staff and members of

the public to vote, as long as such

encouragement routinely occurs for

other elections.

Union

Representatives

 May, during non-work hours, make

available campaign materials to union

members in lunchrooms and break

rooms, which are used only by staff or

other authorized individuals.

 Shall not use the school’s internal

mail or email system to

communicate campaign-related

information, including

endorsements.

 Are campaign materials made

available only in those areas used

solely by staff or other authorized

individuals?

 May distribute campaign materials at

union-sponsored meetings.

 Shall not distribute promotional

materials in classrooms or other

public areas.

 Does such distribution occur

during non-work hours?

Procedure 4400P

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 May post campaign materials on a

bulletin board, if such a board is in an

area that is not accessible to the

general public and if such activity is

consistent with the district’s policy

and the collective bargaining

agreements.

Procedure 4400P

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Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Equipment and

Supplies

 District employees, in the course of

their employment, may use equipment

(including but not limited to projectors

and computers) to make an objective

and fair presentation of the facts at

community forums and clubs.

 Public resources (including but not

limited to internal mail systems,

email systems, copiers, telephone)

shall not be used to support or

oppose a candidate or ballot

measure, whether during or

outside of work hours.

 Do the presentations fairly and

objectively present the costs and

other anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure?

 District employees, in the course of

their employment, may produce

information that is an objective and

fair presentation of the facts using

public resources.

 Citizens’ campaign committees

and other community groups shall

not use district equipment

(including but not limited to

internal mail systems, projectors,

computers, and copiers) to prepare

materials for meetings regarding

ballot measures.

Meeting Facilities  District meeting facilities, including

audio visual equipment, may be used

by campaign committees for activities

on the same terms and conditions

available to other community groups,

subject to the provisions of the

district’s policy.

 Can community groups typically

use school facilities?

 Are facilities made available to all

groups on the same terms?

 Has the district adopted a policy

regarding the distribution of

campaign materials on district

property?

Procedure 4400P

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Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Lists  Lists of names (such as district

vendors or parents) that a district has

obtained or created in the course of

transacting its regular public business

are subject to public disclosure

requirements; thus, unless otherwise

exempt, the lists must be released

subject to public records requests.

 Districts shall not sell copies of

such lists (though they may charge

a pre-established fee to recover the

costs of providing copies of the

lists).

 Is the list obtained or created in the

course of the district transacting its

public business?

 Districts may charge a pre-established

fee to cover the costs of providing

copies of such lists on an equal access,

nondiscriminatory basis.

 If a list is generally available as a

public record, it cannot be denied

to a person or group on the

grounds that it might be used in a

campaign.

 Are the fees charged no greater than

necessary to cover the costs of

providing copies?

 Has the district complied with laws

governing access to public records,

including those regarding student

records, and district policy in

responding to any public record

requests?

Voting Information  District personnel may encourage staff

and members of the public to vote, as

long as such encouragement routinely

occurs for other elections.

 Districts shall not pressure or

coerce employees to vote.

 Is the activity related to providing

voting information for elections, as

opposed to advocating for or

against a particular candidate or

ballot measure?

 Public facilities may be used to

register people to vote and to do

periodic poll checking.

 Districts shall not organize an

effort to encourage staff to wear

campaign buttons or display

campaign materials.

Procedure 4400P

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Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

District

Publications

(Specific to

Elections)

 Districts may develop an objective

and fair presentation of the facts

regarding district needs and the

anticipated impact of a ballot measure,

and may distribute it in the district’s

customary manner. This information8

may be printed in various languages

and communicated in other formats as

required by the ADA.

 Districts shall not distribute

election-related information in a

manner that targets specific

subgroups. Targeting does not

refer to mailing information to

district constituencies such as

parents, families within a service

region, community leaders, or

some other group, or to the

district’s regular distribution list to

provide information in a manner

that is consistent with the normal

and regular conduct of the district.

 Does the information provide an

objective and fair presentation of

the facts?

 Is the format and style including

tone and tenor, of the information

presented in an objective and fair

manner?

 In the course of regular publications

for the district, the district may

distribute an objective and fair

presentation of the facts for each

ballot measure in accordance with the

normal and regular conduct of the

district.

 Districts shall not publicize

information supporting or

opposing a candidate or ballot

measure.

 Is the timing and the distribution of

the information normal and regular

for the district?

 Districts shall not use

electioneering or promotional

expressions such as “the levy will

cost the average family a pizza a

week.”

 Do the materials accurately present

the costs and other anticipated

impacts of a ballot measure?

8 For the purposes of these guidelines, “information” refers to the documents prepared, printed, and mailed districtwide by the district’s central administration solely

for the purposes of informing residents regarding an upcoming ballot measure. The district and a school may continue to distribute information consistent with the

customary practices of the district and a school, including but not limited to kid mail, newsletters, websites, and multi-lingual documents. These publications may

continue, but if they discuss the ballot measure, the information should be an objective and fair presentation of the facts.

Procedure 4400P

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Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

District

Publications

(Specific to

Elections)

(continued)

 Does the district typically distribute

information by kid mail,

newsletters, websites, or some other

format?

District

Publications

(Regular)

 Districts may include all or part of the

information regarding district needs

and the anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure in the district’s regular

publications, such as district and

school newsletters. (For example, a

school newsletter may specifically

describe the projects and/or programs

planned for that school.)

 Districts shall not use internal

memoranda or other district

publications to encourage

employees to participate in

campaign activities.

 Does the district routinely distribute

such information?

 Districts may inform staff and/or

parents of community meetings

related to ballot measures if other such

information is normally published in a

newsletter or community calendar,

and if both those supporting or

opposing a ballot measure have the

opportunity to appear on the calendar

or in the newsletter.

 Districts shall not publish

materials supporting or opposing a

candidate or ballot measure.

 Does the district normally inform

staff and/or parents of community

activities and meetings?

Procedure 4400P

Page 16 of 19

Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

District

Publications

(Regular)

(continued)

 Districts may factually report school

board support for a ballot measure, so

long as it is the normal and regular

conduct for the district. (For example,

a community newsletter that

ordinarily reports on board actions

may report that the board adopted a

resolution supporting the district’s

ballot measure.)

 Is the information presented in an

objective and fair manner?

 Is the district engaging in

significantly different activities

during the time period immediately

prior to the ballot measure

compared to all other times of the

school year?

 Districts may thank citizens for their

support after an election in district

publications.

Reader

Boards/Posters

 Information encouraging staff and

members of the public to vote, or

providing the dates of upcoming

elections such as “vote on February

___”, may be posted, as long as such

encouragement is customarily posted

for elections other than just a district

ballot measure.

 Districts shall not display a “vote

schools” sign or other promotional

messages on reader boards or

posters.

 Districts may thank citizens on their

reader boards for their support after an

election.

 Signs advocating for or against

candidates or ballot measures shall

not be posted on district property

in any area accessible to the

general public or in classrooms.

Procedure 4400P

Page 17 of 19

Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Reader

Boards/Poster

(continued)

 Union representatives/employees may

post campaign materials on a bulletin

board, if such a board is in an area that

is only accessible to staff or other

authorized individuals and if such

activity is consistent with the district’s

policy and collective bargaining

agreements.

 Publicly owned vehicles shall not

be used to carry or display

political material.

Surveys and

Research

 Districts may conduct surveys and/or

other community research, including

demographic questions, to determine

the community’s priorities, public

perception of district performance,

and/or to inform the community about

district programs and policies.

 Districts shall not conduct surveys

to determine what taxation level

the public would support.

 Has the school board passed a

resolution authorizing a measure to

be placed on the ballot? (If so,

actions may be more closely

scrutinized.)

 Districts may conduct community

research (including but not limited to

the use of questionnaires, surveys,

workshops, focus groups, and forums)

to determine the community’s

priorities for both programs and/or

facilities and their associated total

costs and projected dollars per

thousand assessment.

 Districts shall not conduct surveys

designed to shore up support or

opposition for a ballot measure.

 Does the election-related survey

target specific subgroups?

Procedure 4400P

Page 18 of 19

Activities and

Resources Permitted Not Permitted General Considerations

Surveys and

Research

(continued)

 The surveys and/or other community

research can be conducted before or

after the school board has approved a

resolution to place a ballot measure on

the ballot. However, research

conducted after the adoption of the

resolution may be subject to greater

scrutiny.

 Districts shall not target registered

voters or other specific subgroups

of district residents in conducting

their election-related surveys.

 Is the survey or community

research consistent with normal and

regular activities of the district?

 Districts may publish survey results if

it is consistent with the normal and

regular conduct of the district.

 Districts shall not use survey

results in a manner designed to

support or oppose a candidate or

ballot measure.

Technology

(websites, emails,

computerized

calling systems)

 A district may develop an objective

and fair presentation of the facts and

post that information on its website,

including information regarding

district needs and the anticipated

impacts of a ballot measure. This

information may be reformatted so

that it is consistent with the manner in

which the district customarily presents

information on its website.

 District computers, email systems,

telephones, and other information

technology systems shall not be

used to aid a campaign for or

against a candidate or ballot

measure or otherwise to support a

candidate or ballot measure.

 Are the materials developed an

objective and fair presentation of

the facts?

 District websites may permit viewers

to make selections to learn about the

anticipated impacts of a ballot

measure for a specific school, or

otherwise allow readers to explore

issues in greater or lesser detail.

 Electronic communication systems

shall not be used to generate or

forward information that supports

or opposes a candidate or ballot

measure.

 Is the district engaging in

significantly different activities

during the time period immediately

prior to the ballot measure

compared to all other times of the

school year?

Procedure 4400P

Page 19 of 19

Technology

(websites, emails,

computerized

calling systems)

(continued)

 Districts may update the information

on their websites in a manner that is

customary for the district.

 District websites shall not be used

for the purposes of supporting or

opposing a candidate or ballot

measure.

 Do the materials accurately present

the costs and other anticipated

impacts of a ballot measure?

 Staff may respond to inquiries

regarding a ballot measure in an

objective and fair manner, via email or

by telephone if it is part of their

normal and regular duties.

 Has there been communications

with staff and with union

representatives regarding the

prohibition on the use of the

school’s technology to support or

oppose a ballot measure?

Note on Timing of Activities: A particular activity may be subject to the scrutiny of the Public Disclosure Commission depending in part on

whether it is a part of the “normal and ordinary” conduct of a district or a school. Generally, activities that occur after a school board has passed a

resolution authorizing a measure to be placed on the ballot will be subject to greater scrutiny by the Public Disclosure Commission than those

occurring before such a resolution has been passed.

Note on District Policies: The application of these guidelines is also subject to each district’s own policies as adopted by the school board.

Sedro-Woolley School District

Series - 4000 Community Relations

Communications With The Public

4000 - Public Information Program

4000P - Procedure (Public Information Program)

4010 - Staff Communications Responsibilites

4020 - Confidential Communication

4040 - Public Access to District Records

4040P - Procedure (Public Access to District Records)

4050 - Endorsement of Educational Materials

4060 - Distribution of Materials

4060P - Procedure (Distribution of Materials)

4070 - Recognition of Staff & Community Members

Public Participation In The Schools

4110 - Citizen's Advisory Committees & Task Forces

4110P - Procedure (Citizen's Advisory Committees & Task Forces)

4120 - School Support Organizations

4120P - Procedure (School Support Organizations)

4130 - Title I/LAP Parent Involvement

4130P - Procedure (Title I/LAP Parent Involvement)

Public Access To Schools, Staff And Students

4200 - Safe & Orderly Learning Environment

4200P - Procedure (Safe & Orderly Learning Environment)

4205 - Video Surveillance

4205P - Procedure (Video Surveillance)

4210 - Regulation of Dangerous Weapons on School Premises

4215 - Use of Tobacco on School Property

4217 - Effective Communications

4217F Form (Effective Communications)

4217P Procedure (Effective Communications)

4218 - Language Access Plan

4218P - Procedure (Language Access Plan)

4220 - Complaints Concerning Staff or Programs

4220P - Procedure (Complaints Concerning Staff or Programs)

4235 - Public Performances

4237 - Contests, Advertising & Promotions

4260 - Use of School Facilities

4260F - Form (Use of School Facilities)

4260P - Procedure (Use of School Facilities)

4262 - Community Emergency

Relations With Other Agencies And Schools

4310 - Relations with Law Enforcement, Child Protective & County Health Department

4314 - Notifications of Threats of Violence or Harm

4314P - Procedure (Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm)

4320 - Cooperative Programs with Other Districts & Public Agencies

4330 - Cooperation with Private & Parochial Schools & Day Care Agencies

4400 - Election Activities

4400P - Procedure (Election Activities)