Employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements in dissolved financially insolvent districts.
RCW 28A.315.229
in effect(1) As of the effective date of dissolution of a financially insolvent district, all existing employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements of the financially insolvent district shall be extinguished. (2) School districts that annex or receive territory from a financially insolvent district have full authority to constitute their workforces, and have no duty to bargain with, or observe the former wages and working conditions of, any former employees of a financially insolvent district who may be hired; rather, any employees hired from a financially insolvent district become part of the appropriate bargaining units, if any, of the annexing or receiving district, and their wages and working conditions are defined by the terms of the annexing or receiving district's bargaining agreements or other policies or conditions of employment. (3) Certificated employees of a district that is dissolved due to financial insolvency have no continuing contract or appeal rights under RCW 28A.405.210 through 28A.405.380 or other law, nor do certificated or classified employees of a district dissolved due to financial insolvency have any resort to grievance or arbitration under a collective bargaining agreement, and any inconsistent provision of any individual contract or collective bargaining agreement is null and void. Sufficient cause for nonrenewal or discharge of such certificated and classified personnel is deemed to exist by sole virtue of the employer district's dissolution for financial insolvency. Notice of nonrenewal or discharge under such circumstances may be given by the educational service district superintendent without regard to date. Any appeal must be addressed to the educational service district board on an expedited basis according to rules established by the superintendent of public instruction, and must be confined to the issue of whether the employer district is dissolved for reasons of financial insolvency. There is no judicial review for the educational service district board's decisions in these matters.
(1) As of the effective date of dissolution of a financially insolvent district, all existing employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements of the financially insolvent district shall be extinguished.
(2) School districts that annex or receive territory from a financially insolvent district have full authority to constitute their workforces, and have no duty to bargain with, or observe the former wages and working conditions of, any former employees of a financially insolvent district who may be hired; rather, any employees hired from a financially insolvent district become part of the appropriate bargaining units, if any, of the annexing or receiving district, and their wages and working conditions are defined by the terms of the annexing or receiving district's bargaining agreements or other policies or conditions of employment.
(3) Certificated employees of a district that is dissolved due to financial insolvency have no continuing contract or appeal rights under RCW 28A.405.210 through 28A.405.380 or other law, nor do certificated or classified employees of a district dissolved due to financial insolvency have any resort to grievance or arbitration under a collective bargaining agreement, and any inconsistent provision of any individual contract or collective bargaining agreement is null and void. Sufficient cause for nonrenewal or discharge of such certificated and classified personnel is deemed to exist by sole virtue of the employer district's dissolution for financial insolvency. Notice of nonrenewal or discharge under such circumstances may be given by the educational service district superintendent without regard to date. Any appeal must be addressed to the educational service district board on an expedited basis according to rules established by the superintendent of public instruction, and must be confined to the issue of whether the employer district is dissolved for reasons of financial insolvency. There is no judicial review for the educational service district board's decisions in these matters.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.315&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026