Open Public Meetings

The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors generally holds regular business meetings and study sessions twice each month. Meetings are held in the Board Room at the L.E. Scarr Resource Center, located at 16250 NE 74th Street in Redmond.

Regular School Board meetings begin at 7 p.m. During these meetings, the Board conducts its formal business, including monitoring student outcomes and district performance aligned to Board policy, taking action on agenda items, and engaging in public deliberation. The Board’s work in these meetings is focused on governance including setting direction, monitoring results, and ensuring accountability.

Public comment is included as part of the meeting agenda, providing community members an opportunity to address the Board on topics related to Board work and district priorities.

Learn more and sign up for public comment

Board meetings are livestreamed through the Board meeting portal and archived on the Lake Washington School District Board Meetings YouTube channel.

Study sessions provide an opportunity for the Board to learn more about specific topics, review data, and deepen its understanding of district programs, initiatives, and performance. These sessions support informed decision-making but do not include formal Board action.

Study sessions are typically held prior to business meetings, often beginning at 5 p.m.

From time to time, the Board may meet in executive session, which are closed portions of an otherwise open public meeting. Executive sessions are not open to the public and are limited to specific purposes permitted under Washington State law.

These topics may include:

• Personnel matters
• Legal issues
• Real estate transactions
• Other legally defined matters

Executive sessions are publicly announced, including the purpose and expected duration. No final action is taken during an executive session; all formal decisions are made in open session.

Closed Meetings

In limited circumstances, the Board may conduct a closed meeting, which is separate from a regular public meeting and is not open to the public.

Closed meetings are only held when authorized under law and may include:

• Quasi-judicial proceedings, such as formal appeals
• Student discipline hearings or appeals
• discussions related to collective bargaining
• Other proceedings required to be conducted in a closed setting

Unlike executive sessions, which occur as part of an open meeting, closed meetings are separate proceedings governed by specific legal requirements and procedures. When required, the Board serves as the final district-level decision-maker in matters brought before it through these processes.

Transparency and Alignment with the Law

The Board is committed to conducting its work transparently and uses executive sessions and closed meetings only when required or permitted by law.