Directors may abstain from voting. Their abstention or dissent is recorded in the minutes but does not invalidate board action. A dissenting member generally does not sign off on items they opposed, unless district policy requires otherwise.
Reasons to Abstain or Dissent
A school director might abstain from a vote when they have a conflict of interest, lack sufficient information, have legal or ethical concerns, or simply hold a neutral position.
Dissent is more active. It is a definitive and public expression of opposition to a board action. A director may dissent for several reasons, such as when they object to the action and wish to publicly record their opposition. Other reasons may include disagreement on the merit, or to establish a legal record of their vote. Washington law typically presumes the assent of all directors unless dissent is formally recorded.
The key difference lies in the director’s stance and the impact on the outcome: abstaining is neutral and doesn’t affect the vote count, while dissenting is oppositional and directly affects the vote. Neither action affects quorum.