Washington ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Washington Initiative Measure No. IL26-001, explained

Parental rights in public schools. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

Initiative Measure No. IL26-001 concerns parental rights relating to their children in public school. This measure would repeal amendments to a statute listing certain rights of parents and guardians of public-school children and re-enact the law as it was originally enacted by Initiative to the Legislature 2081. Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

In 2024 the Legislature passed Initiative 2081, a list of parents' rights in public schools. In 2025 it rewrote that list. This measure undoes the 2025 changes and restores the 2024 version, which includes faster access to student records and notice before medical services are offered, but drops several rights the 2025 law added.

If you vote YES

Parents could examine textbooks and curriculum without the limit of school policies, and schools would have to provide a broader set of student records within 10 business days instead of 45, without charging for electronic copies; the carve-out saying health care records are governed by separate disclosure laws would be removed.
Parents would have a right to prior notice when medical services are offered (except emergencies), notice of services that could affect their costs, and notice of school-arranged treatment needing follow-up care.
Notice and opt-out rights would expand to surveys about sexual experiences, family beliefs or religion, and mental health, and parents could opt children out of instruction on topics associated with sexual activity.
The 2025 law's rights to immediate notice when a child is the alleged victim of abuse or misconduct by a school employee, to a non-discriminatory school setting, to file bullying complaints, and to enrollment, language access and special education rights listed in the statute would be removed; a right to assurance against discrimination based on the family's sincerely held religious beliefs would be added.
No state fiscal impact; school districts may have minor, indeterminate costs to update policies.

If you vote NO

The 2025 version of the parental rights statute would remain, including records within 45 days, access to materials according to school policies, and the existing carve-out for health care records.
Parents would keep the 2025 law's listed rights to immediate notice when a child is the alleged victim of abuse or misconduct by school staff, to a school setting free of discrimination on listed grounds, to file bullying complaints, and to language access and special education services.
There would be no general right in this statute to prior notice before non-emergency medical services are offered.

The numbers that matter

State fiscal impact: None
Deadline to provide student records: 10 business days (currently 45 days)
Effective date if approved: December 3, 2026

Why supporters say YES

Parents should have access to their child's materials and records, notice of medical services and immediate notice when police question their child; school policies should not withhold information from all parents, including when a child expresses a new gender identity at school.
— Official voters' pamphlet argument for, written by Travis Reep, Alesha Perkins, La Center School District Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz, Tony Harris, Amy Sousa and Jess Grant
The measure keeps safeguards: schools need not release mental health counseling records when a parent is the target of an abuse or neglect investigation, and it contains no mandates that put students in danger.
— Official rebuttal of the argument against, same authors (campaign led by Let's Go Washington)

Why opponents say NO

The measure would require schools to hand sensitive information to parents under investigation for abusing their own child and would end the requirement that schools immediately notify parents when a child is the victim of a crime at school.
— Official voters' pamphlet argument against, written by Sen. John Lovick, the Washington Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the Washington State Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters of Washington, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates and school counselor Jaime Fineman-McKinney
Students facing abuse or bullying could be discouraged from seeking help at school, and LGBTQ+ students could be put at risk by being outed to their families.
— Official voters' pamphlet argument against (No Hate in WA State)

What’s genuinely uncertain

The two sides disagree about how the restored law would treat records and notifications for students who are abuse victims; the Attorney General's explanatory statement describes which provisions would be removed but not how schools would apply them in individual cases.
Many listed rights already exist elsewhere in state or federal law, according to the Attorney General, so removing them from this statute would not necessarily eliminate them.

The bottom line

More parental access to records, materials and medical notices, against losing several protections and notifications the 2025 law added for students.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:sos.wa.gov sos.wa.gov sos.wa.gov sos.wa.gov ballotpedia.org

Checking it against the official text

The Washington Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Washington Secretary of State.

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