Bellevue School District families will find a parental rights measure on ballots arriving in mailboxes around Oct. 16.
Initiative IL26-001, backed by the political committee Let's Go Washington, would restore provisions of the 2024 Parents' Bill of Rights that the Legislature scaled back last year.
The measure goes before voters Nov. 3 after Democratic leaders in Olympia declined to hold hearings on it during the 2026 session.
The initiative would let parents review classroom teaching materials, request their children's school records, and opt students out of activities that ask about sexual attraction, mental health or family religious and political beliefs.
It would also add medical and mental health counseling records to what parents can inspect.
Its most contested provision would require school counselors, therapists and health professionals to disclose information a student shares at school to that student's parents.
What changed and why it's back
The original Parents' Bill of Rights, Initiative 2081, passed the state House 82-15 and the Senate 49-0 in March 2024. It took effect June 6, 2024.
The Legislature then passed House Bill 1296, which Governor Ferguson signed May 20, 2025.
According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the new law created a statement of student rights, expanded nondiscrimination protections and added employee retaliation safeguards.
It also removed a guarantee that parents could access student medical records.
Under current law, students 13 and older can consent to certain treatments without parental knowledge and, in some cases, leave campus for care without a notification going home.
Let's Go Washington, founded by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, collected 416,201 signatures for IL26-001, above the 386,000 threshold, according to the Washington State Standard.
Supporters and opponents
Supporters say the initiative returns decision-making to parents.
KIRO Newsradio host Jake Skorheim, debating the measure on air Thursday, Sept. 3, framed the argument this way: "You can also understand why a parent would say, 'My kid is 13 and doesn't know everything in the world, and it would be good for me as the parent … to have access to that information.'"
Opponents warn the disclosure requirement could endanger children in unsafe homes. The Washington State PTA voted Aug. 28 to oppose the initiative, saying it conflicts with state and federal privacy law and removes the option to notify the Department of Children, Youth, and Families instead of a parent when there is a safety concern.
The PTA also said the measure would strip rights added in 2025, including the ability to file bullying complaints, pursue special education appeals and access language services.
The Washington Education Association, the ACLU of Washington, the League of Women Voters of Washington and the American Academy of Pediatrics also oppose the measure.
More than 100 healthcare providers signed an open letter against it, according to KIRO Newsradio.
The Seattle Times editorial board recommended a "no" vote Saturday, Aug. 29, calling the initiative "poorly written" and warning it could put children in abusive homes at greater risk.
What it means for BSD families
The Bellevue School District has not issued a public position on IL26-001. The district's 2026-2027 official notices page references the current law under ESHB 1296, noting that OSPI began investigating complaints of willful noncompliance with state education laws on July 1.
If voters approve the initiative, it would replace the current parental rights statute entirely. IL26-001 is one of three statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot; the others address an income tax on high earners and transgender students' participation in school sports.
