Democrats look to allow noncitizens to serve on school boards
OLYMPIA — Lama Chikh had made her presence felt in the Shoreline School District as a dedicated employee and active parent for years when, last fall, a vacancy on the school board offered an opportunity to take her service to the next level.
The mother of two school-aged boys earned the appointment in November and was minutes from getting sworn in when the phone rang. District officials wanted to know if the Syrian native was a citizen.
“I said no,” she recounted. She is a legal permanent resident.
It cost her the post because state law says only citizens can hold elected office.
“I came from Syria where I really had no voice. Once here, I started to smell and to breathe liberty. You have a voice,” she said. “I started to participate in education. My focus was families who don’t have a voice. This is community service. There’s no difference to me between a citizen and a lawful resident, except the vote, but I understand.”
Read more: https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/democrats-look-to-allow-noncitizens-to-serve-on-school-boards/
