School Board District Redistricting

Seattle School Board of Directors Redistricting

The Seattle School Board approved the new School Board director district boundaries on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022.

This process does not affect where students go to school. Director district boundaries are different from school attendance area boundaries.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and the Seattle School Board spent time this fall redistricting current director districts. This means updating the boundaries of existing School Board director districts.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during this process. Public input was reviewed and considered by the School Board during the redistricting process.

Learn more about your district and the School Board directors.

Not sure which School Board district you live in? There are seven director districts throughout Seattle. Visit the board of directors’ webpage for information about each School Board director and the current director districts. The new districts will be in effect for directors elected in 2023 and subsequent elections.

All Seattle School Board directors are elected citywide in the general election. School Board Directors are responsible for serving all schools in SPS, not only those located in their represented district.

What are School Board Director Districts?

The Seattle School Board is made up of seven director positions covering different geographic areas in the city. However, all School Board Directors serve all SPS schools and are elected citywide in the general election.

Director district boundaries are different from school attendance area boundaries. This redistricting process will not affect where students go to school.

Requirements for Director Districts

Seattle Public Schools is required to redraw the boundaries of its seven Board of Directors’ districts every 10 years, following the U.S. Census. The Seattle School Board is now undertaking a redistricting process to ensure the director districts are of nearly equal population utilizing 2020 U.S. Census data.

This redistricting process will only impact the boundaries for director districts, within which directors elected in 2023 and subsequent elections must reside and for which voters must reside for the primary election. All directors are elected citywide in the general election and are charged with serving on behalf of the entire district.

Under state law, the Seattle School Board is divided into seven director districts that must be of nearly equal population, as compact as possible, consist of geographically contiguous area, not favor or disfavor any racial group or political party, and, to the extent feasible, coincide with existing recognized natural boundaries and, to the extent possible, preserve existing communities of related and mutual interest.

Population, for purposes of director districts, refers to census population data and is not a measure of the number of Seattle Public Schools students that reside within each director district, the number of registered voters, or concentration of schools within a given region of the city.

The Seattle School Board, and other jurisdictions not scheduled to hold elections this year, must prepare a plan for redistricting by November 15, 2022.

Redistricting Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of a School Board Director and what would a shift to a new director district mean for my school or my family?

All directors are elected citywide in the general election and are charged with serving on behalf of the entire district. This redistricting process will only impact the boundaries for director districts, within which directors elected in 2023 and subsequent elections must reside and for which voters must reside for the primary election.

Read about the role of the Board.
Read about the Board’s work to improve student outcomes through district governance.

Why is the Board made up of directors from different geographic regions? Why are the proposed director district boundaries drawn as they are? Why are some bigger and others smaller geographically?

State law requires the division of the Seattle School District into seven geographically distinct director districts.

Under state law, the director districts must be of nearly equal population, as compact as possible, consist of geographically contiguous area, not favor or disfavor any racial group or political party, and, to the extent feasible, coincide with existing recognized natural boundaries and, to the extent possible, preserve existing communities of related and mutual interest. Read more about these requirements: August 31 Presentation to Seattle School Board by FLO Analytics (see slides 7-11)

Because of varying population density throughout the city, some districts cover larger geographic areas than others.

How is equity analysis used in the development of the Redistricting Plan?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Washington State Voting Rights Act (RCW 29A.92) protect against vote dilution based on race and ethnicity. In reviewing existing director districts and developing the redistricting scenarios for public and Board feedback, FLO Analytics reviewed census population data to analyze the impact of proposed boundary changes.

Population analysis with race and ethnicity data for the Draft Redistricting Plan is included in the Board Action Report for the Draft Redistricting Plan

State law requires that director districts contain nearly equal population numbers and does not allow for drawing boundaries resulting in a population imbalance in order to balance other factors such as geographic representation or student populations.

What does population mean for purposes of the Draft Redistricting Plan? Does it take into account the number of schools, number of Seattle Public Schools Students, number of registered voters, or projected growth?

Population, for purposes of director districts, refers to census population data from the census completed in 2020.

The district redistricts School Board Director districts every 10 years after each census to rebalance the population in director districts following varied growth patterns throughout the city.

Population, for this purpose, is not a measure of the number of Seattle Public Schools students that reside within a director district. Nor does it relate to the concentration of schools within a given region of the city.

Draft Redistricting Plan

SPS Board Redistricting Map (updated 10/12/2022) The School Board substituted an updated draft redistricting plan at the Oct. 12 School Board meeting. The School Board’s new draft redistricting plan was up for final action on October 26. View the calendar entry for the Oct. 26 School Board meeting.

Timeline for Director District Redistricting

August – November 2022

Redistricting consultant FLO Analytics has been hired by the district to analyze current director district population data and develop potential redistricting maps that align with legal requirements. The following are planned dates for providing public comment on redistricting and for the School Board’s consideration. The information on this page and the following timeline will be updated as the redistricting process progresses.

Aug. 24 Executive Committee Meeting: Briefing on redistricting process for the School Board’s Executive Committee

Aug. 31 Regular Board Meeting: Presentation on redistricting process by FLO Analytics. View the calendar entry for this meeting.

Sept. 21 Executive Committee Meeting: The Committee considered a Board Action Report providing three potential maps developed by FLO Analytics for the district’s draft redistricting plan.

The Committee reviewed the three scenarios and selected scenario 1 to recommend to the Board as the district’s redistricting plan. Two other maps, scenario 2 and scenario 3, were considered as alternatives but not recommended by the committee. Online Scenario Viewer.

Sept. 21: Draft redistricting plan posted to this webpage for written public comment through Let’s Talk.

Sept. 28 Regular Board Meeting: Board Action Report for redistricting plan introduced to the School Board and public comment taken remotely and in-person through a public hearing.

Oct. 12 Regular Board Meeting: School Board considered four potential amendments to the draft redistricting plan after accepting additional public comment. The Board approved Amendment 4 to the draft redistricting plan, which selected a revised map (Scenario 7) as the Board’s updated draft redistricting plan.

October 12: Draft redistricting plan, revised during the October 12 Regular Board Meeting, posted to this webpage for additional written public comment through Let’s Talk. View the revised draft redistricting plan.

Oct. 26 Regular Board Meeting: The Board will be holding a public hearing on the redistricting plan scheduled for action during this meeting. The Board Action Report for approval of the redistricting plan will be posted to the meeting agenda. View the calendar entry for this meeting.

Nov. 15: Legal deadline for School Board approval of redistricting plan (approval scheduled for October 26)