What's New

Join us for the Naramore Art Show at Seattle Art Museum to celebrate the success of many of our highest achieving art students.

The show, which is on display in the free Community Corridor, runs until May 28. The awards ceremony and teen night out will be May 5, 6 until 7: 30 p.m.

On the evening of April 3, Phillipa Dugaw, North Beach PTA president and Brooke Walker, North Beach auction chair, presented a $10,000 check to Northgate Elementary. Principal Dedy Fauntleroy, Family Support Worker, Guillermo Carval, and Librarian Kate Eads were present at the PTA meeting to receive the donation on behalf of Northgate.

At the April 25 regular school board meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the contract with Denise Juneau to become the next superintendent, her start date is July 1, 2018.

This summer, Seattle will host the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, which will highlight the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities in a variety of sports as well as inclusive games of Unified Sports, which include athletes with and without intellectual disabilities training and competing together.

Thanks to a partnership with Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle Public Schools, more than 100 SHA students from Aki Kurose and Asa Mercer International middle schools either had perfect or improved attendance during the month of March.

Members of Cleveland STEM and Ballard High School Journalism Programs attended the National High School Journalism Convention April 12-14 in San Francisco, California. Sponsored by National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the semi-annual convention was the gathering place for over 5000 high school journalists from across the country.

Nationally, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During the month of April, conversations are taking place across the country to raise awareness about child abuse and sexual assault prevention. We encourage families to talk with kids about these important topics as well.

Jump Start takes place each morning Mon-Fri., Aug. 20-24.

Important Dates for Kindergarten Families

• Aug. 20 - 24 Jump Start
• Sept. 5 - 7 Each family meets with their kindergarten teacher
• Sept. 10 First day of school for kindergarten students (grades 1 through 12 will start school on Sept. 5)

On April 18, elementary and middle school physical education specialists used their professional development time for an exciting training opportunity at Safeco Field with members of the Seattle Mariners and USA Baseball through the Fun At Bat program.

After having a school-wide read-aloud of Katherine Applegate’s book “Wishtree,” a story about how a community responds with love after an act of aggression toward a new neighbor, the Thurgood Marshall community came together to promote peace and hope through written messages displayed around the school.

With Loyal Heights Elementary nearing completion for opening in September 2018, nearly all of the 17 major construction projects included in the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy have been opened and welcomed students and staff.

Starting with the class of 2021, students will need to earn 24 credits to graduate, an increase from 21. Most high schools in our district currently offer 24 credits over the course of four years. Traditionally, SPS has offered students more courses than required by the state to provide flexibility for students to explore new electives or to recover missing credits. We are currently working with a variety of stakeholders to increase credit-earning opportunities for our students.

Seattle Public Schools is currently testing an interim assessment tool for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) for students in grades 3- 11 and is seeking board approval for interim assessments districtwide.

Upcoming dates and locations for Seattle Public Schools high schools graduation ceremonies 2018.

Student learning and success are at the core of the work we commit to every day. Our mission is to ensure that each student is prepared for college, career and life. We are a high-performing urban district leading the way in this effort. Seattle Public Schools was recently recognized as No. 3 out of 200 urban districts for student gains between 3rd and 8th grade, and our graduation rates continue to increase – most notably for our students of color.

Use our Assignment Lookup Tool to check your student’s school assignment for next year.

Your student’s school assignment may have changed due to new schools opening in Fall 2017 and new school boundaries approved by the School Board. In addition, some program locations have changed through updates to the Student Assignment Plan. Information on the school boundary changes is available on the Growth Boundaries webpage.

Did you know that as many as 25,000 individuals volunteer in schools across our district annually? Parents, community volunteers and partners serving Seattle Public Schools students play an important role in our efforts to ensure educational excellence and eliminate opportunity gaps.

All guardians with a K-12 student should receive an email link to the Family Survey on Tues., April 17. If your family does not have an email on file, you will receive a mailed survey.

Planning is underway for two school funding levies to be submitted to Seattle voters in February 2019 and Seattle Public Schools requests input and feedback on possible projects.

Seattle Public Schools recognized the Seattle Council PTSA during the Wed., April 4, school board meeting for the council's service and partnership to support and engage school communities, students and families. In addition, the Seattle Council PTSA and the Somali Mothers took the opportunity to recognize Superintendent Nyland for his years of service.

Women’s History Month celebrates the amazing women who have left their mark throughout history. As this year’s observation concludes, we are highlighting three Seattle Public Schools trailblazing female educators who strived for equity through education.

On March 8 and 14, more than 5,700 high school students from across the Pacific Northwest gathered at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Students from Cleveland STEM High School, Interagency Academy, Franklin High School, Seattle World School and Rainier Beach High School spent several weeks studying the curriculum created about the “Hamilton” era, culminating in a day at the theatre.

Upon entering the door of Amanda Rengli’s fourth- grade art class at McDonald International Elementary School, you’d wonder for just a moment if you somehow found your way into New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

At the March 21 Seattle Public Schools School Board meeting, Seattle Parks and Recreation was recognized as a Premiere Partner for the My Brother’s Keeper program.

Spring break for Seattle Public Schools is April 9 through 13. See all the calendar dates.

Seattle Public Schools offers several summer learning opportunities.

From the Summer Staircase program for elementary students struggling to keep up, to credit recovery classes and career exploration programs for high school students, we're here to help students avoid summer learning loss with academic enrichment programs.

The 8th annual Seattle Public School College Bound Scholarship Conference took place on Saturday, March 4, 2018, on the University of Washington Seattle campus. More than 600 College Bound students and parents were in attendance.

After a year-long adoption process, the Department of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction has identified enVisionmath2.0 from Pearson as the new middle school math textbook.

On March 14, many Seattle students honored the lives lost in the recent Parkland, Florida school shooting and demonstrated support for student safety. At Whittier Elementary, the school staff and families came together to plan a school-day observance that showed support for their school community and enabled students to add their voice to the national conversation with an age-appropriate activities.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has releasing the new Washington state and federal accountability information for every school in the state as required in the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015.

Thanks to a program through the Pacific Northwest Ballet called Discover Dance students from Daniel Bagley Elementary, Graham Hill Elementary and Licton Springs K-8 got a glimpse into the life of a ballet dancer.

Seattle Public Schools recognizes that decades of deeply embedded bias requires more than policy to undo institutionalized and structural racism. Institutionalizing racial equity in all schools requires transforming our practices and beliefs. Racial Equity Teams are one strategy that we are using to do this critical work.

With help from the Power Up technology grant, technology funding from the district and a private family foundation, Sacajawea will be one of the first Seattle public elementary schools to provide one-to-one computing for every 3rd, 4th and 5th grade student.

In support of the courage and activism of students, we encourage citywide participation in the student-led March for Our Lives Seattle rally and walk at 10 a.m. on Sat., March 24. The School Board invites students, staff and families to join the district in showing our unified support for safe schools and the Seattle students who are organizing this non-school day march.

Seattle Public Schools is seeking parents, community members, and students to join district staff in the Student Assignment Plan Task Force to help review the the Student Assignment Plan and most recent Student Assignment Transition Plan and develop recommendations for an equity focused enrollment and student assignment process. Apply today! The application deadline is March 19, 2018.

Seattle Public Schools prioritizes student safety. It is our goal to prevent emergencies from happening, therefore all lethal or potentially lethal statements, whether verbal or written (including electronic) are to be taken seriously and investigated.

Every March, Seattle Public Schools administers the SAT, the college admission test, to juniors during school hours. The test date for this school year is Wed., March 7, 2018.

February is Career and Technical Education month, an opportunity to highlight the achievements of programs in our district and across the country that help students prepare for the college, career and life.

Between now and April 1, 2018, schools will be developing their 2018-19 school budgets. Although district funds remain tight there is new state money for more K-3 teachers. This means schools have to find additional classrooms.

February is Black History Month, a month dedicated to remembering important people and events in African American communities around the world.

Students at McGilvra Elementary have a front row view of the construction of their new lunchroom and cafeteria. Earlier this month, Integrus Architects visited with second-graders to share what goes into planning and construction of projects such as this one, funded by the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy.

Part-time and full-time positions are available. School nurses enjoy a family friendly schedule with 180-day school calendar work year. Seattle school nurses serve 54,000 students representing every ethnic, racial and socioeconomic background and 120 languages.

This February, the Seattle community came together at New Holly Gathering Hall in Southeast Seattle to celebrate the launch of a very special children’s book. The colorful board book, titled “Baro Af-Soomaali,” is unique in several aspects.

The Concord classroom hums with excitement as they see their classroom guests arrive—the Chief Sealth Global Leadership students. For the next 45 minutes, the teens take the helm to conduct lessons on topics such as climate change, immigration and other contemporary global issues.

As a district, our goal is to prevent these types of emergencies whenever possible and be prepared to respond effectively if an emergency should happen. Each school, in conjunction with district and city emergency responders, develop a safety plan responsive to its layout and design.

During the 2017-18 school year, the Family Partnerships department is undertaking exciting changes to ensure our district is serving students and families well.

Seattle Public Schools’ Athletic Department is pleased to announce its second year of the SPS Athletic Hall of Fame honoring outstanding high school student-athletes, coaches, administrators and athletic community members.

The 2018-19 Open Enrollment period is Feb. 5 until 16. Learn about the process, find school tours dates and more.

Occasionally, weather conditions make schedule or transportation changes necessary.

With this new service you can opt-in to receive text messages on a cellular phone number that is on record with your student’s school.

At their regular meeting on Wed., Jan. 31, the Seattle School Board approved high school boundaries for implementation in the 2019-20 school year. There are no high school boundary changes for the 2018-19 school year.

Seattle Public Schools is seeking members for the Family Engagement Task Force, which will convene from February until May 2018. The application deadline is Feb. 19, 2018.

Welcoming schools and classrooms are places where students’ language, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and unique abilities are viewed as assets. February offers opportunities to reinforce our commitment to providing this foundation to student success including Black History Month and National African American Parent Involvement Day.

Through the event, in its third consecutive year, the district helped families register new students as well as answer questions about the registration process; school choice; option, alternative and service schools; highly capable and special education services.

How to avoid illness and help stop the spread of germs! Nationally, physicians are reporting a higher than normal number of influenza cases. What can you do to avoid illness and help stop the spread of germs?

Seattle Public Schools high school students will see increased credit and assessment requirements with the change in state law requiring 24 credits to graduate.

Our EOG work is a focused effort to provide access and opportunities to our students who have historically been underserved. For the fourth consecutive year, the Seattle School Board has made this a priority and targeted specific funding to implement concrete initiatives and strategies.

Schools around Seattle Public Schools celebrated the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year began Mon., Jan. 8.

Enrollment in Seattle Public Schools has grown by 8,000 students in the past 10 years, creating a need to add more classroom space and related facilities. The district uses funds from voter-approved capital levies (taxes on local homeowners) to pay for new schools and to modernize and expand existing schools. Read a progress update about several ongoing projects at Seattle Public Schools.

On Jan. 3, 2018, the Seattle School Board adopted a resolution to oppose changes to municipal code that would allow charter schools to seek departures from building development and zoning standards in the City of Seattle.

Please visit us at our Teacher Hiring Fair at the historic Garfield High School in Seattle’s Central district on Saturday, February 10, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Every student in Seattle deserves to know they have a safe learning environment where they are known, valued and belong. January and February provide many opportunities to reinforce and create welcoming learning environments that support identity safety of every student.

On January 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., the School Board will host a community Town Hall at Nova High School, 2410 E. Cherry St. Seattle 98122.

Parents and guardians, have you completed your family's student data verification form yet?The 2017-18 school year form is online through the Fri., Jan. 5.

Read an update about high school boundaries, including timeline and link to current scenarios being considered.

This fall, six educators from across Seattle were recognized for excellence in teaching. The honorees are nominated by their school principal, colleagues, students or student’s families; and selected based on their extraordinary efforts inspire and engage students.

The Seattle School Board voted not to adopt the 2018-19 Student Assignment Transition Plan. Here is update about next year's student assignment plan and next steps for high school boundaries and related highly capable pathways for 2019-20.

During the December 6 meeting, the Seattle School Board welcomed returning and new members to the Board and elected the 2017-18 board officers.

Thank you to the many families who attended regional open house meetings to talk about the boundary change process. We are continuing to seek feedback as we make additional adjustments to the boundaries before bringing a proposal to the School Board for approval.

In this season of thankfulness, we would like to thank our outstanding educators, staff, partners and families for your commitment to Seattle Public Schools and to all of our students.

Seattle Public Schools has made great progress working together with our students, families, staff, and community. Here is a quick snapshot of areas where we are growing, learning, and developing stronger relationships that will ensure we provide the best educational experience for all our students.

The new agreement outlines how district and city will plan together to review school capacity issues, plan strategically for future school locations and address the 70-year-old Memorial Stadium.

Authentic family engagement is critical to student success. Together, parents and classroom teachers are partners in ensuring student’s academic and social-emotional strengths and needs are supported.

Last month we surveyed families of students currently in grades 5-12 about improving access to Advanced Learning opportunities in high school.In response to three open-ended questions, the top 20 ideas from each school community were analyzed and grouped thematically by an outside evaluator. Read the feedback from families.

Throughout November, we celebrate American Indian Heritage Month as an opportunity to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and acknowledge the important contributions of America's first peoples.

Click the Student Portal blue icon at the top of all Seattle Public Schools websites for quick links to The Source, Schoology and other online tools to support students.

In response to students' needs, Seattle Public Schools is introducing new state health education standards for self identity in several elementary schools this fall.

We continue to believe the Legislature’s work is not done, and it is our hope the Court continues to hold the legislators accountable to correct the new inequities.

A message from Superintendent Nyland — With the 2017-18 school year well underway, I have been reflecting on the importance of learning-focused conversations.

Five open house meetings are scheduled for families, students and staff about changes to the Student Assignment Plan (SAP) and high school boundaries.

Recently the English Language Learners (ELL) department introduced an upcoming policy to affirm rights to translation and interpretation. Though this action is mandated by state and federal law, our district has many supports in place, and seeks to put a policy in place to continue the great work already happening across our schools and central office.

Superintendent Nyland has signed a resolution recognizing the contributions of native peoples and proclaiming Oct. 9, 2017 to be Indigenous People's Day.

Seattle Public Schools invites all seniors to attend one of the many college application and financial aid events happening throughout October and November.

The tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday has left our nation in a state of grief and shock. We know our students are likely feeling the effects, too. We have collected resources that may be helpful as you talk with students about this event.

In support of improved partnerships and alignment on Thursday, Sept. 28, more than 80 people from a variety of community-based organizations that partner with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) came together for the Fall Partner Kick-Off at the New Holly Gathering Hall in Seattle.

The Source, Schoology and other student tools can be found with the link called "Student Portal" on Seattle Public Schools district and school websites.

These bodies of work are interconnected and require community engagement. Over the course of the next couple months, district staff will be asking stakeholders for ideas, analyzing impacts and making final recommendations to the School Board.

Several times a year, we project enrollment figures for the coming school year. These figures are important because they help us anticipate state funding and allow us to plan the number of staff for each school building. This is a process all districts statewide follow each fall to match the number of teachers with the actual enrollment levels of schools.

To stabilize staffing and classrooms as soon as possible, we use the headcount from the fifth day of school as the official enrollment. This year's count was 53,259 students. Overall, we have more students at SPS this year, but fewer enrolled than we projected in June 2017. This means we are starting the year significantly under our projected enrollment.

Seattle Public Schools has partnered with King County and American Traffic Solutions to deter drivers from illegally passing buses that are loading and unloading students.

Exterior cameras have been added to 120 of the 379 First Student buses that transport our students each day. The cameras capture video of vehicles that appear to be illegally passing the bus when its stop paddle is fully extended.

If you are intending to refer your child for Advanced Learning testing, the deadline is September 22. It’s easy and can even be done on your Smart Phone's web browser. You will need a Source account. Need help? We're here!

Seattle Public Schools is committed to educating children regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of origin or immigration status. We will do whatever it takes to make sure every student thrives and want to reassure you, that we will do everything within our power to make sure all of our children are safe, honored and respected while in our care.

We are looking forward to putting our summer learning into action and collaborating with you throughout the year to ensure your child’s academic strengths and needs are known and supported. It is going to be a great year!

Many school bell schedules will change this fall. Schools will also have a 75-minute early release every Wednesday (except the first day of school).

First day of school for 1st through 12th grades is Wednesday, Sept. 6.
First day of school for kindergartners is Monday, Sept. 11. On this page we have pulled together many required documents and critical information to help staff, families and students prepare for the upcoming first day of school.

Five new school buildings will open their doors to students on Wed., Sept. 6.Community celebrations will be held to commemorate the opening of Olympic Hills, Cascadia, Licton Springs, Eagle Staff, and Meany schools.

Last year was challenging because of our budget deficit, but together we demonstrated what can happen when we work together on behalf of all students and our larger community. This letter is to update you on our finalized 2017-18 budget, the Legislature’s two-year budget passed in June, legislative policy changes and anticipated effects on Seattle.

The Seattle Public Schools Admissions Center is excited to announce our new online enrollment registration system for new students, resulting in reduced waiting time and paperwork for our families! The online registration is now available.

This summer our district and school websites are receiving a major facelift. Our first priority for the website redesign project is to ensure families, students, staff, and community can easily find critical district and school resources.

School Choice Waitlist Update: District staff have been moving waitlists since April, and the School Board voted July 5 to expand the number of waitlists moves for this coming school year. Families affected by the newly approved moves will be contacted by Admissions staff this summer as choice seats are available.

You may have seen recent news stories raising questions about Seattle schools using homeless designations to improve student athletic eligibility. While confidentiality laws prohibit us from sharing how the students who raised the allegations are being cared for today, we can speak about the systems we are responsible for managing (e.g. academic, athletic and support systems), and what we have been doing since these concerns were raised in March.

Join us on July 13 or August 25 to celebrate the unveiling of the Andrew Morrison's murals at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, Cascadia Elementary and Licton Springs K-8.

As we close out the 2016-17 school year, I want to thank you, our students and staff, for an incredible year. Last week, close to 3,000 students earned their diploma from Seattle Public Schools.

There will be a special School Board work session on June 28 to discuss the budget, waitlist process and a path forward. The work session will take place at the beginning of the regularly scheduled School Board meeting.

All students, staff, families, and friends are invited to join Seattle Public Schools in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25 at 11 a.m. You can ride on the yellow school bus float or march alongside. We will provide snacks and fun items you can hand out to the crowd.

Congratulations to the reading teams of Loyal Heights, Graham Hill and Leschi elementary schools who took home the 2017 Global Reading Challenge. The Seattle Public Library reading competition for fourth and fifth graders helps cultivate the joy of reading as the students delve into the annual book selection.

With commencement season and end of the 2016-17 school year upon us, our school halls are filled with excitement. From the first days of kindergarten to graduation day, Seattle Public Schools has a deep commitment to every student’s educational journey.

As Seattle Public Schools seniors complete their last exams and try on their graduation regalia, many experience excitement and joy alongside the uncertainty that often accompanies major life transitions. District partnerships, such as The 13th Year program, take aim to ease this type anxiety and prepare every student for life after high school.

Please join Seattle Public Schools for a community meeting about potential Magnolia School boundaries and related scenarios that may impact Magnolia and Queen Anne area schools.

The district received and processed nearly 6,000 choice enrollment applications for next school year. More than 3,200 students received a requested choice assignment, and more than 2,800 students received their first choice.

Although more than 50 percent of the students who participated in the choice process received a placement, many students are still on school waitlists. Typically, staff do not move waitlists that positively or negatively affect staffing at attendance area schools. Due to the $50 million budget shortfall for 2017-18, the district is conducting additional analysis around waitlist moves.

As a result of this additional analysis, waitlists at attendance area schools will not move until district staff review updated spring staffing allocations in mid-June. Waitlist moves at option schools will continue through August 31 based on current school staffing and available seats in classrooms.

District staff are working to build a 2017-18 school year schedule that best serves the 54,000 students enrolled with Seattle Public Schools. Although we have published several key school year dates, such as 2017-18 first and last day of school, the final calendar will be introduced to the School Board on May 17 and voted on at the June 7 School Board Meeting. The final calendar will reflect the new weekly, early release day for students as well as holidays, and snow make-up days etc.

Advanced Learning referrals for the 2018-19 school year of students currently in kindergarten through 7 grade will be accepted online beginning Monday, May 15. Applications for students in grades 9 through 12 will be available in January 2018.

A recent partnership between two John Muir educators, Seattle chefs, and a local nonprofit is just one of the many inspiring examples of how our teachers are changing the lives of their students.

The Changing the Narrative cooking class developed out of a larger project at the school to help work with educators, students, families, and community partners to collaboratively change perceptions and dispel negative stereotypes about black men. Now these boys are working to give back to their school community so a group of next year’s fifth graders can have the same opportunity.

Seattle Skills Center is teaming up with the Seattle Maritime Academy to help train tomorrow's mariners. Every day, Seattle Public Schools is working with our community partners to help students thrive and eliminate opportunity gaps.

The community is invited to attend the Seattle Public Schools Scholarship Fund Awards Ceremony on May 11 at 7 p.m. in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Auditorium.

At the awards event, 26 graduating seniors from each high school will recognized for their personal tenacity, contribution to their community, and academic accomplishments.

Seattle Public Schools appreciates everything our great teachers do each and every day in their classrooms. So, this year, we are celebrating twice as much and twice as long.

Today, just like every day, is a great day to thank a teacher! Join us in giving thanks with your photos and personal story along with the hashtag #ThankATeacher.

Magnolia Elementary School will open in Fall 2018. If Magnolia is opened as an attendance area school, new boundaries will have to be established to assign students to the school. As part of the ongoing work to explore potential boundaries, a community meeting is scheduled for May 1, 2017.

Date: Monday, May 1, 2017 
Time: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: McClure Middle School Gym, 1915 1st Avenue West

Restoration of the $24 million still left a shortfall of $50 million. We prioritized classrooms, restoring all but about 50 positions, which is a 1.5 percent reduction. Central administration was reduced by the greatest percentage amount at 4.7 percent.

The Friday before spring break, central office departments were informed of the specific reductions. These cuts required a combination of closing vacant positions and reducing positions. We have now addressed the $74 million shortfall.

Congratulations to the many schools in our district who have received the 2016 Washington Achievement Awards from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Of the 280 winners, 23 were from Seattle, and a number of our schools are repeat winners.

Please help the Superintendent and School Board in congratulating our schools for their incredible work and support of students.

Open Enrollment for School Choice for the 2017-18 school year was February 13 to February 24, 2017. School choice applications will be accepted until May 31, but will not receive priority tiebreakers.

The results of Open Enrollment will be available online April 17 and sent out by mail to students granted new assignment in late April.

Visit our Assignment Lookup webpage to view the Open Enrollment Results.

During my frequent school visits, I witness how our schools demonstrate what a district can accomplish when it is committed to providing opportunity that helps every student thrive. I am grateful for our talented, passionate educators, school leaders, central office staff, community partners, and families who collaborate to ensure every student has an excellent and equitable education.

Within the classroom and beyond school grounds, from math instruction to music education, our educators and staff are innovating and collaborating to help ignite a lifelong-passion for learning in Seattle students.

On Monday, April 3, the Levy Cliff budget restoration recommendations were presented to the School Board. Eighty eight percent of the restored $24 million budget will go back directly to classrooms and academic supports, including over 200 positions. In addition to schools’ baseline staffing, restoration funding will support academic needs including: retention of mentors for first year teachers, funding designated for an elementary English language arts curricula adoption, and our commitment to eliminating opportunity gaps.

Prioritizing classrooms means central office, as appropriate, took the most significant cuts. Schools will take less than a 1.5 percent reduction and central office reductions will equal 4.7 percent.

Fifth graders took the spotlight on March 4 in the All City Honors Elementary Orchestra and Band Concert. The concert brought together more than 150 students from across the district who are invited by their music teachers to participate in the event.

The Seattle Public Schools music and arts department is committed to improving arts-based education across all schools in our district. From critical thinking and communication skills to collaboration and cross-cultural skills, arts education has a critical role to play in developing vital skills needed to succeed in life.

At the board work session on Wed., March 22, the School Board reached consensus on restoring schools’ baseline funding, also known as the Weighted Staffing Standard (WSS). Restoring WSS returns approximately 175 positions to schools.

At this point, that means that less than 2 percent of all school staff will be reduced. Central administration is still scheduled for a 5 percent reduction. Thank you to the School Board for responding to our family, staff, and partners’ priorities and moving to restore school supports so quickly. We hope to have new school staffing allocations communicated by April 7.

Seattle Public Schools faced a $74 million budget shortfall for next school year. Recent bipartisan action in the Legislature reduced that shortfall by $24 million.

Delay of the Levy Cliff resolves one-third of the budget shortfall we are facing next year. We can now prepare, with greater certainty, school and central budgets for the 2017-18 school year. It also allows us to reduce far fewer staff and provide our students and families some stability in the short term as the Legislature continues to work on long-term budget solutions.

We find ourselves in a unique position, of being extremely thankful and relieved, but still facing a $50M budget shortfall. Without full funding from the state, the district will still need to make painful cuts. We are working with our partners to identify restoration priorities.

Seattle Public Schools serves a rich and diverse community and we are dedicated to providing safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools for all students regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity, country of origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Prior to the federal guidance concerning transgender students provided in May 2016, our district established the Superintendent Procedure Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action: Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students procedure, which defines the rights that all transgender and gender nonconforming students attending Seattle Public Schools possess. It is a procedure that is here to stay.

Seattle Public Schools faces a $74 million budget shortfall for 2017-18 due to the state's delay in fully funding education.

As a district, we must advocate for both short and long term funding solutions. It is important the Legislature’s proposed solutions address our 2017-18 deficit as well as ensure we can offer our students a 21st century education for years to come.

As Black History Month comes to a close, Seattle Public Schools continues our commitment to improving academic outcomes for all Seattle students, especially those who have been historically underserved.

Our