What's New

Students taking career-technical education (CTE) summer courses through the Seattle Skills Center had an opportunity to meet with local chefs and employees in the restaurant industry at an event sponsored by Tom Douglas.

As we prepare for the 2018-19 school year, our district has spent time this summer looking ahead at our overall finances.

Despite our projected funding gap starting in the 2019-20 school year, Seattle Public Schools is committed to ensuring our students have the access and opportunities they need to succeed. This includes balancing paying our amazing educators a fair and competitive wage with providing the programming our students and families need and expect.

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)

Keep your student engaged with learning throughout the summer.

Seattle Public Schools welcomes students from nearly 150 countries of origin; our diversity is our strength. On Tues., June 26, 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the travel ban in its entirety. The ban limits travel from seven counties: Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. As stated in an open letter after the November 2016 elections, and in a response to previous executive orders, the district remains steadfast in our commitment to serve and support every student in our care.

Pathfinder K-8 eigth-graders spearheaded a student service project that modernized a school mural and helped create a welcoming school environment that support the identity safety of every student.

On June 3, Sand Point Elementary schoolwide musical production "Salmon Boy" retold a legend of Pacific Northwest native tribes and highlighted the school's and district's commitment to positive, inclusive learning environments that support belonging and identity safety for all students.

In 2019-20, new high school boundaries will be implemented with the opening of Lincoln High School in north Seattle. Watch a video that highlights the changes.

The school year has ended but Seattle Public Schools will be hard at work to prepare for a great 2018-19 school year. Below is a collection of resources and helpful links that families may need during the summer

We caught up with seven of the 10 members of Franklin High mock trail team who recently won the 2018 Mock Trial National Championship to talk mock trial, the ”magic of Franklin High” and the power of positive adult-student relationships.

As Jessia Sua sang, “I’ll rise up, I’ll rise like the day, I’ll rise up, I’ll rise unafraid. I’ll rise up, and I’ll do it a thousand times again,” her peers and teachers joined her. On June 21, Jessica and her classmates walked across the Memorial Stadium stage to receive their diplomas at the Interagency Academy graduation.

Tenth-grade students at Chief Sealth International High School had cause for celebration after their first gradewide student film festival. Student filmmakers worked with Chief Sealth staff, mentor teaching artists from Arts Corps, Writers in the Schools and the Seattle International Film Festival, to write, film, produce and direct each of the short documentary films that were shown to audiences.

Three of the 26 Seattle School Scholarship Fund recipients share stories and advice.

When school lets out for summer, work ramps up for projects funded through voter approved capital levies. While school construction and addition projects take multiple years, smaller projects are completed over the summer months to avoid disrupting teaching and learning activities.

Seattle Public Schools is anticipating increased demand for world language courses in response to new graduation requirements and student and family interest. In addition to world language classes in all middle and high schools, our district offers dual language immersion program in five international elementary schools.

I am excited to be serving the families, students and staff of Seattle Public Schools. I truly believe that together we can make Seattle Public Schools the best public education system in the nation - providing every student the education and future they deserve.

Join Seattle Public Schools staff and families at June 24 Seattle Pride Parade. Meet us at the school bus before 11 a.m. on 4th Ave. between University and Seneca.

This year’s window for parent referrals for K-8 students currently enrolled at Seattle Public Schools is May 15, 2018 through September 24, 2018 to determine eligibility for school year 2019-20. Applications for students in grades 9-12 will be available in January.

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.

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

The Seattle Skills Center, in partnership with R3 Community Services, hosted a “Try-A-Trade” event on June 5, to help students gain a hands-on experience with construction trade opportunities.

On June 8, 2018, Franklin students welcomed community members, sister schools, alumni, city officials and staff to join a youth-led demonstration centered on the seriousness of gun violence and need for greater safety in the south end in honor of classmate Ryan Dela Cruz.

Seattle Public Schools is hosting community meetings in September to share information about our upcoming Operations Levy and our Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy, both to be submitted to Seattle voters in February 2019.

Help us improve district communications with a quick online survey. Your anonymous responses will help us identify the most effective communications tools and strategies to ensure our entire community receives the news and information it needs from schools and the district.

In April, five regional community meetings were held to share the planning process for the Operations Levy and the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. District staff members shared information about the district's budget and funding and the BEX V planning process.

Transitions are exciting times. With each move, comes a level of hope for the future, the anxiety of what’s to come and a chance to reflect on what has been accomplished thus far. Serving the students, staff and families of Seattle Public Schools for the past four years has been one of my greatest professional opportunities and a profound joy.

Available to next year’s 8th through 12th graders, Naviance will help students identify their strengths, interests and goals, and link them to potential college and career pathways; providing a deeper knowledge about options for the future.

When Cleveland High School's football team suit’s up next year, they will be doing so with new equipment thanks in part to a $20,000 donation from the Seattle Seahawks.

This spring, Seattle Public Schools Research & Evaluation department has produced its first public newsletter. The newsletter provides families, community partners and the public with information about the reports and analyses the R&E department produces during the year, as well as synthesis of national reports that mention Seattle Public Schools. Read the Research & Evaluation Spring 2018 newsletter.

U.S. News and World Report has recognized several Seattle Public Schools high schools as top high schools in Washington state in their annual report.

The Seattle Public Schools School Board and Facilities and Operations Department are establishing a Facilities Master Plan task force. You are invited to apply. Applications are due by Thurs., June 7.

The Visual and Performing Arts Program offered a professional development session on May 2 in partnership with the Family Partnerships and the Center for Arab and Islamic Resources (CAIR).

Student chefs at Franklin High, Rainier Beach Skill Center, Roosevelt High, Ingraham High and West Seattle High School have been hard at work in the kitchen for the past month, learning new techniques and employing their creativity to whip up delicious dishes for professional review.

Now in its 19th year, Chief Sealth’s mariachi is one of the only programs of its kind in the nation. The program encourages cross-cultural understanding through music, celebrates the culture and heritage of Latino students and provides a way for parents to actively participate in their children’s education.

On April 27, South Lake High School hosted a Multicultural Night for families and community. The projects featured at the event celebrated the many heritages of the school. South Lake is a small option school that ensures a personalized high school environment where student’s stories are celebrated.

Thanks to Leschi Elementary librarian, Kevin McNew for applying to several local grants to help update texts in the school library, Leschi has been the recipient of two grants this month.

At the May 9, 2018, School Board meeting, the School Board Directors adopted guiding principles for the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. These principles provide direction as staff continues work to develop a list of recommendations on what should be included in BEX V, which is a replacement for the BEX IV Capital Levy expiring in 2019.

Summer vacation is just around the corner, but the work to improve systems at the district level continues. We are committed to gathering input from families and communities during several opportunities for involvement in the coming months.

Deputy Superintendent Stephen Nielsen was recently recognized by the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) with the John Jenft Outstanding Service to K-12 Education Award.

National Endowment for the Arts "Art Works" grant of $100,000 awarded Seattle Public Schools will support implementation of The Creative Advantage, a citywide initiative to establish equitable access to arts education.

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.

The Vietnamese Friendship Association and Confucius Institute of the State of Washington were recognized on May 9 as premier partners by the Seattle School Board for their work in schools and positive impact in the lives of Seattle Public Schools students.

The district is piloting ethnic studies curriculum in six schools aimed at engaging students in perspectives of historically marginalized groups.

The community is invited to attend the Seattle Public Schools Scholarship Fund Awards Ceremony on May 10 at 7 p.m. in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Auditorium.

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

Please join us in thanking a teacher who has had an impact on your life, and sharing appreciation for the educators of our district.

Roosevelt and Ballard High Schools’ jazz bands have been chosen out of 109 high school bands across the nation as two of 15 finalists at the 2018 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival.

Seattle Public Schools is accepting School Choice applications until May 31. In addition, families who already participated in school choice during Open Enrollment may submit a new choice form until May 31 to change the waitlist that their student is currently on or be added to a waitlist.

Orca K8 and Dearborn Park International schools were visited on May 3 by Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of the book, “Ghost Boys.”

Help Seattle Public Schools rethink and re-examine our practices to ensure each and every student receives the high-quality instruction necessary to grow and achieve.

Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors honored AAMAC at the board’s April 25 meeting for AAMAC’s partnership with the district, specifically for their focus on eliminating opportunity gaps.

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 runs through May 27 and the awards ceremony and teen night out will be May 4, 6 until 7 p.m.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Seattle School Board adopted the 2017-18 school calendar at the June 7, 2017, board meeting.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 2018-19 school year form will be available September 5th through September 30th, 2018.

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.

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

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.