News

Dates and locations for Seattle Public Schools high schools graduation ceremonies June 2020.

The 2019-20 school year form is available Sept. 4 through Sept. 30, 2019.

Families in Seattle Public Schools can now pay student fees and other school-related bills online with the district's SchoolPay system. Beginning Fall 2018, all schools will now have access to SchoolPay.

First day of school for 1st through 12th grades is Wednesday, Sept. 4.
First day of school for kindergartners is Monday, Sept. 9. 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.

This fall, Seattle Public Schools has made a change to the username students use to log on to district digital tools such as The Source and the student portal. This change will enable students to keep their same username until they graduate!

Seattle Public Schools is developing a slogan and logo for the new strategic plan and we want to hear from you! Our community has an opportunity to provide input through an online feedback form.

On September 3, Greg Narver will become the new Chief Legal Counsel at Seattle Public Schools, reporting directly to Superintendent Juneau.

In this cabinet-level role, Greg will lead a team of legal professionals in providing advice and representation to the District on all legal matters, and will support student learning, District efficiency, and the strategic objectives of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team. He will serve as the chief legal adviser to the Board of Directors and the Superintendent, and as Assistant Secretary to the Board.

All students, staff, families, and friends are invited to join Seattle Public Schools in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30 at 11 a.m.

Seattle World School students, staff, families, and community partners came together on Saturday, June 8th to host a Cultural Fair celebrating the diversity and origins of the school community. Principal Bruno Cross welcomed the crowd with the affirmation that “At Seattle World School, we are each other’s people.”

When Daniel Bagley Elementary (Bagley) dismisses for the summer, students, teachers, and staff will say goodbye to the school for a year. They will be moving to an interim location at John Marshall School while Bagley is under construction. The Bagley community will be welcomed home in September 2020.

Between June 2019 and August 2020, the school will be renovated and expanded. A two-story classroom wing addition will add eight new classrooms, and a new gymnasium addition will be more than double the size of the existing gym.

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

Thurs., March 7, 2019: All schools and administrative offices will be open and observe regular hours. Buses will run on regular routes.

Join us for the annual Seattle Public School College Bound Scholarship Conference on Sat., March 2, 1 - 4 p.m., at the University of Washington.

None of our drinking water sources at any Seattle Public Schools building or school have elevated levels of lead in the water. We are continuously improving these testing procedures, with funding from our local levy dollars, to ensure that our students and staff consume healthy, non-contaminated water while in our buildings.

Following a nationwide search netting many highly qualified applicants, Seattle Public Schools has hired an outstanding individual to become our chief operations officer. Fred Podesta brings years of experience to the district, having served the City of Seattle in several leadership roles including director of city operations and director of executive administration.

On Mon., Jan. 7, Dr. Diane DeBacker took the reins of Seattle Public Schools’ academic programs, and the shared responsibility of educating close to 53,000 students.

DeBacker’s passion for public education has taken her from her first high school classroom of students in Manhattan, Kansas, to advising the education system in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

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.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish community including here in Seattle, following the tragic mass murder and shooting in Pittsburgh. When one of our communities is the target of violence and hate, our grief is shared.

Seattle Public Schools serves a diverse school community. We are dedicated to creating welcoming environments where each students feel safe and their differences are celebrated. Seattle Public Schools has a long history of supporting and advocating for LGBTQ students, staff, and families.

For the fourth consecutive year, Hawthorne Elementary received the nationally prestigious John Hopkins University’s National Network of Partnerships Schools Award.

This summer, students became crew in the Skills Center course Introduction to Maritime Vessel Operation. A 25-foot vessel and the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea became their classroom as they learned to navigate currents and tides, read charts, and gain an understanding of the physics of sailing.

The week of Oct. 8, I visited several schools including Franklin High School where I had the opportunity to meet student body representatives Ashleen and Gabi, see the amazing work at Cleveland's health center, and observe students at Washington Middle School explore college and careers during Discover U week.

Under the state's 24 credit graduation requirement, students must earn three (3) science credits: at least two lab sciences, and a third credit of choice. In previous years, students were able to graduate with two (2) science credits. In addition to the course work, students will be required to pass the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science at the end of their junior year.

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau is embarking on a comprehensive Listening and Learning Tour to gather an understanding of the district's strengths, challenges, and what is most important for her to consider as plans are developed for the district's future.

Getting students to and from school is top of mind for me. Like many of you, I am frustrated that the start of school hasn’t been smooth for all of our students and families. Our students deserve timely, safe, and predictable transportation to and from school.

This is an update on transportation services contracted with First Student. Anytime there is a late bus, students, families and schools are impacted. We apologize for this disruption. Getting students safely to and from school on time is a top priority.

Seattle teachers and staff recently came together plan and share how they create welcoming classroom environments that offer high-quality education and inclusive school communities through the whole-child framework—MTSS (multi-tiered system of support)

Last year, six Seattle educators were recognized for excellence in teaching as part of a Symetra Heroes in the Classroom awards! Now it is time to nominate 2018-19 educators for this award.

Seattle Public Schools will begin evaluating instructional materials for 9-12 science. An adoption committee comprised of teachers, students, families, and community members from across the district will be formed. Their work will begin in October. Interested individuals are invited to apply.

At a recent School Board meeting, Gail Morris, Native American Education program manager and Stacia Hawkinson, Native Education consulting teacher, debuted the short film, which showcases Native Seattle Public School high school students and staff sharing their stories, hopes, and dreams for their future.

All across the district, open doors and smiling faces awaited students and their families. Sept. 5 marked the first day of school for students in grades 1-12.

The College and Career Readiness team is holding five regional information meetings to give parents and community members an opportunity to talk directly with staff about the benefits of Naviance, the district’s college and career planning tool.

Jessica Monfils, family and consumer sciences teacher at Ingraham High School was recently announced as the 2018 Nancy Johnson New Professional Teacher of the Year.

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.

Tracy Gill, a 6th grade social studies teacher at Denny International Middle School, has been awarded the Regional Teacher of the Year; representing Puget Sound Educational Service District 121.

The start of the school year is a great time to reinforce the importance of attendance with students. The first 20 days of school are particularly important for establishing good attendance habits.

Each year, the district welcomes incoming kindergarten students and their families to experience their school early through Jump Start, a free, week-long immersive experience.

Over 200 Seattle Public Schools leaders and district staff gathered at West Seattle High School for the annual Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) in preparation for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year.

The air quality forecast has improved, but is still unhealthy for sensitive groups.

It has come to our attention that some district ground crews have used Roundup which contains glyphosate a potential carcinogenic. We have halted our use of this product. We will review grounds maintenance practices to ensure we follow policy and procedure.

As part of the 24-credit graduation requirements that affects all Seattle Public Schools students beginning with the Class of 2021, students must earn at least one credit in Career and Technical Education.

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.

Keep your student engaged with learning throughout the summer.