School Beat: June 4, 2025

From yearbook teachers to administrative secretaries, we shined a light on All-Stars who are our Most Spirited Educators! These champions in their school community show up every day with contagious excitement, turning ordinary school days into unforgettable experiences. Let’s meet the winners who are redefining what it means to bring the spirit!

SPS All-Stars Grand Finale: Most Valuable Educators

Every school has that one extraordinary educator—the heart and soul of the community, the person who goes above and beyond every single day. Look for the announcement in our July newsletter to find out who are the district's Most Valuable Educators!

Each year, the Alliance for Education awards educators who have demonstrated success in promoting educational justice and racial equity at their school. The organization's highest honor, the Thomas B. Foster Award, went to Regina Carter of Madrona Elementary and Zachary Stowell of Robert Eagle Staff Middle School. Both school leaders received a $30,000 grant for their school—marking the largest award in the program’s history.

Outstanding graduating seniors from every Seattle Public Schools high school were awarded $10,000 scholarships to support their first year of college. The Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund awards students who have overcome significant life challenges to achieve their dreams and for their contribution to their community.

We’re thrilled to recognize a National Merit Scholar, honor the compassion and commitment of our SPS Counselors of the Year, and highlight school nurses who received special recognition. And that’s just the beginning—there’s so much more to celebrate! Check out this month's SPS Shout Outs!

June is Pride Month! Through policies and in action, Seattle Public Schools supports the rights of LGBTQ+ students, staff and families by allowing them to be their authentic selves.

All SPS students, families, and staff are invited to march with Seattle Public Schools in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29. Participants will gather at the staging area downtown along 4th Avenue between 10 and 11 a.m. (the parade departs at 11a.m.) Look for the classic yellow school bus! All are welcome. The parade concludes at Memorial Stadium. For more information, visit the Seattle Pride website.

Other key dates and observances

June 7: National Gun Violence Awareness Day

June 18: Last day of school

June 19: Juneteenth (staff holiday; no school)

June 20: First day of summer

June 30: FAFSA application deadline

Graduation season is upon us! We are thrilled to honor the Class of 2025 for their hard work, resilience, and achievements. To ensure a safe and secure environment for all attendees, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is implementing enhanced security measures.

Beginning this summer, a major construction project will begin to replace Memorial Stadium with a new, modern facility. We invite everyone to join us for a special open house on Thursday, June 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, where you can take one last look before construction begins.

The application for the Seattle Skills Center’s summer program is now available! This opportunity is available to all current 8th-11th grade students in Seattle Public Schools. Classes are filling fast - some already have waitlists - so if you're hoping to take a summer Skills Center class, apply soon.

Student electronic devices will need to be returned before the end of the school year. If the SPS device and accessories are not returned, students will be charged a fine.

If you have paid for school meals after the Free Meal program was implemented at your school, you can request a refund.

Thanks to WashingtonArts and the Nisqually Tribe, SPS will display a traveling model of activist Billy Frank Jr. in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence lobby until June 13. Visit the statue during lobby hours Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As students get ready for summer break, it’s important to remember that water activities come with risks. This summer, make water safety a priority to protect our kids. The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, King County Sheriff’s Office, and Public Health – Seattle & King County has resources and guidelines for water safety.

The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure children and teens under age 18 receive free, healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks during the summer months. Summer 2025 sites will operate from June 25 through Aug. 22. Each youth can receive up to two meals or one meal and one snack per day to be eaten on site.

Stay connected to music instruction over the summer with the Summer Music Program and Seattle All-City Band! The SPS Summer Music Program is for band and orchestra students entering grades 5-9, and Seattle All-City Band is for students in the graduating classes of 2025 through 2029 that participate in upwards of 20 parades and community celebrations throughout the summer.

The Seattle School Board has launched a national superintendent search in partnership with the executive search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA). An important part of the search process is hearing from the Seattle Public Schools community about the qualities you want to see in our next leader.

To accomplish this, HYA is hosting a series of community engagement sessions to gather feedback which will shape the leadership profile that guides selection. SPS families are invited to join HYA in an engagement session specifically for SPS families.

• Friday, June 20, at 6 p.m. (in person, location TBD)
• Saturday, June 21, at 3 p.m. (in person, location TBD)
• Friday, June 27, at 6 p.m. (virtual)
• Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m. (virtual)

To learn more about the superintendent search and stay informed about future updates, please visit the Superintendent Search webpage.