Student Board Member Application

Student Applications for School Board

Applications for the 2025-26 term are due April 30.

Students entering their junior or senior year are eligible to apply for a one-year term that will begin in August and conclude in June at the end of the school year.

Online Application for Students

Who Can Apply?

School Board Student Members should reflect the impressive diversity of the district, represent a variety of interests, perspectives, and backgrounds, and possess an awareness of challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society.

Applicants must be:

A Seattle Public Schools student entering their junior or senior year of high school at the time of selection;
On track to graduate; and
Continue to be enrolled in Seattle Public Schools through the school year of their term.
While serving, School Board Student Members must be enrolled in courses that ensure normal progress towards graduation and maintain the number of credits necessary for advancement to the next grade level.

Application Process

The application includes two (2) phases: a written application form with short answer questions and an interview along with two recommendation submissions.

The initial written application is estimated to take up to an hour and a half (1.5 hours) to fill out.

The School Board Student Member application consists of:

Phase I: Written Application
- Written short answers submitted through the online application form for student applicants
Phase II: Interview
- Interview (students selected by selection committee to move forward will receive request to schedule interview)
- Two recommendations submitted through an online recommendation form

Applications will be reviewed for eligibility and then evaluated by a student-led selection committee. Applicants selected will be invited to participate in an interview and submit recommendations.

To submit your application, you will complete the online form linked at the top of this page.

To fill out the online application form, you must be logged in to your SPS account.

The form cannot be saved, so please draft your responses to the short answer questions in a word document and copy and paste into the form.

To help you prepare before you complete the application, please draft your response to the following questions before you begin your application.

Short Answer Questions

Why do you want to serve as a School Board Student Member? (4-6 sentences)
Seattle Public Schools’ five-year strategic plan, Seattle Excellence, is focused on changing broken systems and undoing legacies of racism in public education. The district, including the School Board, is actively working on building an anti-racist educational system, and ensuring students furthest away from educational justice thrive. Please share why you believe student voice is important in district decision-making and achieving the goals of Seattle Excellence? (4-6 sentences)
School Board Student Members should reflect the impressive diversity of the district and represent a wide range of interests, perspectives, and backgrounds. Student Members should also possess an awareness of the challenges and barriers that they or others experience in education and in society. Please describe experience you have that is relevant to this position and the perspectives you bring to the role. (4-6 sentences)
School Board Student Members will serve as a bridge between the School Board and the students across the school district. This means that relationship-building and effective communication will be crucial to serving effectively. Please describe how you will approach these key components of the role, and share any prior relevant experience. (4-6 sentences)
What are you hoping to accomplish in your time as a School Board Student Member? What would you like to work on, and what impact would you like to leave? (4-6 sentences)

Applications will be reviewed for eligibility and then evaluated by a student-led selection committee. Applicants selected to move forward will be invited to participate in an interview and submit recommendations.

The selection committee will then select three applicants to recommend to the Board. Per School Board Policy No. 1250, the School Board will make the final selection of student members.

April 7, 2025: Application opens and students interested in applying or who want to know more about the process are asked to notify the School Board Office via email (boardoffice@seattleschools.org) or Let’s Talk.

April 30, 2025: Applications due. Complete applications consisting of answers to written questions are due.

Student-led Evaluation Committee reviews applications. Applicants selected to move forward in the first round will be asked to submit video statements. The Selection Committee will then select applicants for interviews, conduct interviews, and make the final selection.

June 2025: Finalists are presented to the Board during a Regular Board Meeting. School Board considers recommended candidates. School Board votes to finalize selection of the School Board Student Members.

August 2025: School Board Student Members will be sworn in and complete orientation.

September 2025: First Regular Board Meeting with School Board Student Members.

Who can provide references?

Your two references can be provided by anyone who can speak to your leadership skills and why you will be a good fit for the student member role. This includes, but is not limited to, school staff, community mentors, or peers.

Family members and current or former Seattle School Board Directors cannot be references.

When will Student Members start?

Student Members will start in August 2025 with orientation. Their first required Regular Board Meeting will be the first meeting in September 2025.

How long will the Student Members serve?

Each cohort of Student Members serve for one school year. For example, applicants selected in to the Spring 2025 application cycle will serve for the 2025-26 school year.

What days of the week and times will student members work?

School Board meetings occur on weekdays (Monday through Friday). School Board Regular Meetings are once a month on Wednesdays from 4:15 – 8:15 p.m. Student Members will be required to attend one Regular Meeting a month on average but may choose to attend more.

Why can’t student members vote?

Student Members cannot vote because they are not School Board Directors under state law. Only School Board Directors that have been elected by the registered voters of the school district can vote. Districts of Seattle’s size are also limited by state law to seven School Board Directors. Student Members also will not make motions, second motions, hold board office (President, Vice President, Member at Large), or attend Board Executive Sessions and Closed Sessions.

Student Members will have the opportunity to inform Board decisions through discussion in Board Committee and Regular Board Meetings, as well as engage in the policy making process.

What supports will student members have access to?

Student Members will be paired with a Board Director mentor to support their work. Student Members will also be provided with an orientation and onboarding in August 2025, engage in ongoing training as a part of the School Board’s work, and be connected with other student leaders in the district and across the state to support their leadership development and work as student members.

How can I get involved if I don’t want to be a student member on the Board?

If you are interested in participating in leadership opportunities in the district, but don’t want to apply to be a Student Member on the School Board there are many other opportunities.

You may participate in the student-led selection committee which will recommend who will be appointed to the student member positions by the Board. You can also apply to be on the Superintendent’s Advisory Board.

Have Questions?