Budget
Seattle Public Schools Budget Office
2023-24 Budget
The Seattle Public Schools’ budget builds on the work of our strategic plan and our ongoing commitment to eliminating opportunity gaps to ensure access and provide excellence in education for every student.
Our budget aligns with the five-year strategic plan priority of Predictable and Consistent Operational Systems and related goals:
Develop district-wide operational systems that provide a predictable and consistent experience to meet the needs of students, families, and staff; and allow them to focus on learning.
- Increase satisfaction with students, families, staff, and the community.
- Improve communication to students, families, and school leaders.
- Improve overall performance of operational systems in support of student learning.
Tools and Reference
Please review the links below for more information about how school funding works.
A Citizen’s Guide to Washington State K-12 Finance
A resource the state Senate Ways and Means Committee and the L.E.A.P Committee offers to citizens, members of the Senate, their staff, and other interested persons to provide a clear and simple overview of the state budget and state revenues.
Organization and Financing of Washington’s Public Schools
Publication by the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to make the complex subject of school finance understandable.
Policies Pertaining to Budget Development
Policies adopted by the School Board of Seattle Public Schools that guide the development of central and school budgets.
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Accounting and Budgeting
The documents below provide additional information related to school district accounting and budgeting.
Accounting Manual for Public School Districts in the State of Washington
This manual provides uniform accounting and financial reporting to allow for meaningful use and comparison of financial data, accounting instructions as a resource for local school districts, and furnishes the means for effective budgetary control as well as a consistent framework for financial reporting. Published September 2023.
Budget News
To achieve a balanced budget, we know we must make changes. We are approaching these decisions in a thoughtful way.
Superintendent Brent Jones shared his plan to balance the budget and create a system of well-resourced schools with the Seattle School Board.
SPS is committed to hearing your voice. Read the Phase I Engagement report to see what our community had to say about SPS well-resourced schools.