• All Seattle Public Schools choice assignments are subject to capacity availability.
• Submitting the form does not guarantee an assignment.
• Please review the Linked School and Programs as some programs or support services may not be offered at your preferred school.
• New students must first register on the Enrollment webpage before participating in the open enrollment.
• Non-resident and Early Entrance Kindergarten students are not eligible to participate in the Open Enrollment School Choice process.
• If there are more applications than seats available for a particular school and grade, then certain tiebreakers are used to determine assignment and waitlist status.
• K-12 students may transfer to their attendance area school after Open Enrollment through May 31, as long as the services the student needs are available at that school. Transfers to their previously assigned choice school is not guaranteed and requires a new School Choice Form subject to availability or placed at the bottom of the waitlist.
• Students who apply for and receive a choice assignment will receive a new assignment to that choice school (or program). Students with a choice assignment will be continued at that school through the highest grade served, as long as the school offers the services the student needs.

Families with students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools may submit school choice applications for the following school year.

If there are more applications than seats available for a particular school and grade, then certain tiebreakers are used to determine assignment and waitlist status.

Standard Tiebreakers for available seats after assignment of attendance area students

Attendance Area Elementary and K-8 Schools

1. Sibling
2. Lottery

Attendance Area Middle Schools

1. Sibling
2. Feeder School
3. Lottery

Attendance Area High Schools

1. Sibling
2. Lottery

Option Schools (all grades)

1. Sibling
2. Geographic Zone
3. Lottery

HCC Tiebreakers

Elementary Schools

1. Sibling
2. Lottery

Middle Schools

1. Sibling
2. Feeder School
3. Lottery

High Schools

1. Sibling
2. Lottery

1. To return to your neighborhood school from a choice school. Students are guaranteed a seat at their neighborhood school if students apply by May 31, and Special Education service needs can be met at their neighborhood school. 

2. If your student is currently in a dual language immersion pathway and is rising to middle school or high school. 
   • All current dual language immersion students entering their sixth or ninth grade next year who want to stay in their dual language immersion pathway must apply through School Choice during the Open Enrollment period. These students will be guaranteed an assignment.  
3. If your student is eligible for Highly Capable (HC) services.
   • Kindergarten-7th grade students with a new HC decision for the 2024-25 school year who want to attend a pathway school. 
   • Students eligible for HC services entering ninth grade who did not attend an HC Cohort Pathway School in eighth grade—and—students with an HC designation currently attending their attendance area or option high school who want to attend an HC Pathway High school:
     • Will have a guaranteed HC Pathway seat at their HC Pathway High School (Garfield, Lincoln, or West Seattle), but a Choice Form must be submitted during Open Enrollment.
   • Please note: Currently enrolled eighth graders attending an HC Cohort (HCC) Pathway are guaranteed admission into their HC Pathway High School (Garfield, Lincoln, or West Seattle) in ninth grade based on where they live, and DO NOT need to apply during Open Enrollment. 
   • More information about Highly Capable pathways, including elementary and middle school pathways. Questions about Advanced Learning and HC services? Email advlearn@seattleschools.org.

• New students must first register on the Admissions page before participating in School Choice.
• All Seattle Public Schools choice assignments are subject to space availability. Submitting this form does not guarantee an assignment.
• Please review the Linked School Charts as some programs or support services may not be offered at your preferred school.

Non-resident and Early Entrance Kindergarten students are not eligible to participate in the School Choice process.

• 2025-26 General School Choice form
• Amharic
• Chinese
• Somali
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

Please send the signed form to schoolchoice@seattleschools.org.

• New students to SPS must first register by visiting the Admissions page before submitting the school choice form.
• Students must be at least 3 years old by May 31, 2025 with a current IEP to be eligible.
• All Seattle Public Schools Experimental Educational Unit assignments are subject to space availability. Completing this form does not guarantee an assignment.

This form is used only for Pre-K eligible students who are applying to the EEU as their only choice.

• 2025-26 EEU School Choice form
• EEU School Choice Amharic
• EEU School Choice Chinese
• EEU School Choice Somali
• EEU School Choice Spanish
• EEU School Choice Vietnamese

Please send the signed form to schoolchoice@seattleschools.org.

How do I apply for open enrollment?

You can submit a School Choice application through The Source (parent portal) or by emailing a completed School Choice Form to schoolchoice@seattleschools.org.

What is the timeline for open enrollment?
Feb. 1 – 28: Submit on-time School Choice applications. There is no advantage to applying earlier in February.

Feb. 1 – May 31: Applicants get assigned a random lottery number. Initial assignments are made by early April based on the order of student lottery numbers.

Most placements from the waitlist are made before May 31, but waitlists remain active, and choices are granted through August 31.

How are on-time applications prioritized?
On-time applications are processed based on the following ranking order:

• Sibling priority (if applicable). Students receive highest priority for assignment if they have a sibling attending for the current and following school year that choice school they are applying to.
• Geo-zone priority (for option schools only). Option schools have “geo-zones.” These geo-zones are a specific designated geographic area in close proximity to the Option school. Students living in these geo-zones receive higher priority after sibling. This map shows the geo-zones.
• Feeder School priority (if applicable).The feeder school tiebreaker applies when a student is attending an elementary school outside of the attendance area of their assigned middle school. The tiebreaker is applied for the middle school which would be the feeder of the school they are attending.
• A Lottery Number is the final tiebreaker; a random number between 01 and 99,999 generated for each student participant in school choice. The lower the number, the higher the ranking of the student for placement.

How does Open Enrollment work for siblings?

Students applying to a school where a sibling already attends and will be attending the following year are assigned a “sibling tiebreaker” that moves them higher on the waitlist.

Families applying for multiple siblings to the same school may request to “keep siblings together.” If selected, SPS will only offer a choice seat if we can offer seats for all siblings at that school. That means we may skip over a “keep together” sibling on the waitlist if all choice seats cannot be offered.

How many schools can I apply to through Open Enrollment?

Families can list up to five schools on an open enrollment school choice form. During open enrollment, SPS uses a choice algorithm to place students at the first school on their list that has space/is available. If no ranked schools on the application have space, the student will be placed on a waitlist for only their top-ranked school.

Can I apply to any school through Open Enrollment?

Yes, you can apply to any option school or attendance area school through open enrollment as long as it offers the program your child needs (i.e., General Education, Focus, Distinct).

Does the order of the schools I apply to impact my chances? 

Yes, rank the schools in order of preference. Importantly, if you are put on a waitlist, it will be only for your first-choice school. This should be the school your student would most like to attend if you do not get in through the initial placement.

What happens if I submit my application after the Open Enrollment period?
Applications received after Feb. 28 will not be considered for the priority tiebreakers (sibling, geo-zone, feeder school) and will be placed on a waitlist. These applications are ordered on the waitlist based on their date of submission and lottery number.

When will the school choice results be available?
Results will be posted on the district website in mid-April (after Spring Break). Refer to the Key Dates on the district enrollment page for more information. Families will receive notifications about their student’s assignment by the end of April via email or mail in the parent/guardian’s primary language.

How many students get in to schools during Open Enrollment?

This number fluctuates annually, and it is not possible for Enrollment Planning to know ahead of time. We encourage families to remain positive and optimistic, and to plan accordingly to attend their currently assigned school if they do not receive their choice assignment. Historical Choice Data on the enrollment website can provide further school choice results by school and grade level.

What if I believe there was an error in how my application was processed?
You may file a School Choice Inquiry form with supporting documents. This allows families to complete a dispute form to address any concerns about their application. This form will go live on the School Choice and Open Enrollment page after results are posted in April.

How are waitlists created?

Waitlists are created after assignments in early April. Students who do not receive an assignment are placed on a waitlist for their first-choice school only. Waitlist placement is in ranking order of their applicable tiebreakers. Late applications are added to the waitlist based on their submission date and lottery number. 

How do waitlists work after April assignments?
Most waitlist movements occur in May, but waitlists will remain active through August 31. Enrollment Planning consistently monitors school assignment numbers and waitlists throughout the spring and summer to make as many moves as possible.

After August 31, any remaining waitlists will be dissolved, meaning they will no longer exist. Students remaining on the waitlist must attend their current assigned school.

How many students get into each school from the waitlist?

Historical choice data is available on our district webpage at https://www.seattleschools.org/enroll/about-our-schools/school-choice/. 2025 choice data will not be available until after August 31, when waitlists have dissolved. We encourage you to check your waitlist status on The Source; plan to attend your assigned school if you do not receive a choice assignment by August 31.

How will families be notified if a seat becomes available from the waitlist?
As open choice seats become available, the Enrollment Planning Department will notify families directly via email and/or phone and offer the seat to their student.

• Offers made between May and July will have a 48-hour deadline to accept or decline the offer, otherwise, the offer will be extended to the next student on the waitlist.
• Offers made in August will have a 24-hour deadline to accept or decline due to the approaching start of the school year.

What happens if I don’t receive a choice offer by August 31?
If you have not been contacted by August 31, your child is expected to attend their current assignedschool at the start of the school year.

Can I decline a choice assignment offer?

If you are offered a seat, you can choose to not accept the offer and remain at your current assigned school. You will be removed from the waitlist, except in the case of elementary dual language immersion programs. In these cases, you can decline the offer and remain on the waitlist for the preferred language to become available. 

What is the transfer appeal process?

If your student was not offered a seat at a requested school and is experiencing extreme or unique extenuating circumstances, you may submit a Transfer Appeal form for further review. This process is intended for exceptional cases and is not an extension of the School Choice process. Schools that are at capacity or have active waitlists are generally not considered. Families may begin submitting transfer appeals form for 2025-26 school year starting June 1.