How does the SPS School Board Election Work?
Voting is the foundation stone of political action.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
What is the School Board?
According to the Seattle Public Schools website:
The Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools is an elected body of seven citizens who serve four year terms and represent geographical regions within the City of Seattle.
It is the belief of the Board of Directors and Superintendent that they are partners in the governance team of Seattle Public Schools. Both must do their jobs well for the organization to be successful and for the governance team as a whole to be effective.
When is the election?
Primary Election Day is August 5th. Ballots must be postmarked by August 5th or returned to a ballot drop box by 8pm.
How does School Board voting work?
Board Directors represent geographic regions of Seattle. For the Primary Election, voters from each District select candidates only from their region. The top two candidates advance to the November General Election.
For the General Election candidates are elected city wide, meaning you get to vote for every School Board position up for election.
Why isn’t District 7 listed in the primary?
In a primary election the top two candidates advance to the general election. Since there are only two candidates running in District 7 each will advance to the next round of voting without participating in the primary.
A map of the School Board Director Districts from Seattle Public Schools