Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools is a K-12 public school district in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1854 and operating 19 high schools, 12 middle schools, 11 K-8 schools, and 68 elementary schools. The district serves resident students with general education, special education, preschool, career and technical programs, and contracted student transportation via the Zum partnership.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1854
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Seattle Public Schools does
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is a public K-12 school district headquartered at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (2445 3rd Ave. S, Seattle, WA), founded in 1854 and operated under a seven-member elected School Board with Superintendent Dr. Ben Shuldiner. The district serves Seattle-resident students through 19 high schools, 12 middle schools, 11 K-8 schools, and 68 elementary schools, supplemented by specialized programs including the Seattle Skills Center (Career and Technical Education), the Exploratory Internship Program (XIP) for students with IEPs/504 Plans, multiple preschool pathways (SPP, SPP Plus, Head Start, Developmental Preschool), and the SPSTV media production studio. The Special Education department alone supports more than 7,000 students (~13% of the student body), with 1,000+ dedicated staff and an 80% general-education inclusion rate.
The district's core digital infrastructure centers on seattleschools.org, integrated with a portfolio of third-party tools: Schoology as the Learning Management System, Clever as the single sign-on student portal, Seesaw for younger students, Microsoft 365 for email and productivity, and The Source as the parent/guardian portal (attendance, grades, and SchoolPay integration). District-issued iPads and laptops are provided to all students, and a districtwide cellphone policy was implemented in 2026. Student transportation is operated through a channel partnership with Zum covering more than 280 routes with 98% on-time performance and a 4.9/5-star family satisfaction rating.
SPS is funded primarily through state education funding formulas, local property taxes (levies), and federal grants — not commercial revenue. The go-to-market motion is effectively direct-to-consumer and mandatory by residence, with students assigned to attendance-area schools and families participating in an open-enrollment school choice lottery (Jan 5-31) for alternative placements. Ancillary revenue streams include a la carte meal pricing ($2.25-$6.50 depending on grade and adult status) and select fee-based activities (athletic fees, ASB cards, yearbooks) processed via MySchoolBucks and SchoolPay. Most recent strategic initiatives include a Microsoft + Gates Foundation AI tutoring pilot focused on special education and a significantly expanded Zum transportation partnership.
Seattle Public Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seattle Public Schools
- Legal name
- Seattle Public Schools
- Website
- https://seattleschools.org
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1854
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Seattle Public Schools is a K-12 public school district in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1854 and operating 19 high schools, 12 middle schools, 11 K-8 schools, and 68 elementary schools. The district serves resident students with general education, special education, preschool, career and technical programs, and contracted student transportation via the Zum partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seattle Public Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Public Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)
Keywords
Where Seattle Public Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Seattle Public Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Public Education Funding: District is funded primarily through state education funding formulas, local property taxes, and federal grants. Revenue is allocated to cover basic education costs including special education, transportation, and materials supplies.
- Student Meal Sales: District sells breakfast and lunch meals to students and adults. Students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals receive meals at no cost. Additional items beyond reimbursable meals are charged at a la carte prices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grades K-5 meals |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grades 6-12 meals |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adults/Visitors meals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Seattle Public Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seattle Public Schools is a public school district operating free K-12 educational services across 19 high schools, 12 middle schools, 11 K-8 schools, and 68 elementary schools in Seattle, Washington. The district delivers classroom instruction, special education (serving approximately 13% of its 7,000+ students), preschool programs, Career and Technical Education (Seattle Skills Center), student transportation, school meals, and family engagement services.
Product overview
Seattle Public Schools is a public school district operating a unified platform of educational services and digital tools. The core digital infrastructure centers on the seattleschools.org website with integrated portals including Clever (student SSO), Schoology LMS, Seesaw, The Source (parent portal), and Microsoft 365 email. Supporting services include student device programs (iPads/laptops), school meals (Culinary Services), Special Education (serving 13% of students), preschool programs, Seattle Skills Center (CTE), the Exploratory Internship Program (XIP) for students with IEPs/504s, student transportation via Zum, SPSTV media production, and Family Learning Guides. The district is also piloting AI-powered tutoring through a Microsoft/Gates Foundation-supported initiative.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SPS: Common abbreviation for Seattle Public Schools used in internal communications and branding
- Seattle Skills Center
- John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
- XIP (Exploratory Internship Program)
Products and services
- K-12 Education Programs Free public education from kindergarten through 12th grade, delivered through attendance-area schools and school choice options, including core academic subjects, advanced learning programs, and athletics.
- Special Education Services Specialized instruction, related services, IEP development, and continuum-of-placements support for students with disabilities, including services for deaf/hard-of-hearing, vision, autism, and assistive technology needs.
- Preschool Programs Early childhood education programs for children ages 3-5, including Seattle Preschool Program (SPP), Seattle Preschool Program Plus (SPP Plus), Head Start, and Developmental Preschool.
- Seattle Skills Center Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offering advanced courses in maritime, media arts, video game design, and teaching careers for 11th-12th grade students.
- Exploratory Internship Program (XIP) Work-based learning program for students aged 16-21 with IEPs/504 plans, providing paid and unpaid job experiences to gain skills for post-high school education and career pathways.
- Culinary Services / School Meals District meal program providing nutritionally balanced breakfast and lunch daily, with free and reduced-price meal options and online payment through MySchoolBucks.
- Student Transportation Services Bus transportation services operated through Zum partner, covering over 280 routes with 98% on-time performance and 4.9/5 star family satisfaction rating.
- SPSTV (Seattle Public Schools Television) Full-service high-definition TV studio with professional audio/video equipment, broadcast switcher, advanced lighting, green screen, and Adobe Suite for producing district content and student media.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of special education students spend majority of day in general education or advanced learning settings
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Seattle Public Schools
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Seattle Public Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability3 records
Feature2 records
Seattle Public Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ZumcoreZum is a student transportation provider that has continued and expanded its partnership with Seattle Public Schools for the 2026-2027 school year. The partnership now covers more than 280 routes serving students across the district, with over 130 new routes added. Zum reports a 4.9 out of 5-star family satisfaction rating with 98% average on-time performance. To support the expansion, Zum will hire 150 additional drivers and open a new location.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft is supporting a two-year AI project with school districts in Washington state, including Seattle Public Schools, to explore practical applications of AI in education. Projects include AI-powered tutoring and support for special education students.
- First StudentminorFirst Student is a student transportation service provider with national contract negotiations ongoing between the company and the Teamsters union. Local collective bargaining agreements remain in place governing the relationship between First Student and its employees. SPS is closely monitoring the situation and planning for contingencies while First Student has committed to continuing service without disruption.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Seattle Public Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Seattle Public Schools social profiles
Digital presenceSeattle Public Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seattle Public Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Seattle Public Schools subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Seattle Public Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Seattle Public Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Seattle Public Schools
What does Seattle Public Schools do?
Seattle Public Schools is a public school district operating free K-12 educational services across 19 high schools, 12 middle schools, 11 K-8 schools, and 68 elementary schools in Seattle, Washington. The district delivers classroom instruction, special education (serving approximately 13% of its 7,000+ students), preschool programs, Career and Technical Education (Seattle Skills Center), student transportation, school meals, and family engagement services.
Is Seattle Public Schools a public or private company?
Seattle Public Schools is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Seattle Public Schools founded?
Seattle Public Schools was founded in 1854. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Seattle Public Schools based?
Seattle Public Schools is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Seattle Public Schools make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Education Funding is the primary driver. The others are student Meal Sales.
Does Seattle Public Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seattle Public Schools.
What industry is Seattle Public Schools in?
Seattle Public Schools's product category is K-12 Public Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADABAA, Public School Districts (K–12), with a secondary code of EDAJAAAE, Public K–12 Combined Schools. Its NAICS code is 61111 and its SIC code is 8200.