School Closed Until April 24, 2020
Starting Thursday, March 12, Seattle Public Schools will be closed for 6 weeks, until April 24, 2020
Beginning Thursday all school building activities including school day instruction, childcare, health services, enrichment, etc. are canceled until further notice.
Please read the latest update from Seattle Public Schools regarding COVID-19 below.
March 12 Letter to Families
Dear Families:
Today, in response to Governor Inslee’s March 12 emergency proclamation, all Seattle Public Schools are closed through at least April 24, 2020 in an effort to aggressively slow the spread of COVID-19. All public and private schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are impacted. We are committed to keeping you updated with information as soon as it becomes available.
We recognize the significant impact this extended closure will have on our entire community, students, families, and staff. Closing Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for a minimum of six weeks mid-year is unprecedented. We acknowledge the anxiety this may cause our students, especially our seniors who are focused on graduation and those students who depend on SPS for critical services. We also recognize the burden this will place on our staff and working families.
SPS is in regular contact with local and state officials to ensure we address the needs of our school communities and we will be working in partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) on what this extended closure means for the school year calendar. As soon as we have more information, we will share it with you.
Student Meal Support
Beginning Monday, March 16, Seattle Public Schools will be distributing lunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every weekday at 26 school sites throughout the city. All SPS students can participate. Lunch distribution sites can be found on our family resource page.
Additional information about meal pick-up will be shared with families tomorrow. These 26 sites will become central locations for family and student resource distribution.
Closure Reminders
As of March 12, all classroom instruction, athletics, club sports, preschool, child care, enrichment programs, etc. are closed. We know that child care is a top concern for families. We are working with the city and our partners to determine what supports can be provided during this time and more information will be coming out shortly.
In the meantime, if you are able, please offer help to friends and neighbors. Most of us have never experienced this level of life disruption. We will get through it but only if we support each other. Small moments of grace and support will go a long way as we navigate our collective response to COVID-19.
Thank You to our Community and Staff!
In the last 24 hours so many families, businesses, staff, and partners have reached out to lend a helping hand. Thank you — our community is incredible. We are working with Seattle Council PTSA, Alliance for Education, and other partners on organizing volunteers and donations and will provide more information soon. During this time, it is so encouraging to witness our entire community coming together to support each other and our students.
While our classrooms are empty, our work on behalf of children continues. Thank you to the thousands of educators who have already shared educational activities with families so that learning can continue while students are at home. Thank you to central office staff for your dedication and commitment. These staff members are critical to the continued operations of the district and are working to get meals ready for students, complete payroll for our staff, provide updates to our families, and enroll students for the next school year.
We also want to thank our tireless custodial and nutrition services staff for their continued support of our students and families as they work to keep our buildings clean and provide meals for our students.
This extended closure will affect every aspect of our district and our city. Please know that we are working to get you up-to-date information and will continue to be in regular contact, Monday through Friday.
Thank you again for working with us as our entire community responds to COVID-19.
Office of Public Affairs