Seattle, WA

Seattle school assignment rules for movers

See the exact Seattle attendance-area assignment and 2026-27 school-choice rules.

Quick answer

See the exact Seattle attendance-area assignment and 2026-27 school-choice rules.

Source-first Reviewed Jul 2026

Exact district rule

Seattle Public Schools: what the rule actually says

Seattle Public Schools automatically assigns a newly enrolled student to the attendance-area school based on the home address. A family may request another attendance-area, option, or alternative school through School Choice, but the change is not guaranteed. For 2026-27, on-time School Choice ran January 5-31, late applications ended March 31, and waitlists dissolved May 31.

Answer type: exact enrollment ruleDistrict: Seattle Public SchoolsPolicy basis: 2026-27Reviewed July 28, 2026

Assignment rules at a glance

These are the district-specific fields that determine what happens after an address or school request is submitted.

Default assignmentThe home address determines the attendance-area school.

At enrollmentThe student is automatically assigned to that attendance-area school.

Different schoolThe family uses School Choice; a change is not guaranteed.

2026-27 timingOn-time January 5-31; late through March 31; waitlists ended May 31.

Moving checklist

Update the student's address with Seattle Public Schools.
Use Address Lookup to identify the attendance-area school.
Treat any different-school request as School Choice, not as an address entitlement.

Official policy sources

The answer above is stated on-page; these links document the district rules and policy year.

Seattle Public SchoolsEnrollment Seattle Public SchoolsOpen Enrollment for School Choice

Other exact moving rules

Compare how address assignment, school choice, and enrollment work in other districts.

Boston, MABoston Public Schools Milwaukee, WIMilwaukee Public Schools Cleveland, OHCleveland Metropolitan School District Cincinnati, OHCincinnati Public Schools New Orleans, LANOLA Public Schools