Maskay guide

Moving to Seattle with children: how do I confirm the school and enroll during 2026–2027?

A family arriving in Seattle during the school year needs an enrollment route, not just a list of schools with attractive reputations. Begin with the district and exact home address, then establish the assigned school and the documents needed for your child. The current Seattle Public Schools website opens new-student enrollment for 2026–2027. That process must be distinguished from the school-choice round, which is already closed.

Maskay editorial team Updated

Confirm the address before assuming a school place

Use the district's Find Your School address tool with the proposed residence. A Seattle mailing address does not by itself prove that a property is served by Seattle Public Schools, and a nearby building is not necessarily the assigned school. Confirm the result before choosing a lease on the assumption that a child will attend a particular campus.

Ask how the assigned school can support the child's actual needs: language learning, disability-related services, transportation questions and the transition from a previous school. A popularity score for a building cannot answer those questions. If a program affects placement, resolve it with the district rather than treating the address result as the final answer to every circumstance.

Prepare the application for each child

The published procedure uses an online application for each student. Documentation includes parent or guardian identification, address evidence and immunization information. The district requests two address documents dated within the preceding eight weeks, with examples including utility or insurance documents and the relevant signed pages of a recent lease. Follow its list rather than assuming any envelope displaying an address will be sufficient.

Proof of age is requested for kindergarten, first grade and special-education preschool. Kindergarten entry normally requires the child to be five by August 31. Additional information may be requested, and special-education circumstances have an additional form. If a listed document is unavailable, contact Admissions about accepted alternatives rather than inventing a substitute or postponing all contact.

For students experiencing homelessness, the district identifies an exception to the address and supporting-document requirements and assistance through its homeless-program services. A family without conventional housing documents should ask about that support directly; its situation should not be handled as an ordinary incomplete residential application.

Separate current enrollment from school choice

Seattle Public Schools says the 2026–2027 school-choice process closed March 31, 2026. New-student enrollment remains a different process. A September arrival should contact Admissions about present placement and any relevant options, rather than assume it must wait for the next annual choice window. No future choice deadline is promised here without a published calendar.

General enrollment assistance is available at 206-252-0760; the district publishes Spanish assistance at 206-252-0208. Its enrollment office is at 2445 Third Avenue South, with weekday hours of 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and a closure from noon–4 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month for training. Check that exception before making a midday trip. Keep the district's confirmation and any follow-up requests with your child's enrollment records.

Verified information: New-student enrollment 2026–2027 open · School choice closed March 31, 2026 · General help 206-252-0760, Spanish 206-252-0208 · Office weekday 9 a.m.–4 p.m., third-Wednesday afternoon exception · Official district sources checked September 28, 2026.

Verification

Sources & references

Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.

  1. Enrollment - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.

  2. Enroll My Student - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.

  3. Find Your School - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.

  4. Open Enrollment for School Choice - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.

  5. Contact Enrollment - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.

  6. Homeless Program: McKinney-Vento - Seattle Public Schools ↗ Primary source www.seattleschools.org · Accessed September 28, 2026

    MASKAY Washington · documentary evidence shared by English and Spanish editions.