School District for
Zip Code 98104

About Seattle Public Schools

Seattle Public Schools is the public school district assigned to zip code 98104 in Seattle, Washington. Serving students from Pre-K – 12th, this district is the primary public education system for families living in and around zip code 98104. The sections below cover the district’s resources, scale, rating, and everything families need to know about enrollment and school assignment.

Funding and Resources

Per-pupil spending at Seattle Public Schools runs approximately $14,700 annually, placing it near the Washington state average of approximately $14,500 and near the national average nationally (U.S. average: $13,700/year). Near-average districts typically provide core academic programs with adequate staffing, though program breadth may be more limited than in higher-funded systems. Per-pupil spending directly affects teacher compensation, class sizes, elective course offerings, technology access, and the depth of student support services — making it one of the most meaningful structural indicators of district capacity.

District Scale and Program Breadth

Seattle Public Schools is a small, community-focused district with 1 schools serving students from Pre-K – 12th. Small districts often benefit from tighter community cohesion, more personalized teacher-student relationships, and stronger parental involvement. The trade-off is narrower program variety: fewer elective courses, specialized tracks, or extracurricular options than larger systems offer.

Understanding the 6/10 Rating

SchoolDistrictFinder rates Seattle Public Schools 6 out of 10 — average among Washington public school districts. Our ratings are built from NCES Common Core of Data and measure structural factors: per-pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratio, enrollment stability, and school count. They do not incorporate test scores or graduation rates, which are not consistently available across all 13,500+ US districts in the NCES dataset.

Seattle Public Schools falls in the middle of the performance spectrum with an average rating. Average districts provide foundational public education with functional academic programs, though they may not match the resource breadth of higher-rated districts in the same region. Many families find that average-rated districts deliver solid day-to-day education, particularly when parents stay engaged and involved. If you're considering this area, look beyond the overall rating: visit schools, talk to current parents, and research the specific school your child would attend. Average districts often have individual schools that significantly outperform the district mean.

Enrollment for Families in Zip Code 98104

Children in zip code 98104 are assigned to Seattle Public Schools for public school enrollment, covering grades Pre-K – 12th. School assignments are address-specific — your elementary, middle, and high school placements depend on your exact street address within zip code 98104, not just your neighborhood. Two homes on opposite ends of the same zip code may be assigned to different schools within the same district.

To confirm your specific school assignments, contact Seattle Public Schools at (206)252-0010 or visit www.seattleschools.org. Typical enrollment documents include a signed lease or mortgage statement, birth certificate, state-required immunization documentation, and recent report cards or transcripts. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, bring that documentation to enrollment — Washington districts are required to continue services within a reasonable period. Fall enrollment windows typically open in late winter or early spring; contact the district for exact dates and required steps.

School Districts and Home Values in Seattle

Research consistently shows that district assignment affects residential property values. Because Seattle Public Schools serves zip code 98104, district assignment still factors into home-pricing comparisons between zip code 98104 and neighboring areas. District boundaries are address-specific — verify the exact district assignment for any property you’re seriously considering rather than assuming based on the neighborhood. A single block can place two adjacent homes in different districts with different ratings and different annual property tax implications.

Use the property tax estimator on this page to calculate estimated annual tax obligations based on your target purchase price. In Washington, property taxes are a primary funding source for public schools — your tax payments directly support Seattle Public Schools programs and staff. Understanding both district quality and the associated tax burden is essential financial due diligence before committing to any home in zip code 98104.

Data Sources and Accuracy

All district information on this page is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024–2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s annual census of all public school districts — the same dataset used by researchers, journalists, and policymakers to analyze American public education. District boundaries, school assignments, phone numbers, and per-pupil expenditure figures are updated annually when NCES publishes new data, typically in spring. Always verify your specific school assignment and enrollment requirements directly with Seattle Public Schools before making any housing or enrollment decision based on zip code 98104 data.