Four seats on the seven-member Seattle Public Schools school board in Washington are up for election on Nov. 4, 2025. Three are up for regular election and one is up for special election. A primary is scheduled for Aug. 5, 2025. The filing deadline for this election was May 9, 2025.
Nonpartisan primaries will be held for the three seats in Districts 2, 4, and 5 on Aug. 5. The District 7 primary was canceled, and Jen LaVallee and Carol Rava advanced to the general election. Primary election voting occurs within each geographic district, but the November election is citywide.
The elections come after a wave of proposed school closures, that were later rescinded, drew public protest. A cost-saving measure to address the district’s estimated $94 million budget shortfall, superintendent Brent Jones originally proposed closing as many as 21 schools in September 2024. Then-school board President Liza Rankin said, “This is a hard decision. But it’s the one that has to be made in order to best serve our students today and sustain our district into the future.”
In October 2024, the district announced the names of the schools it planned to close — a list reduced to four following community pushback led by a group called All Together for Seattle Schools, which calls itself a “parent-led coalition to ensure SPS schools remain open and amply funded.” In late November, the superintendent announced that the district would not close any schools for the 2025-2026 school year and would seek financial help from the state. The board voted unanimously to approve the pause on closures the next day.
Meanwhile, on Nov. 8, 2024, a group of parents had filed a recall petition against Rankin over her treatment of the school closure process, stating, “Director Rankin acted arbitrarily and capriciously by advancing a knowingly flawed school closure process, without regard to the attending facts and circumstances.” After a judge dismissed the recall in December 2024 finding insufficient evidence, Rankin stated, “We still have a budget deficit that has to be dealt with. We are, by the numbers, operating a higher number of buildings than is efficient for the number of students we have. Those are all very real things that haven’t gone away, that we still have to grapple with.” The school board unanimously chose Gina Topp as its new president in December 2024 as part of its internal leadership selections.
The races in Districts 2 and 4 feature incumbents Sarah Clark and Joe Mizrahi, respectively, both of whom the school board appointed to fill vacancies in April 2024. The vacancies resulted from two resignations over district residency issues. One of the resigned board members, Vivian Song from District 4, is running in 2025 for District 5.
In the races below, All Together for Seattle Schools, which opposed school closures, endorsed the following candidates: Sarah Clark (District 2), Joe Mizrahi (District 4), and Vivian Song (District 5). The group endorsed Jen LaVallee, who proceeded directly to the general election, for District 7. The group wrote, “We have an opportunity to elect four board members who will steer the district in a new and better direction. We can reject failed policies such as closing schools, taking away options, rejecting academic rigor, neglecting student safety, abandoning financial oversight, and refusing to treat families as partners in education.”
District 2
Incumbent Sarah Clark, Eric Feeny, and Kathleen Smith are running in the District 2 primary.
Clark is the director of policy for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. She was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in April 2024. She earned her master’s degree in education policy. According to her campaign website, her vision includes making schools safer for students, achieving equity, and improving transparency.
Feeny studied mechanical engineering and history at Stanford University and works in software. His campaign website states, “The number one goal of SPS needs to be academic excellence for all. We suffer from a minimum standard approach that is not pushing students to be their best. We have been arguing about seats on a sinking ship. We’ve been pursuing equity by lowering the bar, not elevating everybody to their highest level.”
Smith is a mathematician whose campaign website says she is running because “Seattle is facing a budget crisis, irresponsible closure plans, lack of accountability, and deepening inequities. She is running because she wants her children to enter a public school system that balances its budget equitably rather than cutting resources from our most vulnerable communities.”
District 4
Incumbent Joe Mizrahi, Bill Campbell, Harsimran Kaur, Gloria Suella Menchaca, and Laura Marie Rivera are running in the District 4 primary. As of July 14, 2025, more information about Campbell and Kaur was unavailable.
Mizrahi is a lawyer and secretary-treasurer of UFCW 3000, which his campaign website calls “Washington’s largest union, representing 60,000 members across grocery, healthcare, and retail sectors.” He was appointed to the board alongside Clark in 2024. His website lists the priorities “building a strong fiscal future,” “defending our values,” and “putting community voices first.”
Menchaca is a neuroscientist whose campaign website describes her as a “Scientist—not a politician,” and says to vote for her “because we deserve a school board that reflects the brilliance, resilience, and diversity of our city. Vote for a leader who will fight for transparency, equity, and fully funded public schools.”
Rivera, who also ran in 2021, earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1998 and graduate degree from Bank Street College of Education in 2015. Her campaign website states, “I am a mother, an educator, a nonprofit professional, and a champion of the arts. I believe in the power of public education and that we have a responsibility to not only our students, but our society as a whole. The Seattle Public Schools system has the opportunity and obligation to give our children the tools they will need for the future.”
District 5
Landon Labosky, Julissa Sanchez, Vivian Song, Allycea Weil, and Janis White are running in the District 5 primary. Incumbent Michelle Sarju is not running for re-election.
Labosky is an aquatics manager for the city of Covington. He earned his master’s degree in public administration. His campaign website lists the following priorities: “balance the budget,” “address the funding structure for Seattle public schools,” “increase transparency in communication to parents/public,” “advocate for collaboration between Seattle Public Schools, City of Seattle, and King County,” and “ensure high-quality education for every student.”
Sanchez is director of advocacy at CHOOSE 180, whose website says it “transforms systems of injustice & supports the young people who are too often impacted by those systems.” Her campaign website lists the following priorities: “Building safe, inclusive schools where every student thrives,” “ensuring responsible, transparent budgeting that puts students first,” and “building trust as a bridge between the district and our communities.”
Song is a finance professional and served on the board from 2021 until her resignation in 2024 over a district residency issue. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business administration. Her campaign website lists the following priorities: “equity through excellence,” “stable, fully funded schools, “a diverse portfolio of schools for a diverse community,” “prioritizing student safety and well-being,” and “accountable, transparent, and inclusive leadership.”
Weil is a member of the Equity and Race Advisory Committee to the superintendent. Her campaign website states, “How can we trust an institution that breaks its promises, threatens devastating closures without a clear plan, and refuses to truly prioritize the most vulnerable.” Her campaign website lists the following as part of her plan: “find long-term superintendent,” “rebuild trust & sustainable budget,” and “empower youth, our educators & community.”
White is the founding president of All Youth Belong, which her campaign website describes as “a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing inclusion and belonging for disabled youth in community life.” Her campaign website lists the following as key issues: “fighting for high achievement programs,” “transparent and responsible budgeting,” “supporting students with disabilities,” “addressing the crisis of student mental health,” and “equity and inclusion.”