Seattle (March 14) – This morning, Mayor Bruce Harrell joined the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) and education leaders at The Children’s Center at Burke Gilman Gardens to announce nine new classrooms for the award-winning Seattle Preschool Program (SPP), adding 169 seats to the program’s roster. The city is investing up to $3 million for SPP classroom expansions the 2025-2026 school year and applications are now open for Seattle families at seattle.gov/applySPP. 

“The greatest investment we can make in Seattle’s future is investing in opportunities for our youth,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “I am proud that the Seattle Preschool Program continues to grow every year with new locations and community-based providers, providing an affordable and enriching education for more children and their families. This nationally recognized program is something everyone in our city should take pride in as we continue to close opportunity gaps and give every child the tools they need to thrive in school and life. All Seattle families and caregivers with three or four-year-olds who want the best early learning experience with dedicated educators are encouraged to begin their application today.” 

“The Children’s Center at Burke Gilman Gardens has been providing high quality childcare and early learning programs for families in Seattle since 1998. Thanks to funding from sources including the City’s Child Care Facilities Grant, we are completing a facility renovation to add a new toddler classroom and SPP classroom this year,” said Executive Director of The Children’s Center at Burke Gilman Gardens, Jennifer Kelty. “Our partnership with SPP will allow us to increase affordable childcare and preschool program options for local families, and we are grateful to the Mayor and the City of Seattle for investing in both SPP and CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program). Investing in early learning programming now supports the future well-being and success of all our children, families, and communities.” 

The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare Seattle three and four-year-olds for kindergarten in partnership with community-based organizations, Family Child Care providers, and Seattle Public Schools. SPP classrooms have nationally recognized curricula and offers specialized programs at select sites, including dual language and inclusion. Applications are open now at seattle.gov/applySPP, and classes start in September. 

Seattle Preschool Program expansion classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:  

Of the nine new SPP classrooms, eight are in brand new SPP locations, and one classroom is at an existing SPP location. In 2025-2026, SPP plans to have 29 partner organizations, with 114 preschool sites and 158 classrooms, adding 169 seats this year with the capacity to serve over 2,500 children citywide.  

“The City’s SPP investments help children enter elementary school kindergarten-ready,” said Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera (D-4). “We know that preschool attendance is linked to higher rates of high school graduation, and college attendance. That’s why the Seattle Preschool Program matters. It is not just about the first few years - it is about a lifetime of opportunity. This expansion shows Seattle’s commitment to ensuring that high-quality early education is available to families across the city.” 

“I invite parents, caregivers, and families in Seattle to learn more about the positive impact early education programming like SPP is making for our three and four-year-olds before they enter kindergarten,” said DEEL Director Dr. Dwane Chappelle. “SPP gives children a strong foundation in their academic skills and social emotional development. I am proud to announce that school year’s expansion means we will be one step closer to achieving a major goal of the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy: serving nearly 2,500 children across the city.” 

How to Apply for the Seattle Preschool Program  

Parents can learn more about SPP sites and how to begin the application process at seattle.gov/applySPP. SPP applications are available at in English, Amharic, Chinese, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese. Families who need language assistance to complete the application process can contact DEEL at 206-386-1050 or email preschool@seattle.gov.   

Tuition for the Seattle Preschool Program is designed to fit the needs of all Seattle families, with a sliding scale based on household income and household size. Most families qualify for free or reduced tuition, with a priority to eliminate cost barriers especially for children experiencing homelessness, in foster care or kinship care.  

Recently, SPP received a third gold medal for high-quality preschool programming from CityHealth. The Seattle Preschool Program is focused on advancing educational equity and reducing race-based opportunity gaps in kindergarten readiness. In 2023-2024, 75% of students identified as BIPOC and nearly 70% of SPP families received free tuition. In this same cohort, 68% of SPP graduates met kindergarten readiness standards, with race-based opportunity gaps narrowing by 10 percentage points from the previous year, bringing the overall gap down to 21%. 

SPP has expanded yearly since 2015 when it launched serving 283 children in 15 classrooms. With funding from the 2018 voter-approved Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy, SPP is on schedule to serve 2,500 children by 2026.