SEAHAWKS PARADE: Seattle Public Schools’ plan for Wednesday, and how it compares to 2014

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

If you’re a Seattle Public Schools student or staffer, and/or have one in your household, you’ve likely already seen this, but for those who have not, here’s the official SPS word on Wednesday:

Dear SPS Families,

Seattle is buzzing with excitement as we celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory! Moments like this bring our city together, spark pride across generations, and remind us of the power of shared experiences in our community.

As the city plans celebrations, including a victory parade planned for Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m., we want families to know that Seattle Public Schools will remain open with the normal early-release Wednesday schedule.

Keeping schools open is an important part of maintaining stability, safety, and continuity for our students. For many families, schools provide not only learning, but also meals, transportation, specialized services, and trusted routines. Remaining open allows us to support students’ academic progress while ensuring essential services continue for those who rely on them.

Please note:

-Attendance policies will remain in effect, and parade attendance will not be considered an excused absence.
-Families should plan ahead for possible traffic or transit impacts, particularly near the parade route.
-Schools will continue instruction and student services.

We encourage families to celebrate this historic moment in ways that work best for your household, while also helping us keep learning strong across the district.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we balance celebration with our shared commitment to students.

Go Hawks!

Fred Podesta
Chief Operations Officer
Seattle Public Schools

(Podesta was interim superintendent until Ben Shuldiner started work last week.) In 2014, according to our archived coverage, then-superintendent José Banda let individual principals decide whether to excuse students – but that was a change of heart after the original announcement that nobody would be excused.

WSParent February 9, 2026 (10:50 pm)

SPS is sending two completely contrary and conflicting messages: it’s important to bring our city together, but students must be in school and miss out on the celebration.SPS should allow, and even encourage, students to participate in this community event and civic engagement as a positive way to celebrate our city when so much recently has been painful and negative. It’s a moment in history they should be able to share in. I’d like at LEAST some reassurance from SPS that students who miss school will not be disadvantaged in class or penalized for missing work or class instruction. I find it deeply disturbing that the district is setting up a system of haves/have-nots for those kids whose families will flaunt the rules and those who can absorb a day of missed class without effecting their learning, and neglecting the opportunity to let ALL kids in the city celebrate a day of joy. It will be a lost school day with so many absences, so cut those losses and make it possible for kids (and teachers and staff) to participate with their community.Once again, SPS acts like it can’t walk and chew gum at the same time — provide any necessary services to those who need them (meals, childcare, etc), but don’t call it “school” and don’t make it mandatory. Show some creativity so that all may enjoy this rare day in Seattle.

My two cents February 10, 2026 (6:10 am)

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While your sentiment is not to be diminished, SPS is not exempt from the base requirement of 180 instructional days. Short of utilizing or re- purposing a snow day, not a lot of options for them.
Jenifer Clines February 10, 2026 (8:45 am)

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I figured with the parade being in Seattle that Seattle public schools would make them be excused absences, my kids are in the Bellevue School district and if they have parental permission then tomorrow will be an excused absence to attend the parade.
- Seattle teacher February 10, 2026 (4:15 pm)
  
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  Parents can always call and excuse their kids from class tomorrow. Also, teachers will not be penalizing students who miss tomorrow. We will still have class and everything will be fine! Kids who come to school will have the safety and security of normalcy and students who go to the parade will have a great memory.
- YM February 10, 2026 (5:54 pm)
  
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  Go Bellevue School District for giving parents a choice! This is an historical moment for Seattle and the children should be able to attend with parents permission! I still remember what I was doing in 1979 when Seattle Supersonics won their (our) championship ! I’m 60 years old. Go Hawks!

K February 10, 2026 (5:34 am)

If some parents choose to flaunt rules, that’s on them and not the district. The district’s job is to provide education.

Many families won’t be able to go to the parade because they can’t get the time off work, or have other obligations preventing attendance. There is no avoiding a scenario where privilege impacts who attends and who doesn’t. Parents will make the choice that makes the most sense to them, and the district has clearly communicated the consequences of that choice. They did their job, now parents need to do theirs.

Listen to K February 10, 2026 (9:09 am)

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Amen K! Thank you for bringing the positive common sense to the table. No matter what SPS does, someone will always complain and blame. Appreciate comments that shed light on the truth and keep it at that. No agenda, just simple facts.
onion February 10, 2026 (11:36 am)

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K nails it. Education comes first. Second, many working parents of younger students rely on the schools to be responsible for their children while they secure the family’s income. If some parents are ok with their kids playing hooky, then that’s on them, and I suspect most teachers will adjust assignment deadlines and test schedules to account for increased absenteeism. I’m OK with that, too. But education first.
Parent February 10, 2026 (2:55 pm)

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If it’s the parents’ choice to excuse a student and it’s for an event that SPS’s own messaging says is a worthy community event, then marking it as “unexcused” (which has consequences for a student’s record and ability to make up missed work) is ridiculous. It is literally “excused” if a parent makes that choice. This is the precedent set by many schools in 2014 and should be repeated.
- HPE Parent February 10, 2026 (3:29 pm)
  
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  We got an announcement just last week reminding parents that medical appointments are absences, excused or not the kids still miss things, and encouraging us to try and schedule them outside of school hours whenever possible. The district is in charge of education. They set a policy. They tell you what the policy is, and you, as the parent, have to choose what consequences are worth it to you and what message you want to send to your child about priorities and following rules. This decision will vary by household.
  
  My child has missed some school due to medical appointments I was unable to schedule around school. I’m not going to stop taking them to the doctor because I got a letter, because the consequences of NOT going to the doctor are worse than the consequences of the child missing things at school. Each parent can decide what consequences make sense for their child, but asking the district to align policy with your own family’s personal values is a bit selfish.

some lurker February 10, 2026 (7:17 am)

Funding is based on attendance so that’s part of why SPS wants kids in schools, even if they don’t go to class or if they dip out part way through. What that says about how society views public education is something to consider. If students were allowed to cite “Civic Engagement” as the reason for their walkout last week (and I support them doing that…it’s going to be their country/world very soon and they should get involved), why isn’t a citywide celebration also acceptable? Plus it’s an early release Wednesday which is watered-down version of a regular school day with shortened instructional time and a chaotic schedule for high schoolers, the ones most likely to take the day tomorrow.

John February 10, 2026 (7:44 am)

This surely should be an excused absence & encouraged to attend. Superbowl wins or any major sports winning a championship game is very rare to begin with & only occurs at most once every decade. Disappointment by the superintendent not supporting the hometown team and encouraging students to go show support for our hometown Seattle Seahawks!!

North Admiral Neighbor February 10, 2026 (9:41 am)

Kids just need to bring a protest sign to the parade and SPS will allow it to be excused under the Civic Engagement Activity Excused Absence policy

Frog February 10, 2026 (6:25 pm)

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If it were basketball, they could just recycle their “No Kings” signs, even though Sacramento is in last place and unlikely to make the playoffs. For football, maybe “No Titans” or “No Cowboys.”

Kyle February 10, 2026 (10:02 am)

It shouldn’t take a superbowl win to bring people together. That’s the sad state of America unfortunately. The wealthy are ecstatic about all this fanfare. It’s more money in their pockets, less in yours and no one is the wiser. People need to start looking at what is happening behind the scenes. I’m not completely exempt here either but we tend to take too much for granted. We just like to go along with whatever and never understand the consequences.

Rhonda February 10, 2026 (1:32 pm)

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“The wealthy are ecstatic”? Didn’t you hear all of the fireworks and cheering Sunday night? This victory has brought in gazillions of dollars to small, medium, and large businesses, plumped up our tax base, and will increase Seattle tourism and our “brand” for years. It’s a 100% net gain in every metric for our entire metro area.

IDC9 February 10, 2026 (8:56 pm)

I recall hearing somewhere that, a few years ago when the Kansas City Chiefs won a Super Bowl, school districts across the entire Kansas City Metro area closed down for the day so that everyone could go to the victory parade if they wished. I’ve been expecting districts in our region to do the same for tomorrow, but, as of tonight (2/10), that doesn’t seem to be the case. School attendance will certainly be down tomorrow. No doubt about it. It was down during the 2014 Seahawks victory parade.

SunriseHeights February 10, 2026 (9:59 pm)

Can we take a breath here? There are good reasons for the schools to stay open, not the least of which is that, as others have pointed out, not every parent of a young child can take the day off work so that you don’t have to weigh consequences and make a choice. If you want to let your kid go to the parade, that’s fine, but the whole district doesn’t need to accommodate you. What are you teaching your kids about how to share the world with others if you’re ranting on comment boards because the school district isn’t taking your perspective and yours alone into consideration? It will be alright. Teachers will be reasonable. Your student will make up what they miss. One unexcused absence will not jeopardize their future. Enjoy the parade and accept that you also live in a complex world where what’s easiest for you is not always what is best for the whole community. You and your child really will be okay. You can handle this. Relax. But if you think wanting only what works for you is an expression of civic spirit and community, maybe take a step back in your logic, think about that a little harder, and then see if you still take the same step forward.

Mickymse February 11, 2026 (12:44 pm)

+1 to @Sunrise Heights! It also says everything about the state of our education system in Washington that so many people apparently view attending a parade to celebrate a sports victory as more important than spending time getting educated. Remember that the next time someone complains that kids “aren’t learning anything” any more or that teachers shouldn’t get time off for in-service and planning because it inconveniences you.