Priority Hire
Covered Projects and Priority Demographics
Seattle Public School construction projects include a Student and Community Workforce Agreement for most construction projects with an estimated value of $5 million and above. For these projects, Contractors request dispatch to first seek and send workers that fit priority or diverse demographics.
Covered Projects
SCWA covers all projects bid or solicited to award a Prime/General Contractor starting in January 2021 estimated by Seattle Public Schools to have a construction value (including contingency) of $5 million or more prior to the bid or solicitation that awards the Prime/General Contractor.
Currently this includes:
- Alki Elementary School replacement
- John Rogers Elementary School replacement
- Kimball Elementary School replacement
- Lincoln High School improvements
- Mercer International Middle School replacement
- Montlake Elementary School Addition and Improvements
- James Baldwin Elementary School replacement
- Rainier Beach High School replacement
- Van Asselt School Interim Site addition
- Viewlands Elementary School replacement
Priority Demographics
For construction contracts, the SCWA prioritizes contractor apprentice hiring and jobs for:
- SPS Students (former students, graduates and those who have an SPS high school of origin regardless of graduation status); and/or
- Workers who have a currently enrolled SPS student in their household; and/or
- Any resident of an Economically Distressed Zip Code that contains SPS boundaries.
Diverse Demographics
- African-American (Black);
- Indigenous (Native American);
- People of color; and
- Women
Economically Distressed Zip Codes
The following zip codes are defined and prioritized as economically distressed. When the zip code is larger than the Seattle School district boundaries, the entire zip code is recognized for priority placements. These zip codes are identified by the City of Seattle using a criteria that includes those zip codes with the highest rates for:
- Share of people living under 200% of the federal poverty line.
- Unemployment rate.
- Those over 25 without a college degree.
Seattle neighborhoods and their Zip Code
Downtown 98101
Capitol Hill/Eastlake 98102
Downtown/International District 98104
Delridge 98106
Ballard 98107
S. Beacon Hill/South Park 98108
Interbay/Queen Anne 98109
Rainier Valley/Rainier Beach 98118
Belltown 98121
Central District 98122
Lake City/James Baldwin 98125
Delridge/High Point 98126
Bitter Lake/NW Seattle 98133
N. Beacon Hill 98144
White Center 98146
Rainier Beach/Skyway 98178