Seattle Public Schools (SPS) recently issued an urgent alert to its community, raising concerns about an iOS mobile app titled “The Source: SPS.” The district clarified that the app was neither developed nor authorized by SPS, despite its name, logo, and resemblance to the district’s official online grade portal, known simply as “The Source.”
The app in question had gained popularity among Seattle students and families for its ease of use and additional features. However, it was acquired by a private company last month and soon began charging users a fee—leading SPS to formally denounce the app and advise users to uninstall it.
This situation has highlighted issues around branding, data privacy, and the unintended consequences of student innovation when commercialized by third parties.
Community Alert Issued Over Unauthorized App
On the evening of July 15, SPS sent out a district-wide email to families and staff. The message described the situation as an “urgent matter” and advised recipients to immediately delete “The Source: SPS” app from their devices. The warning emphasized that the app was misleading in its appearance and branding.
According to the district, the app’s developer used SPS’s name and logo without authorization, which could cause confusion and falsely imply endorsement or affiliation.
SPS assured users that the app did not have access to internal district systems. Personal information such as login credentials and grade data remained stored locally on users’ devices, not on district servers.
The district also highlighted that the app was charging a $7.99 download fee, adding to the urgency of its warning.
App’s Origins Trace Back to a Student Developer
The district painted the app as a recent intrusion, the app’s roots are local and deeply intertwined with the student experience at SPS. The original developer, Evan Mazor, is a 2023 graduate of Roosevelt High School in Seattle and now studies computer science at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Mazor initially launched “The Source: SPS” during his time as an SPS student. It began as a free tool intended to simplify and enhance access to student grades, using the same login information that students used to access the district’s official grade portal. His work offered value-added features that the district’s native system lacked—such as GPA calculations, what-if scenarios, and attendance tracking.
Growing Popularity and User Trust
Over three years, Mazor’s app gained momentum across the Seattle Public Schools community. By June 2024, it boasted over 17,000 monthly active users and more than 30,000 total downloads. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with a 4.5-star rating and over 550 five-star reviews on the App Store.
Students and parents found the app helpful, particularly for features that allowed real-time academic monitoring and goal-setting. Many credited the tool with helping them stay organized, improve grades, and better manage school demands.
Mazor’s app filled a usability gap, serving as a functional upgrade to the district’s clunky web-based system. However, the turning point came in June when Mazor sold the app to a Houston-area tech company.
Ownership Transfer Brings New Direction
Mazor announced on LinkedIn that he had sold the app to GradePro, a company operated by Sparksuite, based in Texas. The move was presented as the culmination of years of work.
He described the acquisition as a major milestone, stating, “This is a huge accomplishment for me and the culmination of three years of constant work on the app to fix bugs, implement new features, and rework the system to scale with a growing user base.”
Following the acquisition, GradePro began migrating users from “The Source: SPS” to its own proprietary platform. That migration included the introduction of a $7.99 annual subscription, which was added to the app listing in early July.
App Store Removal After District Pressure
After GeekWire reached out to Sparksuite and GradePro for comment—sharing the district’s email—GradePro responded and confirmed that the migration was complete. The app was removed from the App Store shortly after the inquiry.
GradePro spokesperson Wes Cossick stated, “We completed the migration of users to GradePro last week, so the app has already been removed from the App Store.”
He added that the team was “excited to bring users even more features and reliability going forward,” noting that the legacy app had served its purpose and would no longer be supported.
Intellectual Property and Brand Misuse
SPS’s concern largely centered around the misuse of its brand. By using the “SPS” name and logo, the app gave the appearance of official endorsement. This can create confusion for users, especially families who may assume the app is part of the school system’s official offerings.
Brand misuse is a serious matter for public institutions. Beyond just misleading users, unauthorized use can pose legal and reputational risks. SPS noted that it is “taking all available and appropriate steps to stop the misleading marketing” of the app and similar efforts.
Data Safety Reassurances and Limitations
Despite alarm over the app, SPS reiterated that no internal systems were breached. Login information and grade data were not accessed or collected by the app’s creators or new owners. This is because the app worked more like a user interface layer on top of the district’s grade system, pulling data from user logins already held by students and parents.
Still, the shift to a commercial product—especially one now charging fees—has raised broader ethical questions about third-party access to educational systems, even if that access is user-controlled.
Technological Innovation vs. Institutional Governance
This incident is not just a matter of branding and permissions. It raises broader questions about student-driven innovation, the power of independent developers, and the responsibility of institutions to proactively innovate or collaborate with their users.
Mazor’s original work reflects the potential for students to identify problems and engineer useful solutions. Yet, without structured collaboration, those innovations may either fade or fall into the hands of commercial interests—often with different incentives.
Role of Schools in Supporting Responsible Tech
There’s an emerging need for public school systems to engage more directly with student innovators, particularly those in tech. Seattle is a city full of young coders, engineers, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Proactive collaboration could unlock value for everyone—students, schools, and families.
SPS may need to examine how it supports or governs innovation around its own digital platforms. With better channels for feedback and development, students like Mazor could potentially partner with schools to improve digital experiences while avoiding the pitfalls of brand misuse or unregulated monetization.
FAQs
How did the unauthorized SPS app work?
The app provided a mobile-friendly interface for Seattle Public Schools’ grading system, using login credentials already held by students and parents. It included extra features like GPA calculations and grade simulations.
Was the app created by Seattle Public Schools?
No. The app was developed independently by a former SPS student, Evan Mazor, and was not authorized, endorsed, or maintained by the school district.
Did the app compromise student data or district security?
No district systems were breached. All data used by the app was stored locally on user devices, and no login credentials or academic records were accessed by third-party servers.
Why did Seattle Public Schools ask users to delete the app?
The district cited brand misuse, potential confusion, and unauthorized monetization as primary reasons for requesting deletion of the app. The use of the SPS logo and name created the appearance of official approval.
What happened to the app after it was removed?
GradePro, the company that acquired the app, completed a migration of users to its own app and voluntarily removed “The Source: SPS” from the App Store after media inquiries and pressure from the school district.
Conclusion
The rise and fall of “The Source: SPS” highlights the intersection of education, innovation, and technology governance. What began as a student-driven solution to a cumbersome system ended with a district-wide warning and app store removal. The situation serves as a cautionary tale—not just about unauthorized branding—but also about the missed opportunities when institutions fail to collaborate with young innovators in their communities.
As digital tools continue to play a greater role in education, public schools must balance data privacy, user experience, and institutional control—while recognizing the creative potential of their own students.
