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Tacoma School Closure Central

The Tacoma School District is considering the closure or consolidation of schools to offset declining enrollment and tight budgets. The News Tribune education team maintains this page with the latest independent information.

Check this page regularly for:
• The latest news on the decision.
• Background information and story archives on the school closure decision.
• How to get involved and make a difference.
• Questions answered, issues discussed in our forum.

Discussions and updates

• Only cool teens can read this
• Morning hearing sparsely attended
• Gault closure: benefits and drawbacks
• Benefits and drawbacks of the Grant closure
• School consolidation committee meeting Tuesday night
• Tacoma hears a Who?
• How about sharing schools with others?
• Fighting low enrollment in other urban areas
• How it will happen
• Milligan comments on closure
• Moderated forum homepage

Interactive map - Click to enlarge

RUSS CARMACK/The News Tribune
150 students and parents at Washington-Hoyt Elementary School organized their own 'peaceful protest' to let the public know they want to keep their school open.

» TACOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMATION

For more information, see the district's consolidation page.

External links:

Tacoma School District

PDF documents:

Superintendent recommendation

Consolidation timeline

Comparison of considered schools

Reasons for consolidation

Enrollment trends

K-5 enrollment

K-12 enrollment

Projected growth by zone

» CONSOLIDATION PROPOSALS

The following documents are consolidation proposals submitted by citizens.

Citizen proposals

United Action proposal

Grant Elementary School proposal

Arcadia Montessori proposal

Archived news coverage

School closures HEADLINES

Gault, Grant make closure list

Published November 4th, 2006 - 4:43AM

Tacoma schools Superintendent Charlie Milligan recommends the district close Gault Middle School on the East Side and Grant Center for the Expressive Arts in the North End at the end of this school year.

Speak out on school closures by summer

Published March 13th, 2006 - 4:20AM

Have ideas on how the Tacoma School District can avoid closing elementary schools?

Speak out on school closures by summer

Published March 13th, 2006 - 4:20AM

Have ideas on how the Tacoma School District can avoid closing elementary schools?

Tacoma might regroup four schools

Published February 22nd, 2006 - 6:26PM

If Tacoma must shutter some schools, an advisory committee has recommended four elementary buildings be considered for closure or consolidation with other schools.

Re: School closure site: 650 posts, 6,898 hits

Published February 21st, 2006 - 5:41PM

The Tacoma school district Web site is normally home to school announcements, board policies and upbeat news releases about remarkable kids.

Delay gives more time to lobby for schools

Published February 16th, 2006 - 1:25PM

Tacoma parents worried that their kids’ elementary school could be targeted for closure are expressing mixed emotions now that the district has said it will postpone closing schools for a year.

All schools spared, for now

Published February 15th, 2006 - 5:45AM

In a dramatic turn of events, Tacoma school officials announced Tuesday night that they won’t close any elementary schools next school year.

11 schools still possible for closure in Tacoma

Published February 8th, 2006 - 5:35AM

A Tacoma School District advisory committee Tuesday narrowed the list of elementary schools facing closure to 11.

Draft school closure list out

Published February 2nd, 2006 - 5:35AM

An advisory committee has come up with a list of 16 Tacoma School District elementary schools to begin considering for closure.