New this year: Free full-day kindergarten at all schools; Cambridge college prep program at Bethel High; central kitchen and transportation center on Canyon Road.

Carbonado School District

Superintendent: Scott Hubbard

First day of school: , Aug. 27

Last day of school: June 9

Contacts:

Phone: 360- 829-0121

Web: www.carbonado.k12.wa.us; e-mails are on the Webpage

Number of students: 180

Number of employees: 26

General fund budget: $2,100,000

New this year: a new playground; robotics course for middle school students; Chrome book computers

Clover Park School District

Superintendent: Debbie LeBeau

First day of school: Aug. 27

Last day of school: June 9

Contacts:

Phone: 253-583-5000

Web: www.cloverpark.k12.wa.us

Facebook: Cloverparksd

Twitter:@Cloverparksd

Number of students: 11,733

Number of employees : 1,678

General fund budget : $160,017,999

New this year: New schools; International Baccalaureate primary years program at Idlewild Elementary; career/tech programs at Clover Park High (nursing assistant certified) and Lakes High (sports medicine.)

Dieringer School District

Superintendent: Judy Neumeier-Martinson

First day of school: Tuesday

Last day of school: June 15

Contacts:

Phone: 253-862-2537

Web: www.dieringer.wednet.edu

Number of students: 1,525

Number of employees: 180

General fund budget: $17,000,000

New this year: Implementing four-year technology levy approved by voters in February; one-to-one computing for eighth graders; new website on the way.

Eatonville School District

Superintendent: KrestinBahr

First day of school: Wednesday

Last day of school: June 16

Contacts:

Phone: 360-879-1000

Web: Eatonville.wednet.edu

Number of students: 1,765

Number of employees: 240

General fund budget: $20,572,273

New this year: After-school busing for tutorials, extra academic assistance, athletics and clubs (secondary schools); AVID study skills classes in middle school; piloting a new math program in secondary schools.

Fife School District

Assistant superintendents: Kevin Alfano and Ben Ramirez

First day of school: Wednesday

Last day of school: June 17

Contacts:

Phone: 253-517-1000

Web: www.fifeschools.com

Number of students: 3,400

Number of employees: 400

General fund budget: $37,181,400

New this year: Free all-day kindergarten for all; new turf field at Fife High.

Franklin Pierce School District

Superintendent: Frank Hewins

First day of school: Aug. 28

Last day of school: June 19

Contacts:

Phone: 253-298-3000

Web: www.fpschools.org

Twitter: @FPSD402

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceSchools

Email: info@fpschools.org

Number of students: 7,600

Number of employees: 1,000

General fund budget: $91,558,791.00

New this year: New commons building at Keithley Middle School; 109 classrooms retrofitted with technology-enhanced learning walls; a new district website.

Orting School District

Superintendent: Michelle Curry

First day of school: Tuesday

Last day of school: June 17

Contacts:

Phone: 360-893-6500

Web: www.ortingschools.org

Twitter @OrtingSupt

Facebook Orting School District No. 344

Number of students: 2400

Number of employees: 275

General fund budget: $22,125,515

New this year: New grade configurations make Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary a kindergarten through grade 5 school (Orting Primary remains a kindergarten through grade 2 school); free all-day kindergarten; more than one-third of Orting High students will take advanced placement courses this year.

Peninsula School District

Superintendent: Charles Cuzzetto

First day of school: Wednesday

Last day of school: June 19

Contacts:

Phone: 253-530-1000

Web: www.psd401.net

www.facebook.com/psd401

Twitter @psd401

Number of students: 8500

Number of employees: 1000

General fund budget: $91,200,000

New this year: New principals at a third of the district’s schools: Nikki Hittle at Harbor Heights Elementary, D.J. Sigurdson at Goodman Middle School , Heidi Fedore at Kopachuck Middle School, Brian Tovey at Henderson Bay High, Dave Goodwin at Peninsula High; CSI Forensics classes at middle schools and Project Lead the Way biomedical science at the high schools.

Puyallup School District

Superintendent: Tim Yeomans

First day of school: Wednesday

Last day of school: June 18

Contacts:

Phone: 253-841-1301

Web: www.puyallup.k12.wa.us

Twitter: @PuyallupSD

Facebook: Puyallup School District

Number of students: 21,073

Number of employees: 1,986

General fund budget: $216,821,053

New this year: All-day kindergarten at every school; $2.5 million in technology improvements, including interactive white boards in elementary classrooms that didn’t already have one; new all-weather surface on the field at Rogers High.

Steilacoom School District

Superintendent: Kathi Weight

First day of school: Aug. 28

Last day of school: June 10

Contacts:

Phone: 253-983-2200

Web: www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Public Information Officer: cjohnston@steilacoom.k12.wa.us

Twitter: steillyschools1

Number of students: 3007

Number of employees: 307

General fund budget: $32,867,351

New this year: $191,000 grant to assist in installing emergency response systems throughout the district along with increased training for staff members and community; Focus on Freshman Day at Steilacoom High brought freshman to school one day early for tours, guest speakers and more; community involvement in developing 2014-15 school year goals.

Sumner School District

Superintendent: Sara Johnson

First day of school: Wednesday

Last day of school: June 17

Contacts:

Phone: 253-891-6000

Web: www.sumnersd.org

Twitter: @SumnerSchools

Facebook: Sumner School District

Number of students: 9231

Number of employees: 993

General fund budget: $93,739,144

New this year: District logo; Teacher Tuesdays: teacher recognition every Tuesday; award-winning student art work showcased in district calendar.

Tacoma School District

Superintendent: Carla Santorno

First day of school: Wednesday (general); Sept. 8 (kindergarten); Sept. 10 (preschool)

Last day of school: June 12

Contacts:

Phone:

Webs: www.tacomaschools.org & www.tacomaschools.org/news

Facebook: facebook.com/tacomaschools

Twitter: @tacomaschools

Instagram: @tacomaschools

YouTube: youtube.com/ktpsvideo

TV: KTPS TV: Channel 25 (Click!), Channel 26 (Comcast)

Number of students: 29,141 (includes pre-school)

Number of employees: 4,811

General fund budget: $363,959,013

New this year: Enlarging a program that provides students from SAMI, SOTA, Mount Tahoma and Stadium high schools with job internships in which they learn work skills and earn credits toward graduation; Lincoln High will take concepts from its former Lincoln Center school-within-a-school and expand them schoolwide – extending the school day and adding enrichment and college-prep activities; new partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters will recruit and train adult mentors for at-risk ninth graders at Foss and Stadium high schools.

University Place School District

Superintendent: Patti Banks

First day of school: Aug. 27

Last day of school: June 11

Contacts:

Phone: 253-566-5600

Web: www.upsd.wednet.edu

Number of students: 5,300

Number of employees: 536

General fund budget: $60,000,000

New this year: Free full-day kindergarten; math intervention specialists at all primary schools; Project Lead the Way courses in engineering, robotics and biomedical science at Curtis High.

White River School District

Superintendent: Janel Keating

First day of school: Tuesday

Last day of school: June 11

Contact:

Phone: 360-829-0600

Web: www.whiteriver.wednet.edu

Facebook: White River School District

Number of students: 3,500

Number of employees: 500

General fund budget: $38,718,158

New this year: AP courses at White River High: Spanish, studio art, music theory, and a new course in American Sign Language; social skills curriculum for elementary schools; preschool playground at Mountain Meadow Elementary.

This story was originally published August 30, 2014 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Back to school basics for Pierce County school districts."

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