Tacoma Public Schools, Washington, elections
| Tacoma Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 5 |
| Students: 28,272 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 69 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Tacoma Public Schools is a school district in Washington (Pierce County). During the 2024 school year, 28,272 students attended one of the district's 69 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 1
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 1
Caleb Fahey and Lisa Keating ran in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 1 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Caleb Fahey (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Lisa Keating (Nonpartisan) | ||
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Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3
Korey Strozier ran in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Korey Strozier (Nonpartisan) | ||
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Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5
Elizabeth Bonbright and Brian'na Wolk ran in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | ||
| Elizabeth Bonbright (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Brian'na Wolk (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
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| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3
Incumbent Scott Heinze won election in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 3 on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Scott Heinze (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5
Incumbent Karen Vialle won election in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 5 on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Karen Vialle (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 2
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 2
Incumbent Catherine Ushka won election in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 2 on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Catherine Ushka (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 4
General election
General election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 4
Incumbent Andrea Cobb won election in the general election for Tacoma Public Schools school board Position 4 on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Andrea Cobb (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board nonpartisan primary elections in Washington are held on the first Tuesday in August every two years in odd-numbered years. School board primary elections are only held if more than two candidates file to run for a school board member seat. If only two candidates run, the primary is canceled and both candidates advance to the general election.
School board general elections in Washington are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in odd-numbered years.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 29A.52.220 and RCW 29A.04.311 and Washington Statute RCW 29A.04.330
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: May 16, 2025
- Primary election date: August 5, 2025
- General election date: November 4, 2025
Election system
School board members in Washington are elected through a system of a nonpartisan primary election and a nonpartisan general election. School board primary elections are only held if more than two candidates file to run for a school board member seat. If only two candidates run, the primary is canceled and both candidates advance to the general election.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 29A.52.220 and RCW 29A.52.210
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Washington are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Washington statute specifies partisan and nonpartisan offices. Washington has a top-two primary system, which means all candidates appear on the same primary ballot regardless of party affiliation. The top-two candidates advance to the general. For partisan races, candidates can but do not have to express a preference for a political party. If they do, the ballot specifies their party preference. For nonpartisan races, candidates cannot express a party preference. RCW 28A.343.330 states that, "the positions of school directors and the candidates therefor shall appear separately on the nonpartisan ballot."
See law: Washington Statute RCW 29A.52.210 and RCW 28A.343.330
Winning an election
The school board candidate that receives the largest number of votes in the general election is elected to office.
The top two school board candidates with the most votes in the nonpartisan primary advance to the general election. If only two candidates file for the primary election, the primary will be canceled and they will automatically advance to the general election. School board primary elections are only held if more than two candidates file to run for a school board member seat.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 28A.343.010 and Washington Statute RCW 29A.04.127
Term length and staggering
Elected school board members in Washington have four-year terms, except for school districts classified as first-class school districts containing a city of the first-class in a county with a population of two hundred ten thousand or more, can have their board of directors serving six-year terms. As of 2022, only Spokane, Tacoma, and Everett School Districts serve 6-year terms.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 28A.343.300 and RCW 29A.04.340
Washington school districts have staggered elections based on the rule that not more than a majority of board members can be elected at any election. This means that for all districts with four-year board member terms, as close to half of board members as possible are elected every two years. Four years is the default board member term length. As of 2022, Spokane, Tacoma, and Everett school district board members serve six-year terms with as close to one-third of board members up for election every two years.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 28A.343.300 and 28A.343.600
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School board members are elected at large, by district, or through a combination of the two, depending on the classification of the school district. Any school district in the state that has a student enrollment in its public schools of two thousand pupils or more is a school district of the first class. Any other school district is a school district of the second class.
Most school districts classified as First Class Districts can elect their school board members either entirely at large or entirely by sub-districts.
School districts classified as Second Class Districts must elect their school board members either at large or by director districts (sub-district). Districts opting for a combination of board members elected by sub-district and at large generally must have three members elected from sub-districts and two members elected at large.
See law: Washington Statute 28A.343.020, 28A.343.680, and 28A.300.065 and Washington Statute 28A.343.020 and 28A.343.680 and Washington Statute 28A.343.680
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
The school board candidate filing deadline is on the Friday following the Monday that is two weeks before Memorial Day. This means the filing deadline is 74 days before the August primary and 172 days before the November general election.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 29A.24.050
School board candidates cannot submit declarations of candidacy until the filling window opens on Monday two weeks before Memorial Day. This means the filing window opens 78 days before the August primary and 176 days before the November general election.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 29A.24.050
Newly elected school board members officially take office at the first board of directors meeting taking place after the results of the election have been certified.
See law: Washington Statute RCW 28A.343.360
About the district
School board
Tacoma Public Schools consists of five members serving six-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korey Strozier | District 3 | 2020 | 2029 |
| Elizabeth Bonbright | District 5 | 2019 | 2029 |
| Lisa Keating | Position 1 | 2019 | 2029 |
| Shawna Lane | Position 2 | 2026 | 2027 |
| Chelsea McElroy | Position 4 | 2021 | 2027 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $76,392,000 | $2,664 | 13% |
| Local: | $180,167,000 | $6,283 | 30% |
| State: | $340,104,000 | $11,860 | 57% |
| Total: | $596,663,000 | $20,807 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $665,003,000 | $23,190 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $503,994,000 | $17,575 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $279,951,000 | $9,762 | 42% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $82,974,000 | $2,893 | 12% |
| Administration: | $64,191,000 | $2,238 | 10% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $76,878,000 | $2,680 | 12% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $115,303,000 | $4,020 | |
| Construction: | $80,741,000 | $2,815 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $5,802,000 | $202 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $27,481,000 | $958 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 31 | 33 | 13 | 19 | 6-9 | 28 | 45 |
| 2018-2019 | 40 | 45 | 21 | 29 | 20-24 | 37 | 52 |
| 2017-2018 | 40 | 47 | 21 | 31 | 25-29 | 38 | 52 |
| 2016-2017 | 42 | 50 | 24 | 31 | 25-29 | 40 | 53 |
| 2015-2016 | 42 | 51 | 24 | 31 | 20-24 | 36 | 53 |
| 2014-2015 | 42 | 51 | 25 | 30 | 25-29 | 36 | 53 |
| 2013-2014 | 56 | 65 | 40 | 44 | 40-44 | 51 | 65 |
| 2012-2013 | 54 | 64 | 39 | 43 | 40-44 | 50-54 | 63 |
| 2011-2012 | 52 | 60 | 36 | 38 | 35-39 | 54 | 62 |
| 2010-2011 | 48 | 54 | 30 | 33 | 35-39 | 49 | 58 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 47 | 47 | 32 | 35 | 35-39 | 46 | 62 |
| 2018-2019 | 53 | 54 | 36 | 43 | 40-44 | 53 | 66 |
| 2017-2018 | 52 | 57 | 34 | 43 | 35-39 | 50 | 65 |
| 2016-2017 | 52 | 55 | 35 | 40 | 35-39 | 48 | 64 |
| 2015-2016 | 53 | 59 | 38 | 41 | 40-44 | 49 | 65 |
| 2014-2015 | 46 | 51 | 31 | 34 | 30-34 | 44 | 59 |
| 2013-2014 | 66 | 69 | 54 | 55 | 55-59 | 65 | 75 |
| 2012-2013 | 64 | 69 | 53 | 52 | 50-54 | 60-64 | 73 |
| 2011-2012 | 64 | 66 | 50 | 50 | 50-54 | 66 | 73 |
| 2010-2011 | 59 | 61 | 46 | 45 | 50-54 | 61 | 69 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 82 | 85 | 80 | 82 | 60-69 | 80-84 | 82 |
| 2019-2020 | 80 | 88 | 75-79 | 78 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 81 |
| 2018-2019 | 90 | 90-94 | 90-94 | 89 | >=80 | 80-84 | 91 |
| 2017-2018 | 92 | >=95 | 90 | 90-94 | 60-79 | 90-94 | 92 |
| 2016-2017 | 86 | 90-94 | 85 | 80-84 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 88 |
| 2015-2016 | 85 | 90-94 | 86 | 80-84 | 60-79 | 70-74 | 87 |
| 2014-2015 | 83 | 80-84 | 81 | 80-84 | 60-79 | 85-89 | 84 |
| 2013-2014 | 78 | 80-84 | 75 | 65-69 | 60-79 | 60-69 | 82 |
| 2012-2013 | 70 | 70-74 | 67 | 55-59 | 50-59 | 21-39 | 76 |
| 2011-2012 | 74 | 70-74 | 66 | 60-64 | 50-59 | 70-74 | 79 |
| 2010-2011 | 60 | 60-64 | 57 | 50-54 | 40-49 | <50 | 65 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 28,272 | -0.1 |
| 2022-2023 | 28,311 | -1.3 |
| 2021-2022 | 28,676 | 0.0 |
| 2020-2021 | 28,688 | -5.7 |
| 2019-2020 | 30,330 | 0.2 |
| 2018-2019 | 30,260 | 4.0 |
| 2017-2018 | 29,059 | -0.1 |
| 2016-2017 | 29,098 | -0.8 |
| 2015-2016 | 29,323 | -0.4 |
| 2014-2015 | 29,426 | 0.9 |
| 2013-2014 | 29,168 | 0.7 |
| 2012-2013 | 28,957 | 1.4 |
| 2011-2012 | 28,540 | 4.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 27,407 | -5.4 |
| 2009-2010 | 28,890 | -2.1 |
| 2008-2009 | 29,500 | -0.6 |
| 2007-2008 | 29,677 | -1.5 |
| 2006-2007 | 30,124 | -5.6 |
| 2005-2006 | 31,820 | -0.4 |
| 2004-2005 | 31,948 | -5.2 |
| 2003-2004 | 33,605 | -1.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 33,955 | -0.6 |
| 2001-2002 | 34,146 | 0.2 |
| 2000-2001 | 34,093 | 1.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 33,556 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Tacoma Public Schools (%) | Washington K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 8.5 | 8.9 |
| Black | 12.5 | 4.8 |
| Hispanic | 23.0 | 26.1 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 3.7 | 1.5 |
| Two or More Races | 16.6 | 8.9 |
| White | 34.6 | 48.3 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Tacoma Public Schools had 1,603.29 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 17.63.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 11.35 |
| Kindergarten: | 136.51 |
| Elementary: | 828.81 |
| Secondary: | 626.62 |
| Total: | 1,603.29 |
Tacoma Public Schools employed 31.00 district administrators and 101.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 31.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 45.14 |
| School Administrators: | 101.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 124.78 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 286.21 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 152.46 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 95.75 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 51.44 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 44.31 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 37.30 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 164.25 |
| Other Support Services: | 608.75 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
About school boards
Education legislation in Washington
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2021-22 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed October 18, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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