The Tacoma School District board approved three business items: up to $450,000 for furniture/equipment at Lowell Elementary, up to $250,000 for the Maritime Skills Center, and authorization to negotiate and award a design‑build contract with Washington Patriot for partial demolition and improvements at the TPS Professional Development Center; all motions passed with no opposition recorded.
At a Tacoma School District board meeting, assistant superintendent Renee Trueblood detailed a state-mandated investigation into coordinated staff callouts at Reed Elementary; community members urged restorative approaches and additional staffing while union leaders pressed to rescind discipline for some employees.
The district reported an estimated 470-student decrease in annual average FTE, lower-than-expected December levy receipts and tight fund balances. The board approved a $500,000 temporary transfer from Capital Projects to the Debt Service fund to cover bond payments until January.
The board approved seven mental-health service agreements funded by the Ballmer Group totaling $2.6 million for Jan. 1, 2026–Dec. 31, 2027, to replace a federal grant the district said was rescinded. Directors thanked community partners for stepping in.
The board adopted revised Policy 4040 (public access to district records), approved an updated 10‑year Tacoma Partner Agencies community investment commitment to grow local contracting and apprenticeships, and adopted the district's 2026 legislative agenda to guide advocacy during the short legislative session.
Public commenters asked the Tacoma School District board to preserve McKinney‑Vento transportation funding (a commenter cited a ~$750,000 loss reported in local media) and Blix Elementary parents requested two additional teachers or extra instructional aides to end combined‑grade classrooms of 26–28 students.
District finance presenter Ross told the board the district closed 2024–25 with a $3.2 million general-fund balance, well below the ~5% reserve target (about $28 million), citing a roughly $3 million midyear transportation revenue loss and other pressures; the district will use short-term mitigation and multi-year recovery plans.
The board approved contract amendments and purchases — including a $19.06M pools upgrade amendment, a $5.53M total central‑kitchen contract, Microsoft Azure licensing of $416,019, and other requisitions — accepted the Downing Elementary replacement as complete and adopted resolutions endorsing two replacement levies for the Feb. 10, 2026 ballot (passed 5–0).
Facing an October head count below projections and a fund balance well under its 5% reserve target, the Tacoma School District board approved ballot measures to renew two levies, authorized a temporary interfund loan and approved contracts and grants including a five‑year agreement with Hilltop Artists.
District staff presented details of two proposed levies — Proposition 1 (Educational Programs & Operations) and Proposition 2 (K‑12 technology replacement) — including staffing funded, tax impacts for the average homeowner and the ballot timeline; no final board adoption occurred at the study session.
