By Kimberly Swetland

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The February 13th special election will present Tacoma voters with a chance to approve a $650 million Tacoma Public Schools bond measure, Proposition 1. Taxes would increase if the bond passes at an increased cost of roughly $7.54 per month for the average Tacoma homeowner.

Tacoma Public Schools serves approximately 28,000 children in preschool through grade 12. The district has 36 elementaries, 13 middle schools, 11 high schools and four early learning centers. TPS employs over 5,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in Tacoma.

Passage of Proposition 1 would allow the District to replace or renovate 11 aged and deteriorating schools. The 5 Schools to be replaced include: DeLong Elementary (built in 1953), Point Defiance Elementary (built in 1959), Stanley Elementary (built in 1971), Whitman Elementary (1951), and IDEA High School (1912 - formerly Park Elementary).

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Major renovations would also occur at 6 other sites, including: Franklin Elementary, Hilltop Heritage Middle School, Silas High School, the Central Administration Building, the Professional Development Center, and the West End swing site (former Skyline Elementary). These major renovations range from ADA improvements, safety and securing improvements, mechanical/electrical/plumbing improvements, things like tearing down a wing at Silas High School and replacing it, and field improvements.

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Nora Doyle, Strategic Communications Manager for Tacoma Public Schools said that, “The bond package also includes a lot of basic improvements across the school district, such as roof, boiler and mechanical upgrades so buildings last longer. That type of work saves money in the long run.”

Doyle stated, “Another component of the bond includes providing improved learning environments for students and school staff. For example, the bond would fund part of a new Maritime Skills Center for high school students. The site would provide expanded career and technical education in the maritime industry, ultimately helping to meet the demands of that industry while simultaneously preparing students to enter stable, well-paying jobs after high school.”

The rest of the list of renovation and site improvements/upgrades can be found HERE

There was also a bond measure in 2022, which replaced and renovated 8 other neighborhood schools: Hunt Middle School (opened 2021), Downing Elementary (opened 2022), Skyline Elementary (opened 2022), Fawcett Elementary (opened 2023), Bryant Montessori (opening 2024), Oakland High School (opening 2025), Lowell Elementary (opening 2026), and Whittier Elementary (opening 2027). This bond measure also provided other needed improvements or safety upgrades to all neighborhood schools. Another 13 schools were replaced as part of the neighborhood schools improvement plan.

Replacing vs. Renovating

The schools the district is replacing are older schools which have structural problems that require extensive repairs and reinforcements. Renovating such a building to meet modern safety standards could involve significant costs for structural engineers, materials, and labor. There are also code compliance issues since renovating an old building to comply with current codes may involve substantial modifications, adding to the cost. The older buildings are also less energy-efficient than newer ones. Renovating to improve energy efficiency can require upgrades to things like insulation, HVAC systems, windows, and lighting.

There are also technological upgrades to consider. Modern educational facilities often require advanced technology infrastructure, such as internet connectivity, smart boards, and other digital learning tools. Retrofitting an old building with these technologies can be challenging and costly. Additionally, renovating projects on older buildings often uncover unexpected issues such as asbestos, lead paint, or deteriorated plumbing and wiring, which can drive up costs significantly. When the district did the replacement on Grant Elementary (Grant Center for the Expressive Arts) they found lead paint and asbestos containing materials. It was probably something the district was already aware of, as they have an entire plan for keeping students safe in these old buildings.

HERE is the District’s Environmental Services Plan

Along with all of these issues and technological upgrades to consider, there are also long-term maintenance costs of an older building versus a new construction.

One of the more important points for replacement and renovation is the functional considerations of these buildings. Sometimes the layout and design of an old school may not meet modern educational needs.

Building a new school from the ground up allows for more efficient construction practices and the use of modern building materials and techniques, which can result in cost savings compared to piecemeal renovations.

Saying it’s just a $650 million proposed bond measure is kind of misleading and does not also openly account for the 25 years of interest on those bonds that taxpayers will also have to repay. While this bond measure will provide a lot of benefit to students and employees of the Tacoma School District as well as the companies they contract with, it can have financial impacts on the community who are dealing with the rising costs of living and other challenges. According to WashingtonPolicy.org, “The higher taxes proposed by school officials falls hardest on those least able to pay.”

The District also just announced that the graduation rate for the district is at 91.1% for 2023, 7.5% higher than the state average.

Proponents of Proposition 1 believe the bond measure invests in our local economy, creating good paying family wage jobs here in Tacoma, with a district commitment to hiring local companies and women and minority owned businesses.

Replacement and renovation of the schools will provide safer and more suitable learning environments for students. Co-Director of IDEA High School, Kainoa Higgins said that, “The rebuild of IDEA would provide an opportunity to ensure that the learning space best supports the mission, vision, and learning lens for IDEA high school students, which emphasizes studies in industrial design and engineering sciences.”

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Higgins also said that, “At IDEA, students have the opportunity to participate in innovative learning experiences built around a range of focuses, including but not limited to aeronautics and aviation, game design, robotics, business and marketing, computer-aided design (CAD), and furniture fabrication. While our team of students and staff have done a tremendous job making an otherwise sterile learning environment feel inviting, inspiring, and generally functional, the opportunity to collaboratively create a learning environment that aligns with the diverse needs of a STEAM-based curriculum and is equipped to provide students with authentic learning experiences that prepare them for their post-high school careers is essential.”

However, replacing schools like IDEA will have a greater impact on student learning. Higgins said that, “Fundamentally, we want our students to learn in environments where they feel safe and supported. While our current building doesn't necessarily pose a threat to their well-being, there are challenges that make it less than optimal.”

According to Higgins, the high school has, “strained electrical systems, leaky plumbing, and an exterior riddled with holes thanks to years of lazy golfers using the building for target practice can sometimes get in the way of quality teaching and learning. Additionally, our heating and cooling systems are touchy at best. There are not many schools that still run on the types of boilers that are tucked inside these walls. When they get finicky, students and staff alike soldier on in often extreme and fluctuating temperatures. No matter the effort to fix these issues, inevitably, others emerge.”

Whitman Elementary School is on Tacoma’s Register of Historic Places so the school cannot be entirely replaced with that designation, but if the bond passes it will be receiving major updates to its interior.

The 2024 bond measure would also make mechanical and roof upgrades to buildings across the district so they last longer. It will also pay for things like security cameras, fire alarms and sprinklers, as well as field and turf upgrades at 6 schools and upgrade the bowl facilities at Lincoln. There are also several small capital projects under the bond, including the demolition and site improvements for Gault.

Proposition 1 would also provide a central kitchen as Tacoma is the only school district in the state with more than 20,000 students without centralized food storage and production. A central kitchen would allow for better quality, healthier food items at lower cost and produce lower amounts of waste, while also increasing the variety of food options to meet the needs of students. The district has not yet determined a location for the central kitchen.

The bond does not replace an existing bond, but is in addition to other bonds being currently paid on.

The Tacoma Public School website states that, “If voters do approve the bond measure, the schools with the most need would likely be replaced first and open on a schedule of one per year. Something to consider while planning includes where students can go while their new school is being built. If there’s enough room on the property to build next to the existing building (and conditions permit) while students remain in their existing building, we prefer to do that, so students don’t have to move to a temporary building away from their neighborhood.”

The Madison and Willard early learning centers have been identified as surplus property, and the school district plans to present a proposal for the sale of these properties to the School Board. New locations for classrooms are being identified for next school year, should the School Board approve the sale of surplus property.

CFO for Tacoma Public Schools, Rosalind Medina said in a financial report at the School Board Meeting on January 25th, “It is our intent to redistribute the staff that are currently staffing programs that are currently in those buildings.”

A recent criticism of the school district brought by several community members was in regards to their ability to manage vacant properties such as Gault Middle School, which was set on fire January 3rd by teenage arsonists, releasing smoke into the air. No one is certain of the health/other impact this may have posed to the nearby residents. People in the community commented that this property should have been demolished years ago. Prior to this event the fire department had responded to multiple fires at this building since it was left vacant for over a decade. The school was closed in 2009. This building was set to be demolished in February, but the demolition was expedited by the fire, and will cost the district to finish the demolition and undergo a Department of Ecology SEPA process. Part of the issue with this property was there wasn’t a buyer lined up for it. TPS had previously worked with two different real estate companies to list the property and garnered interest from multiple organizations to buy the property. Ultimately, property constraints, including the use of the pool and the age of the building, deterred a sale. The problem with the pool was a covenant with Tacoma Metro Parks for community use, so any new use of the site would have to take that into consideration.

Among a myriad of other challenges, the School District is also grappling with declining birth rates for future enrollment and rising costs.

Washington schools also face a lack of legislative support for improving school building safety - the safety and health of students is not just a local bond issue, but it often falls to district bond measures to support schools when the state will not. There have been several pieces of legislation that have fallen off in recent times that would have helped to improve the health and safety of students, such as HB 2177 in 2005 to require the testing of toxic mold in schools. The bill never even got a hearing. There was also SB 5029 in 2005 requiring Safe Drinking Water in Schools and a companion bill in the House (HB 1123) - this bill was never brought up for a vote. In 2009 there was also HB 2334 which would provide $3 billion in school construction and repair bonds (known as Washington Works Bonds). A portion of the funds were allocated to fix health and safety issues in public schools. The Bill died in the Rules Committee and was never brought for a full vote in the House of Representatives.

While citizens may not have direct control over every aspect of budget allocation in a school district, they can still influence decision-making through avenues such as attending public meetings, participating in advocacy efforts, and engaging with elected officials.

Both Co-Directors at IDEA High School, Kainoa Higgins and Brittany Skobel, remain grateful for the community support. They said, “we are excited that our needs are being addressed and that our innovative vision for teaching and learning is being supported. We are excited about the future of IDEA and hope that our communities will be too.” There is a need, but this vote has to pass with a supermajority of 60% for that need to be fulfilled.

Doyle encouraged every voter to turn in their ballot by Tuesday, February 13, “Every vote counts!”

By Stephanie Smith

April’s garage has neatly placed trays and bins labeled clearly. She stands by the shelves explaining where each item goes. Some items are taken to the Tacoma Transfer Station, sent out to TerraCycle, and driven to different places with some things reused locally. Once a month she opens her garage to her neighbors to assist those who might not be able to trek down to the Tacoma Recycling Center and seek out places that take these items. It’s a local effort to try and make a bigger impact in her community.

There are pet food bags to take to the animal shelter, egg cartons for local farms to sell their eggs in, plastic film, printer cartridges, jeans that get turned into insulation, and much more. Some programs like TerraCycle help her with recycling items. She’s had her struggles with the condition of items. Everything must be clean and dry, so she can’t take anything and everything.

Her largest collection of items is Styrofoam. Big white chunks are neatly placed in a large box and when asked what happens with them, she says she drives it to Kent to Styro Recycle. According to April the Tacoma machine for Styrofoam is not working so she stopped taking it there to ensure it doesn’t end up in the landfill. “I even ask for it from people when I see them with it”, she laughs.

It’s no small effort and she had previously offered a weekly drop-off point in her garage but found it hard to balance with other things she needed to accomplish. She’s even had someone from the City come and offer that if she needs help to come ask.

When I asked what’s one item she’d like to be able to do something with it’s the toothpaste tubes she has sitting on the shelf. The program for toothpaste tubes is no longer accepting them. There are also items like Styrofoam meat trays, flexible foam sheets, and some candy bags that don’t have a place to go with her efforts. There are so many items that just don’t have any place to go other than the trash…yet.

I’d seen some ads regarding a bottle and can deposit program being implemented in Washington and asked what she thought. ‘It’d be good if it keeps them from being thrown on the ground.’  I completely agree with her after spending several years picking up trash. Bottles and cans are everywhere thrown from vehicles or tossed in whatever direction by the consumer.

April has used programs like Ridwell and even gifted a 6-month subscription to the new homeowner when she sold her home up north. Recycling is obviously something she cares deeply about. For the volume she does paying for a service like Ridwell would be a financial burden. She’d quickly fill the small bag and additional bags are a flat fee per bag. Finding ways to recycle items is a challenge, especially when dealing with limited resources. She did ask that at the local glass recycling drop off Environmental Services might offer some of the additional options just like what is at the main recycling center. Nothing has changed, yet.

Looking at this assembly of items you start to contemplate the items that we create as discards from our one-time-use products. Making better choices as consumers is not always an option when budgets, convenience, and other factors come into play. This type of change should come from a top-down direction with manufacturers and producers making more environmentally responsible decisions for packaging. But, if we as consumers don’t start to pressure that this matters enough to cause us to change our purchasing behaviors then the cycle will continue.

So, go to your cabinets, pantry, or refrigerator and start contacting companies you buy from to ask them to change their packaging. If enough individuals take a moment from their days to write a simple email, social media message, or good old-fashioned snail mail once a month we might start to see changes. Because if we don’t tell companies it matters, then it is just business as usual. We as purchasers have power and it may be hard to see that as you stand in front of the store shelves or browse online but, you do. Companies spend millions of dollars to determine how to package products. Let’s steer them in the right direction.

The application process is now open for vendors to sell their wares and food at the Lakewood Farmers Market.

Check back soon for the vendor applications for SummerFEST as well.

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February 5, 2024

It is time to make your voice heard about the future of housing in Tacoma! After several years of community-wide discussions, the City of Tacoma is seeking input on the proposed Home In Tacoma zoning and standards changes, as well as on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Tacoma Planning Commission is seeking input through March 8, 2024, in order to finalize recommendations to the City Council. 

The City of Tacoma is proposing to adopt new zoning designations, development standards, and other actions, together referred to as Home In Tacoma Phase 2 (the Proposal), to increase housing supply, affordability, and choice for current and future residents and ensure that housing development supports multiple goals. The Proposal is intended to implement the policy direction adopted in Phase 1 (Ordinance No. 28793, December 2021) along with applicable state law.  

The Proposal will primarily affect areas that are designated as Low-scale and Mid-scale Residential on the City’s Future Land Use Map, as well as other areas dispersed throughout the City of Tacoma.  Home In Tacoma Phase 2 will be implemented upon adoption by the Tacoma City Council, the decision-makers for this project, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in May 2024.  

Citywide notices, including mailed postcards, emails, social media, a press release, and more, are being shared to encourage review and comments on the Proposal. Draft materials, including draft code, summary sheets, online engagement forums, and interactive maps are available online at Home In Tacoma Project: AHAS Planning Actions - City of Tacoma.

The Home In Tacoma online engagement forum is also available for community members to leave comments on topics including zoning, parking, housing types, and tree requirements. Home in Tacoma | Social Pinpoint (mysocialpinpoint.com)

PUBLIC HEARING DATE - MARCH 6, 2024 at 5:30 PM

In person at City Council Chambers, 747 Market St.

On Zoom at zoom.us/j/84416624153

Dial In: +1 253 215 8782; Webinar ID: 844 1662 4153

Provide written comments to planning@cityoftacoma.org or mail to: Planning Commission, 747 Market Street, Room 345, Tacoma, WA 98402

Tacoma has worked hard to develop proposals that will help meet our community's housing needs. Thank you for your attention to this effort.

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By Marion Morford

Tacoma is a city with more than a few gems among the clutter.

To say that Tacoma is full of surprises would be the ultimate understatement. Most, if not all cities (or neighborhoods) have reputations and identities that, for better or worse everyone “knows”. Sometimes, but not always, there is a grain of truth or history to these images, rumors and reputation. Tacoma, I am sure, confirms whatever biases most visitors (and a few residents) bring to it.

Location, location, location

Some of us hold the idea of soup as a metaphor — the premise of soup is that, as a taste test, any spoonful will give a relatively representative taste — any given spoonful is what the whole soup tastes like. To put it mildly, cities are not like that. Every neighborhood, even every few blocks within a neighborhood has, in most cases, a very different pace, sense of energy, safety and identity. In other words, every spoonful of almost any urban “soup” will be different.

Maybe every city has its own little corners and businesses tucked away, off the main thoroughfares and barely visible in, or beyond the familiar strip malls.

Some areas are perpetually ignored and neglected, others are appealing for a while and then abandoned. Some areas (like many warehouse or brewery districts) find renewal in rehabbed spaces. Urban architecture is often a brick and stone remnant of the best intentions that stand like fossils of a distant incomprehensible era.

But I know Tacoma best, and as familiar as I think my local streets, neighborhoods and business districts might be, I am always surprised at what exists or emerges when I have not been looking.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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By Stephanie Smith

The TCNC Board consists of Chair Hector Castro, Vice Chair Neal Sartain, Treasurer Tobias Nitzsche, and Secretary Jennifer Lacey. The meeting occurs at the Tacoma Nature Center and if you want more information check out their website at CNC-Tacoma.com. Councilmember Jamika Scott was present and greeted the Council and attendees.

Catherine from the City Manager’s office presented an update to the Council. A nice gem of information from her was to encourage citizens to attend the City Council Study Sessions. According to her, this is where you can hear the Councilmembers ask questions and get a better understanding of their thought processes. “Where the real work happens.”. The Council meetings are a good place to speak to the council but, you can also send communications through email or snail mail. Going forward on the 13th the study session will be a presentation on the update to the Proctor Neighborhood Plan. On the 20th will be a joint Tacoma Public Utilities and City Council Session covering Equity in Contracting, the Cushman Station, and agenda for the State Legislature. The groundwater moratorium will be covered on the 27th.

The Central Neighborhood Council announced that they will be sponsoring PorchFest 2024 as 2023 was a great success! The volunteer group is forming, and the people should contact the PorchFest group to get involved. The CNC also announced that they would love residents to submit their ideas for arts and activities in the area. HINT! HINT!

Some neighbors in attendance had questions about doing a mural and the council mentioned that this is incredibly expensive and that they had underestimated the cost in previous years, and it had impacted the color of the mural. There was also an update to the screaming coming from the Youth Behavior Center in the proctor area and a meeting with the organization had resolved the current issue. The neighbor, Connie, encouraged others to reach out directly to groups when there were issues instead of contacting the City. The Adopt-a-Spot program, as well as, LitterFree253 were mentioned, and some questions about getting more cleanups done around the neighborhood.

If you are interested in attending these meetings, they are open to the public and on Zoom. Additionally, if you are a resident of the Central Tacoma Neighborhood consider applying to the Board and positively impacting your neighborhood!

By Pat McGregor

One of the things we love about Tacoma is its neighborhoods. Mention Hilltop, Proctor, Old Town, International District, Lincoln, and a memory comes to mind - a visual or a geographic area. But, what if I told you I live on Tacoma Ave?  What would come to mind? For many, multiple things come to mind – Hilltop, Hillside, Downtown, North Downtown, South Downtown… and for many, the answer is nothing. Most folks equate this area to low density of residential, government services, service providers, sporadic business, but one thing is clear. Almost NO ONE considers this a neighborhood.  But, here’s the thing, we are.

So where is midtown? Midtown Tacoma is that narrow slice between hilltop and downtown, with Tacoma Ave as the center point.  I bet you never thought of this area, because of our spatial conditioning of Tacoma.  Most think of Tacoma from hill to water. But, when you are driving from MLK to Pacific, watch how different the landscape becomes.  However, if you drive along Tacoma Ave, from north to south, you will see some commonalities. There are many new residential buildings, services, the tree canopy is one of the lowest in the city. We are not a part of the business improvement area, but the hilltop is pursuing this designation and does not include Midtown. Our boundaries run from G Street on the West, Market Street on the East, South 27th on the south, and South 4th on the North edge. It is a narrow, but long slice that contains just about every part of a city you can imagine. We would like to create a common vision and more importantly a neighborhood.

Midtown is the intersection of many things. South 15th is the line between north and south downtown, which also has separate sub area plans. Tacoma Ave is the line between council District 2 & 3. We are a part of many plans, but not a consistent, comprehensive one that creates a neighborhood. We have different sub area plans, zoning, transportation plans (just look north of 15th and south of 15th along Tacoma Ave) and so many other things, we just want the things that make us a neighborhood.

So, when I bought a home along Tacoma Ave, and we started to walk our neighborhood, it was like a hodge podge of residential, business, government services, and service providers. I kept hearing different descriptions of who we are. So, we decided to create our own identity and hope you will join us in that vision.

Please consider joining our Facebook page (Midtown Neighbors Tacoma) and attending our meetings. Even better, come walk our neighborhood and see that we truly embody Tacoma, all that it is and all that it can be.  Sometimes, we have to rethink what we know and create something new that makes our city better.