Tacoma Schools? Puyallup Schools? Spanaway? (Spokane, Olympia: 2015, how much, buying a house)

[nwpeace]

We are planning on moving from Spokane. Husband is a trauma nurse, will most likely be working at Tacoma General, as well as his reserve unit at McChord. He used to be stationed at Ft Lewis back in the early 80's when Tacoma was really rough, but has noticed how much better it's gotten.

My concern is the schools. What areas to avoid? We've also considered Puyallup area, and commute to Tacoma. Is there any area in or around Tacoma that has a higher reputation for public schools?
Our daughter is only 2, but my son is 15.
We also aren't in a position to afford a 300,000 home, either.


Thanks for any input. Very appreciated. So ready to move on from Spokane.

[Inkpoe]

Steilacoom school district is great, one of the best. Also Olympia School District, if you're willing to commute. Gig Harbor SD is good.

Tacoma is a lot better than it was before... but still have great ways to go. Most of the school districts in Tacoma isn't excellent, just ok. Puyallup/Spanaway is ok, as well... though I think it's on a bit higher par than Tacoma's SDs.

[nwpeace]

Thanks, that does help me a lot.
Love the Olympia area, but not the idea of the commute. Will definitely check out the Steilacoom area, and are keeping our eye on Gig Harbor homes as well. Will be over then in a couple weeks to check more areas out.
Our daughter is Chinese, and we look forward to having her in a more diverse area than we are in now. Is there much more of an Asian population in any of those areas, than others?

[lgmargewy]

My husband and I are from small mid-west towns and have grown to love the Tacoma area. We live in the University Place area which has about 31,000 residents and maintains a wonderful, neighborly small town feel. Don't listen to the those that tell you that Tacoma stinks- it is really a pretty cool area with a lot going on. Below are some of the reasons why I love to live in University Place.

While other school districts are cutting back on faculty and special programs, University Place schools still have all the bells and whistles including mandatory music programs and unique opportunities for different grade levels such as swimming lessons and the 6th grade week at Camp Seymour. A recent public vote will ensure that the current funding will continue. Everyone from teachers and administrators to students and parents would not want to be anywhere else. Morale is high.

University Place Recreation Department has a fabulous sports programs including lacrosse, soccer, football, basketball, baseball, and dance.

University Place has a community festival every summer at Cirque Park where they have food, games, bands and activities. There is also a Winter Festival and tree lighting.

Fred Meyer, Safeway and Trader Joe’s are great stores to have close by. The new Town Center will further provide a centralized area for services, library, and shopping.

Chambers Bay public golf course is a wonderful local resource. My son and husband run to and around the golf course. I often walk the path with neighbors which is about 3.25 miles. It will host the US Amateurs this summer and the US Open in 2015. Those events will bring a lot of attention to the area as well as help to protect property values. Chambers Bay has a great dog park and this summer there will be public access to the beach and a "tot lot." If you end up in Puyallup or Sumner you are so far from Puget Sound you can easily forget that you are near water.

The museums, restaurants and other cultural events of 6th Ave, Proctor, Old Town, and the water front are easily reached by bus or taxi. (Which we often use to avoid the inevitable conflict between a fun night out and driving home.)

Point Defiance is right up the road. There are miles of running and biking opportunities as well as the zoo, beach and park.

I hope some of this helps! Good luck!

[docwatson]

I'd like to revive this with a thread about schools in North Tacoma. We are looking at buying a house there (generally north of Division/6th) if we move to Tacoma (interview in 2 weeks) - no kids yet, but I know schools eventually become a concern. I checked out Great Schools.org and see based on test scores a couple of public elementaries do really well - rated 9 out of 10. I also see there is a Waldorf school, a bit pricey. I am also glad to see Washington, like Colorado, has public school choice - is it difficult to get into a "good" school? Is it still important where you live?

We are used to living in college towns where teacher quality is high and where creativity and independent thought are valued even in the public school system. But from personal experience I know this can be rare and that public schools suffer from an excess of bureaucracy and the need to "control" students at a variety of academic levels and eventually teach them the party line. At the same time I know things are slowly changing. What is the atmosphere in Tacoma schools? (Or University Park)? Are there good public or charter school options? This doesn't necessarily mean I want them to go to an affluent school district where "average test scores" are the measure of success, but rather that they learn to be independent thinkers and have a chance to explore languages, arts, nature etc. I am attracted to the Waldorf philosophy and want our future kids to get more than rote book learning.