Our District
Our Location and Facilities
Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest of Washington State just south of the State Capitol (Olympia) and near Mt. Rainier, our district encompasses 117 square miles. Tumwater is the third largest district in Thurston County, serving approximately 6,500 students. We currently operate 13 schools, along with transportation, maintenance, food service and District Office facilities.
We have six K-5th grade elementary schools, including preschool programs located in our elementary schools, two 6-8th grade middle schools, three 9-12th grade high schools – two comprehensive and one alternative. Tumwater is also the home district for New Market Skills Center, which provides career and technical education for a consortium of 25 high schools in ten local districts.
Our Mission and Promise
Each day our staff of just over 800 employees carries out our mission to provide “Continuous Student Learning in a Caring, Engaging Environment.” Our district recently went through a comprehensive Strategic Planning process in which hundres of students, staff, families and community members participated and created this Promise: "Every student is knowne by name, strength and need, and is prepared for the future they envision." To learn more about our Strategic Plan that will guide our work from 2025-2030, TSD Strategic Plan.
Our Programs
Tumwater schools provide a comprehensive curriculum emphasizing mastery of the basics in reading, writing, and mathematics, along with science, history, the arts, professional-technical education and foreign languages. We have a tradition of providing effective programs to meet the diverse needs of our learners. Our programs provide a wide range of offerings from basic skills classes to Advanced Placement (AP) college preparatory classes. Students also have the opportunity to participate in team and intramural athletics as well as numerous club offerings. Additional options are available through New Market Skills Center and Cascadia High School.
Our Partnerships
We partner with families, community members, non-profits and local businesses to increase student opportunities and success. We appreciate our community’s support and work to continue to earn our reputation for providing high quality educational programs.
Are you new to the area? Here are some ideas of fun things to do in the area.