Our District
Our Location and Facilities
Located just south of the State Capital (Olympia) and near Mt. Rainier, Tumwater School 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, four preschool programs located in neighborhood 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 newest school, Tumwater Virtual Academy, provides K-12 online programs for students throughout the state.
Our Mission and Focus
Each day our staff of just over 800 employees carries out our mission to provide “Continuous Student Learning in a Caring, Engaging Environment.” Our academic focus is to help each child succeed by setting achievement goals and then using data to closely monitor progress and adjust instruction. To do this, we encourage and support staff collaboration and professional development. We strive to create a safe, supportive environment in which all students feel connected and valued while they grow academically.
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.