Thanks to community support for Puyallup children, September 4 is going to be a really big day for many elementary students, staff, and parents as they return for the first day of school this year.

There are FOUR newly constructed or rebuilt elementary schools opening the doors to students for the first time.

While we celebrate each of our estimated 22,650 students as they begin the 2019-20 school year in Puyallup schools, students at Firgrove, Northwood, Sunrise, and our brand-new Dessie F. Evans elementary have the opportunity to be the first to attend school in these new learning environments.

Students and staff will find their new schools equipped with modern classrooms, shared project spaces, upgraded technology, and visibly controlled entry points to improve safety and security.

While each of the schools has a unique design and its own personality, they are each larger, designed for today’s learning needs, immersed with natural light, and have improved vehicle access for buses, parents, and visitors.

In 2015, voters approved a $292.5 million School Construction and Facility Improvements Bond. The bond projects add permanent classroom space for an additional 2,500 students at the elementary level. This includes a Pope Elementary remodel scheduled to open in Fall 2020, and a 12-classroom addition at Hunt Elementary which opened last fall. Additionally, state match funds generated because of the bond construction projects will be used to increase permanent student capacity at Ballou, Stahl, and Ferrucci junior high schools.