Tahoma School District serves approximately 7,800 students in grades pre-K-12 in and around Maple Valley, WA, a suburban community (24,000 population) in Southeast King County, about 30 miles southeast of Seattle.
The name "Tahoma" was created by students in 1926 for the newly built junior-senior high school that served three independent school districts: Taylor, Hobart and Maple Valley. The name is derived from the first two letters of each of those names. That school is still being used, having been remodeled for use as Tahoma Middle School in 2004.
Tahoma School District is recognized as innovative in its development and use of curriculum. Test scores indicate that Tahoma students are among the state’s top 10 percent, on average.
The district provides a quality learning environment for all students, including those with special needs and those who are qualified to participate in gifted education programs. Music, athletics and other extracurricular activities are available, too.
The district has one high school for grades 10-12, Tahoma High School. There is one junior high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools.
Tahoma High School is a Class AAAA school and is a member of the North Puget Sound League for sports and other activities.
The school district will experience tremendous change in the 2017-2018 school year when a new Tahoma High School opens to grades 9-12 at a site near the center of Maple Valley. When the new school opens, the current high school and junior high buildings will convert to middle schools for grades 6-8. The current two-year middle schools will be converted to elementary schools. Lake Wilderness Elementary School, originally slated for remodel, is also scheduled to open its new two-story facility in September 2017. These changes will help relieve severe overcrowding in the district.
