Tacoma students walked into two brand-new school buildings on Sept. 9, the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

The rebuilt Lowell Elementary in Tacoma's North End and the Maritime|253 Skills Center on the Thea Foss Waterway both opened their doors, representing a combined investment of roughly $88 million from voter-approved construction bonds. Five schools also debuted new athletic fields.

Lowell Elementary, which has educated students since 1869, returned to its original site after a $35.6 million demolition and rebuild. The previous building, constructed in 1949, lacked an elevator, had one bathroom for roughly 500 students and split classes across two buildings. The school closed in 2024, and students attended the old Skyline Elementary in West Tacoma during construction.

The replacement is a 60,000-square-foot, three-story building that can house nearly 500 students. The project was funded through the district's $535 million 2020 construction bond, with Korsmo Construction as the contractor and BCRA as the designer, according to the district's construction page.

Principal Josh Benedict told The News Tribune on Sept. 7 that families were eager to see the finished building. "They can't believe how well the space is used, how beautiful it is, and that we captured history," he said.

The new building preserves artifacts from Lowell's past: the original bell from the school's first iteration as "First Ward School" sits outside the entrance, and old wooden benches with "Lowell Elementary" painted in cursive are displayed in the front office and library. A bronze statue honoring Marvin Klegman, an 11-year-old student who died saving a classmate in the 1949 earthquake, remains on campus.

Across town, the Maritime|253 Skills Center opened as the first new skills center in Washington state in nearly two decades, as first reported by KING5. The $52 million facility sits on 21.1 acres of Port of Tacoma property and serves high school students from nine school districts in the region.

About 300 students enrolled for the opening semester, attending in morning and afternoon shifts. The center offers four career pathways: advanced maritime manufacturing, port operations and logistics, technology and sustainability. Coursework includes welding, robotics, drones, cybersecurity and 3-D design.

The center houses nine simulators costing nearly $2 million that recreate conditions for operating port cranes, forklifts and excavators, The News Tribune reported. Three simulators specifically reproduce vessel operations, including weather and ocean conditions. Students can earn up to 1,080 training hours, industry credentials and college credit before graduating, according to the district's newsroom.

Beyond the two new buildings, the district made visible upgrades at several existing schools. Foss High School received a new courtyard, energy-efficient lighting, fresh paint and new flooring, though some behind-the-scenes construction will continue through the fall. Jennie Reed Elementary got refreshed classrooms, new carpet and updated exterior siding.

Five schools opened new athletic fields funded by the 2024 Capital Projects Bond: Silas and Mount Tahoma high schools, Truman and Gray middle schools and Birney Elementary. Silas received new baseball and softball facilities and expanded tennis courts. Many of the new turf fields use Pivot turf, a surface that contains no added PFAS and uses no loose rubber pellets, according to the district.

Construction on a replacement Whittier Elementary is underway, with crews pouring foundations as of July. The iDEA High School replacement is scheduled to break ground in early 2027.