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About our Tahoma Community Who we are

The Tahoma School Board partnered with thousands of parents, students, staff and community stakeholders to adopt a 5-year strategic plan that moves us toward our vision. Tahoma Together is the blueprint which drives our work in supporting every student’s individual, viable and valued path to lifelong personal success. Our goal areas include: Strong Academic Programs, Student Well-being, and Safety & Operational Excellence. Read more about how we're honoring our past and shaping our future here. 

Our mission at Tahoma is, together, we provide the tools and experiences every student needs to create an individual, viable and valued path to lifelong personal success. And our vision remains simple - quality learning, every day, in every classroom, for every child. 

Tahoma School District serves approximately 9,280 total students from birth to age 22 in and around Maple Valley, WA, a suburban community with about 28,500 residents in Southeast King County, about 30 miles southeast of Seattle. Tahoma’s boundaries cover nearly 60 square miles and stretch to the communities of Ravensdale, Hobart, Black Diamond, Covington and Renton.

Tahoma High School is a comprehensive facility opened in 2017 for students in grades 9-12, plus a transition program for young adults receiving special education services. The district has two middle schools and six elementary schools. Check out our district boundaries and school attendance map here.

Academics

Tahoma School District hosts a wide array of academic programs and special services to serve the learning needs of all students.

Tahoma High School operates one of the largest Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs in Washington state, with over 50 CTE course offerings. Each year, hundreds of students earn Industry-Recognized Credentials (IRC), positioning students for both college and career pathways following high school graduation. Some students also attend the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) at Highline Public Schools to provide additional vocational opportunities. At no cost to students, they can earn college credits in some of our CTE courses.

There are advanced academic programs for students at all grade levels in our system, including elementary and middle school Highly Capable programs that serve nearly 700 students, as well as a wide array of Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings and College in the High School courses at the high school level.

Our team of highly-qualified special education instructors and support staff are here to be a partner and helpful resource for our students receiving services and their families. Tahoma provides special education and related services to eligible children and youth with disabilities, ages 3-22. Families with students identified as needing special education services are partnered with a team of professionals to develop and implement an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Students are then placed in programs best suited to deliver their IEP services. We believe in educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment.

Tahoma School District is committed to supporting both children and adults in their physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Every school in our district has at least one full-time nurse and at least one full-time counselor. We ensure that students have access to highly-qualified, caring adults who can provide immediate support or help students and their families find out-of-district resources that meet their needs. Tahoma's licensed nurses provide critical in-school care to all students, including those with life-threatening and medically fragile conditions, to ensure that all students are healthy, safe and prepared to learn. Our nurses also bring professional expertise to our school administration teams to support the health and safety of every person in our schools. As part of their support for our schools, our highly-qualified counselors provide social-emotional support for students and families. In many instances, our counselors connect students and their families to helpful community resources, including professional counseling, addiction and prevention resources, and food and housing security.

Tahoma High School is a Class AAAA school and is a member of the North Puget Sound League for sports and other activities. There are approximately 60 total athletics programs across Tahoma High School, Maple View Middle School and Summit Trail Middle School. Over 2,000 student-athletes compete annually, and many of our athletic programs consistently qualify for postseason play. 

Tahoma also has nationally- and globally-recognized extracurricular programs, including drama, robotics, DECA, speech and debate, and other competitive clubs who have a long history of excellence. There are also a wide variety of social and affinity clubs that create safe and welcoming environments for peers to connect and share their passions.

Tahoma School District is fortunate to have dedicated, caring community partners who support our students, staff and families in and outside our school walls. Our local elected officials and state legislators partner frequently with the school board and superintendent on important issues facing our district and community. The Greater Maple Valley area also has a range of services for families facing food and housing insecurity, in need of mental and physical health support, and more. Our district also benefits from committed parent-teacher organizations at every school, who partner together and with the district to greatly enrich our learning and working environment.

Land Acknowledgement: The Native Lushootseed word "təqʷubəʔ" (pronounced "teh-KWOH-beh,") means "mother of waters," and is believed to be where "Tahoma," one of Mt. Rainier's original names, derives from. The Tahoma School District would like to acknowledge the Federally Recognized Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the descendants of the Duwamish, and the ancestral keepers of the land we are gathered on today. We thank them for their immense contributions to our state and local history, culture, economy and identity as Washingtonians.

The name "TaHoMa" was selected by students in 1926 for the newly built collaborative high school that served three independent school districts: Taylor, Hobart and Maple Valley. In addition to the Native origin of Tahoma, the name combines the first two letters of each of the three community names, and the original high school building still serves students today as Tahoma Elementary.

Updated: August 2025