What University Place School District does

University Place School District (UPSD) is a public K-12 school district in Pierce County, Washington, serving the city of University Place and Day Island within approximately 10 square miles west of Tacoma. Established in 1894 and governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors under Washington State law, the district operates 8 schools: 4 primary schools (Chambers, Evergreen, Sunset, University Place Primary), 2 intermediate schools (Drum, Narrows View), 1 junior high (Curtis Junior High), and 1 senior high (Curtis Senior High). Its core instructional platform is supplemented by specialized programs including English Language Learners/Title III, Special Services (special education, Section 504, Child Find), Highly Capable, Pre-K, Title I LAP, athletics, music and performing arts, after-school programs, and summer school, plus operational services such as transportation, nutrition, health services, and an Aquatic Center.

The district's underlying technology stack consists entirely of third-party vendor systems: Skyward for student information, IEP Online for special education management, ParentSquare for parent communications, My Ride K-12 for bus tracking, Red Rover for enrollment and records, Vector (SafeSchools) for compliance training, and MySchoolMenus for nutrition, with Google Translate embedded for website accessibility. UPSD maintains no proprietary technology platform and operates no public API or developer portal.

UPSD is funded primarily through Washington State appropriations (approximately 75% of annual revenue), federal funding (approximately 10%), and voter-approved local levies (approximately 15%), with no tuition charged to district residents. In February 2026, voters approved three measures: a $295 million capital bond (Proposition 2) to replace Sunset Primary, replace Chambers Primary, and renovate Curtis High School with a new Performing Arts Center and CTE classrooms, eligible to unlock up to $60 million in additional state construction funds; a renewal EP&O Levy (Proposition 1) at $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2027-2030; and a renewal Safety, Technology and Capital Improvements Levy (Proposition 3) at $0.20 per $1,000 of assessed value, less than half the expiring rate, for instructional technology, student devices, security systems, and facility maintenance. Bond construction projects are scheduled to deliver new facilities in Fall 2031.

Name

University Place School District

Legal name

University Place School District

Website

https://upsd83.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

University Place School District is a Washington State public K-12 district serving students and families within approximately 10 square miles of University Place and Day Island, operating 8 schools and supplemental programs funded by state appropriations and voter-approved levies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Special education services
• English language learning
• Early childhood programs
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

University Place

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University Place School District is a publicly funded K-12 school district that delivers tuition-free public education across 8 schools (4 primary, 2 intermediate, 1 junior high, 1 senior high) within approximately 10 square miles of Pierce County, Washington. The district provides standard K-12 academic instruction supplemented by specialized programs including Special Education/Section 504, English Language Learners, Highly Capable gifted services, and Pre-K early childhood education, plus operational support services such as student transportation, nutrition, health services, and a community Aquatic Center.

Product overview

University Place School District is a public K-12 school district serving the University Place community in Washington State. The district operates as a unified educational platform consisting of 8 schools (4 primary schools, 2 intermediate schools, 1 junior high, and 1 senior high) along with supplementary programs and services. The core educational offerings include standard academic instruction supplemented by specialized programs for English Language Learners, Special Services (special education), Highly Capable students, and Pre-K early childhood education. The district also provides operational support services including transportation, nutrition services, health services, and an Aquatic Center for community use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chambers Primary School Primary school serving students in early grades (K-5) within the University Place School District, with planned building replacement funded by the 2026 bond.
• Evergreen Primary School Primary school serving students in early grades within the University Place School District.
• Sunset Primary School Primary school serving students in early grades within the University Place School District, planned for replacement in 2030 under the bond construction project.
• University Place Primary School Primary school serving students in early grades within the University Place School District.
• Drum Intermediate School Intermediate school serving middle grades within the University Place School District.
• Narrows View Intermediate School Intermediate school serving middle grades within the University Place School District.
• Curtis Junior High School Junior high school serving grades 7-9 within the University Place School District.
• Curtis Senior High School Senior high school serving grades 10-12 within the University Place School District, with planned renovation beginning 2028.
• Special Services Program Special education and related services program serving students with disabilities and specialized learning needs, including Child Find, Section 504, behavior support, learning resource centers, and transition services.
• English Language Learners / Title III Program English language learning support services for students with limited English proficiency, funded under Title III.
• Highly Capable Program Gifted and talented education program providing advanced academic opportunities for eligible students within the district.
• Pre-K Programs Early childhood education programs including preschool and transitional kindergarten for young learners.
• Transportation Services Student bus transportation service for district students, including route tracking via the My Ride K-12 system and school-search by home address.
• Nutrition Services School meal programs, dietary accommodations, and food assistance resources for district students and families.
• Health Services Student health support services including health and safety resources, medication administration, immunizations, and suicide prevention programming.
• Aquatic Center Public swimming facility operated by the University Place School District providing aquatic programs and community use.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tacoma Public Schools: Largest public K-12 district in Pierce County, Washington, operating multiple primary, middle, and high schools with comparable comprehensive programming (special education, ELL, highly capable). Direct geographic and operational peer sharing the same state funding framework as University Place School District.
• Puyallup School District: Larger Pierce County public K-12 district operating a similar full-spectrum primary-through-high school model with EP&O levies and capital bonds. Comparable governance, programming, and revenue mix make it a strong direct peer for benchmarking.
• Franklin Pierce School District: Pierce County public K-12 district serving Tacoma-area communities. Operates the same voter-approved EP&O levy and capital bond funding structure with comparable grade-level configuration and supplemental programs.
• Bethel School District: Public K-12 district serving Spanaway and Graham in Pierce County under the same Washington levy and bond funding model. Operates a similar set of primary, middle, and high schools with comprehensive special education and ELL programs.
• Steilacoom Historical School District: Neighboring Pierce County public K-12 district sharing the same Washington state funding and levy structures. Comparable size and program mix including special education and ELL services; directly competes for intra-district transfer students.
• Peninsula School District: Pierce County public K-12 district serving the Gig Harbor peninsula, operating comparable elementary, middle, and high schools under the same Washington funding framework. Directly comparable in scale, program offerings, and voter-approved funding approach.
• Clover Park School District: Adjacent Pierce County public K-12 district serving Lakewood and portions of the Tacoma metro. Operates a comparable mix of primary, intermediate, junior high, and high schools with similar voter-approved levy and bond funding mechanisms — making it a direct operational and funding-model peer.

Regional players

• North Thurston Public Schools: Public K-12 district in neighboring Thurston County, Washington, operating under the same state funding and voter-approved levy structure. Comparable operating model, though serving a different geographic region than University Place.
• Federal Way Public Schools: Public K-12 district in King County, Washington, operating under the same Washington state levy and bond framework as UPSD. Larger scale but directly comparable in governance, programming, and capital planning process.

Others

• Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA): Governance and advocacy association representing Washington public school district boards, including University Place. Provides peer benchmarks, policy support, and shared services that materially shape UPSD's operating and funding environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-place-school-district-wa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University Place School District