Puyallup School District
Bond and Levy History
The Puyallup School District’s election history reflects a consistent pattern common in growing communities: steady voter support for day-to-day operations alongside more variable outcomes for large capital investments. Since the late 1980s, voters have regularly approved Education Program and Operations levies, often with clear margins, indicating ongoing support for educational programs and services.
In contrast, bond measures to address growth and facility needs have followed a more cyclical pattern, with some early proposals in the 1990s not meeting required thresholds despite receiving majority support. Over time, the district adjusted proposals and project scope, leading to successful measures such as the 1997 and 2004 bonds that supported new schools and facility improvements.
In recent years, these trends have continued with some changes in approval margins. Education Program and Operations levies have remained consistently successful, though often by smaller margins than in previous decades. Capital investment measures (school construction and maintenance) have shown mixed results, including strong voter approval for school replacements and expansions in 2015, alongside more recent bond proposals that did not meet required thresholds.
Overall, the district’s election history indicates sustained support for maintaining programs, combined with careful voter consideration of large-scale capital investments, with outcomes influenced by factors such as project scope, cost, and timing.
Review the history of Puyallup School District bonds and levies from 1988 to 2026. This chart includes the election dates, the dollar amounts, the type of issue and the intent, whether the issue passed or failed, and the percent of Yes votes.
|
DATE |
PROP. |
$ AMOUNT |
LENGTH |
TYPE |
Pass/Fail |
% YES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Feb. 1988 |
Prop. 1 |
$17,055,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
73.07% |
|
Feb. 1988 |
Prop. 2 |
$22,000,000 |
|
Bonds (four elem. schools, sites, portable classrooms, other capital improvements) |
P |
70.19% |
|
Feb. 1990 |
|
$19.691,854 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
64.10% |
|
Sept. 1990 |
|
$25,300,000 |
|
Bonds (elem. schools, jhs, central kitchen, sites, other capital improvements) |
F |
58.20% |
|
May 1991 |
|
$49,810,000 |
|
Bonds (elem., jhs, central kitchen, sites, modernize PHS, new Woodland, other capital improvements) |
P |
63.00% |
|
Feb. 1992 |
Prop. 1 |
$25,600,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
74.80% |
|
Feb. 1992 |
Prop. 2 |
$25,600,000 |
|
Bonds (elem., jhs, central kitchen, sites, other capital improvements) |
F |
52.70% |
|
Feb. 1992 |
Prop. 3 |
$7,200,000 |
|
Capital Projects Levy (technology/instructional computers) |
P |
74.84% |
|
Feb. 1994 |
Prop. 1 |
$35,385,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
Not Validated |
69.10% |
|
Feb. 1994 |
Prop. 2 |
$118,300,000 |
|
Bonds (new high school, EJHS and Stewart Elem., improve RHS & BJHS, other capital improvements) |
F |
57.63% |
|
April 1994 |
|
$35,385,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
60.67% |
|
Feb. 1996 |
|
$36,000,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
63.20% |
|
May 1996 |
Prop. 1 |
$40,550,000 |
|
Bonds (remodel Maplewood & Northwood, new EJHS, improve KJHS & RHS) |
Not Validated |
69.06% |
|
May 1996 |
Prop. 2 |
$44,570,000 |
|
Bonds (new high school) |
F |
58.52% |
|
May 1996 |
Prop. 3 |
$8,218,167 |
(redirect) |
Proposition No. 3 required no additional taxes |
P |
67.23% |
|
March 1997 |
|
$76,920,000 |
|
Bonds (new high school & EJHS, remodel RHS & BJHS, other capital improvements) |
P |
63.08% |
|
Feb. 1998 |
Prop. 1 |
$39,300,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
63.35% |
|
Feb. 1998 |
Prop. 2 |
$7,200,000 |
6 year |
Capital Levy for Technology |
F |
59.46% |
|
April 1998 |
|
$7,200,000 |
6 year |
Capital Levy for Technology |
F |
57.85% |
|
Feb. 1999 |
|
$6,700,000 |
5 year |
Capital Levy for Technology |
F |
54.24% |
|
April 1999 |
|
$6,700,000 |
5 year |
Capital Levy for Technology |
F |
55.00% |
|
March 2000 |
Prop. 1 |
$43,600,000 |
|
M & O Levy |
P |
60.48% |
|
March 2000 |
Prop. 2 |
$1,850,000 |
2 year |
Pupil Transportation Vehicle Levy |
P |
61.73% |
|
May 2001 |
|
$89,900,000 |
|
Bonds (new elem, new jhs, modernization package) |
F |
50.59% |
|
Feb. 2002 |
|
$108,500,000 |
4 year |
M & O Levy |
F |
59.18% |
|
April 2002 |
|
$108,500,000 |
4 year |
M & O Levy |
P |
68.49% |
|
Feb. 2004 |
|
$198,500,000 |
|
Bonds (new jhs, two new elem. schools, remodel Aylen & Kalles, Meeker remodel, other capital improvements and technology) |
P |
60.73% |
|
Feb. 2006 |
|
$145,400,000 |
4 year |
School Programs & Operation Levy |
P |
66.64% |
|
Feb. 2007 |
|
$259,500,000 |
|
Bonds (new elem. school, ERHS and PHS additions, replace Firgrove, Northwood, and Spinning, Sparks Stadium improvements, health and safety improvements, other capital improvements and technology) |
F |
58.08% |
|
May 2007 |
|
$259,500,000 |
|
Bonds (new elem. school, ERHS and PHS additions, replace Firgrove, Northwood, and Spinning, Sparks Stadium improvements, health and safety improvements, other capital improvements and technology) |
F |
59.15% |
|
March 2009 |
|
$257,000,000 |
|
Bonds (new elem. School, replace Firgrove, Spinning, and Waller Road, additions to ERHS and PHS, upgrade elementary lunch service, build RHS practice gym and performing arts storage) |
F |
48.07% |
|
March 2009 |
|
$57,000,000 |
6 year |
Capital Levy (Increase bandwidth, replace student and staff computers, improve school bus check-in system, seismic upgrades at several schools, improve wheelchair accessibility, provide building lifecycle improvements) |
F |
47.82% |
|
Feb. 2010 |
|
$183,000,000 |
4 year |
School Programs and Operation Levy |
P |
70.05% |
|
Feb. 2013 |
|
$279,600,000 |
|
Bonds - Capital Improvement and School Construction General Obligation Bonds |
F |
55.49% |
|
Feb. 2014 |
Prop. 1 |
$207,100,000 |
4 year |
Replacement of Educational Programs, Maintenance and Operations Levy |
P |
66.81% |
|
Feb. 2014 |
Prop. 2 |
$46,000,000 |
6 year |
Capital Improvements and Technology Upgrades Levy |
P |
63.57% |
|
Nov. 2015 |
|
$292,500,000 |
|
Bonds (replace Firgrove, Northwood, and Sunrise elementary schools with larger elementary schools, build a new elementary school on 144th St. near 80th Ave., and remodel and expand Pope Elementary) In 2015, the balance of Capital Improvement Levy funds was rolled into the 2015 bond. |
P |
68.26% |
|
Feb. 2018 |
|
$135,500,000 |
4 year |
Replacement of Educational Programs and Operations Levy |
P |
69.41% |
|
Nov. 2019 |
|
$273,000,000 |
|
Bond (Safety and security upgrades, additions, and remodels to ERHS, PHS, RHS, and WHS. |
F |
53.15% |
|
Nov. 2020 |
|
$37,000,000 |
2 year |
Educational Programs and Operations Supplemental Levy |
P |
58.61% |
|
Feb. 2022 |
Prop. 1 |
$267,050,000 |
4 year |
Educational Programs and Operations Supplemental Levy |
P |
50.23% |
|
Feb. 2022 |
Prop. 2 |
$124,998,000 |
6 year |
Capital Projects Levy |
F |
48.5% |
|
Nov. 2022 |
Prop. 1 |
$125,000,000 |
6 year |
Capital Projects and Technology Levy |
F |
49.76% |
| Feb. 2024 | Prop. 1 | $175,000,000 | 6 year | Capital Projects and Technology Levy | P | 51.32% |
|
Feb. 2025 |
Prop. 1 |
$800,000,000 |
|
Bond (Expand ERHS, PHS, RHS; Replace Mt. View, Spinning, Waller Road; Build new elementary in the Sunrise area) |
F |
63.36% Did Not Validate |
|
April 2025 |
Prop. 1 |
$800,000,000 |
|
Bond (Expand ERHS, PHS, RHS; Replace Mt. View, Spinning, Waller Road; Build new elementary in the Sunrise area) |
F |
60.9% |
| Feb. 2026 | Prop. 1 | $398,800,000 | 4 year | Educational Programs & Operations Levy (EP&O) | P | 55.28% |