Puyallup School District
Florence L. Pope Elementary School
Opened Fall 2020
Financed by 2015 State Match Funds
Architect: Mahlum
General Contractor: Pease & Sons, Inc.
Project Manager: Brady Martin
Thank you, voters. Because of your support, PSD expanded and remodeled the school to a 30-homeroom classroom elementary.
The work included construction of a
- 12-classroom addition
- two music rooms
- modernization of the existing building (approximately 83,000 square feet)
- selective demolition of existing structures
- removal of portables
- relocation of some play areas
- addition of a detached cover play shed
- expansion of the bus loop and parking areas
The design accommodates all-day kindergarten and special education and tuition preschool.
The school opened to students in September 2020
Pope Elementary Remodel and Expansion
Building History
Pope Elementary School opened in 1981 and is located on South Hill, east of Meridian Street South and north of 152nd Street East. The project architect was Seifert, Forbes and Berry of Tacoma, Washington, and the general contractor was Pilcher Construction of Puyallup, Washington. Pope Elementary School was a state matched project with the local funds coming from the 1978 Bond Issue.
The school was named after Ms. Florence Pope. Ms. Pope was born on June 17, 1909, in Mabton, Washington, and was a graduate of Central Washington University and Columbia University. Florence began teaching in Prosser, Washington, in 1929, and later taught at Spinning Elementary in the Puyallup School District. She served as the Director of Elementary Schools in Puyallup from 1945 until her retirement in 1974. Florence Pope passed away on March 1, 1992.
The voter approved 2015 Bond provided funds to expand and remodel the existing school building. The work included construction of a 12-classroom addition, along with two (2) music rooms, and modernization of the existing building (approximately 76,000 square feet total construction), selective demolition of existing structures, removal of portables, relocation of some play areas, the addition of a detached cover play shed, and expansion of the bus loop and parking areas. The design accommodates all-day kindergarten and special education and tuition preschool.
The permanent building now has a total of 30 homeroom classrooms, two (2) music rooms, and a number of smaller specialty instructional spaces.
The school opened to students in September 2020 and will become eligible for state matching funds for modernization or new construction in lieu of modernization in the year 2050.
