For more than a decade, TPS, community, and partners have worked to build robust after-school programming. Families, students and staff have come to rely on Beyond the Bell and Club B. News that some program funding is in jeopardy has created stress and worry in our community, and this is not lost on me.   

My commitment is that Beyond the Bell and Club B will continue in the 2026-2027 school year.  

In June, program partners will make budget decisions that will provide clarity on funding and allow us to make specific program decisions.  When those details are finalized, we will communicate directly with families. 

We have hired a person to lead Extended Learning Opportunities who will begin July 1. This will help ensure coordination and program support. 

I am grateful to see the outpouring of support by students, families and community to support Beyond the Bell and Club B. I am grateful for the aligned funding efforts by the City of Tacoma and Pierce County Executive offices.  Please continue to advocate and use your voice to support kids and families. 

Below is a letter to the community that we are sharing in the weeks to come.  

-Josh Garcia

Letter to the community: Our Community Must Stand Behind After-School Programs 

Every child deserves a safe place to go, caring adults to count on, and meaningful opportunities to grow after the school day ends. Every family deserves peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are learning, belonging and thriving in the critical hours between 3 and 6 p.m. And every community benefits when we choose to invest together in the well-being of young people.   

School districts do not receive state or federal funding for after-school programs, which is why our schools and community partners came together 13 years ago to figure out what we could do locally to serve our families during those hours. With just the spark of an idea, we created the Whole Child Initiative and found ways to support Beyond the Bell and Club B, after-school programs for EVERY elementary student and middle school student.  

As a community, we have found ways to contribute financially through partnerships and grant funding.  Tacoma Public Schools also contributes by providing safe, clean spaces for the programs, providing critical infrastructure through technology and operations and by communicating program details with all families on a regular basis.  We do these things to lower overhead for providers and ultimately allow families to access programs at low or no cost.  This frees up resources for families to support local businesses and drive economic development in our community. 

We’re proud of the result. Beyond the Bell and Club B have grown to serve approximately over 4,000 individual student participants each year at well below the cost of what many comparable programs require. We do that through the strategic investment made by the City of Tacoma, Pierce County, private philanthropy and TPS. That reality is a testament to the dedication of staff, schools and partners, but it is also a reminder that these opportunities cannot be sustained by schools alone. 

Immediate support needed to maintain programming 

Today, Beyond the Bell and Club B after-school programs are in jeopardy. Not because kids and families don’t want them. Not because people don’t understand their value. Not because the community doesn’t love and support its children. They do, and we are incredibly grateful for the people who have consistently supported our schools and students with their votes, their time and their actions. But some of the local partner funding that we have relied on for after-school programs is changing.  And at the state level, school districts do not receive funding designated for after-school programing and cannot use basic education funding in this way. In short, there is no consistent and reliable funding.  

Still, Tacoma Public Schools and our partners are committed to after-school programming, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure we continue services. Tacoma Public Schools is taking the lead on program coordination to ensure every neighborhood has access to youth programming. We have hired a person to lead Extended Learning Opportunities, helping ensure coordination and communication. 

We will be working with amazing partners to provide their programming at our sites.  We will continue to ask partners to work with us, philanthropy to contribute, corporations and businesses to donate, and our government agencies to align funding efforts when appropriate. In the fall of 2026, students, families and partners will have access and support in Beyond the Bell and Club B. 

Research shows after-school programs support academic growth, strengthen school attendance and engagement, build social and emotional skills, and help reduce risky behaviors. They also support working families, strengthen the local workforce, and create healthier, more connected neighborhoods.  

That is why community support for after-school programs is not optional. It is essential. If we believe young people are our shared responsibility, then we must act like it.  

I am grateful to see the outpouring of support by students, families and community to support Beyond the Bell and Club B. I am grateful for the aligned funding efforts by the City of Tacoma and Pierce County Executive offices.  Please continue to advocate and use your voice to support kids and families. 

I urge us all to continue investing in this work. And I ask businesses, community organizations, higher education, faith communities, local government, and residents to partner with us to ensure after-school-programs thrive – because the success of our young people is the success of our city.