Gig Harbor Now staff are proud to provide coverage of Peninsula School District, Tacoma Community College, private schools and home schools, emphasizing the value and experiences of learning here and beyond.
Education Sponsor
Education stories are made possible in part by Tacoma Community College, a proud sponsor of Gig Harbor Now.
James J. Coolican, a former Peninsula School District superintendent and decorated Marine Corps colonel, died Oct. 25 at age 85. Coolican was superintendent at Peninsula from 1999 to 2006. Before the local post, he worked for Educational Services District No. 101 in Spokane from 1991 to 1997 and as deputy superintendent in the state Office
Read More
The family of a Gig Harbor High School quarterback who was seriously injured during Fish Bowl 2023 is suing Peninsula School District. Also named as defendants in the suit are Ross Filkins, coach and athletic director of Peninsula High School, as well as the PHS student who made the tackle. The suit, filed in U.S.
Read More
Gig Harbor-area students interested in exploring a career in the aviation industry will have that option close to home starting in the 2025-26 school year. Peninsula School District recently announced it will launch an Aviation Academy next year in partnership with the Museum of Flight and Tacoma Narrows Airport. Filling a skills gap The academy,
Read More
Peninsula High school science teacher by day, performing artist in her off time, Ashley Ortenzo is one of dozens who will “fling joy” in the Puget Sound Midwinter Revels show in December. Ortenzo has been a science teacher for 24 years and lives in Gig Harbor, but it’s her first year at Peninsula High School.
Read More
The next training class for potential Peninsula School District bus drivers starts Monday, Oct. 28. Chris Phillips talked to three local people who love driving a bus.
Read More
The policy establishes that the district can discipline, or even fire, employees whose off-the-clock comments have an “adverse impact on district operations.”
Read More
As K-12 schools have become a battleground for culture wars, it’s no surprise that the 2024 race for state Superintendent of Public Instruction, a nonpartisan position, is fraught with political overtones. David Olson, a longtime Peninsula School District board member, hopes to unseat incumbent Chris Reykdal, seeking a third term as head of the state’s
Read More
Peninsula instituted a ban on cell phones during instructional time last year. School districts around the state are now doing the same.
Read More
One man stepped up to the podium and spoke at length about his history with addiction, incarceration and path to sobriety. A mother spoke about how her child died after being peer-pressured. Another parent said his teenage daughter just celebrated 90 days free of drugs. These were a few of the stories shared during the
Read More
The Peninsula High School pool is out of commission due to multiple leaks in pipes underground. The Peninsula swim team has been practicing at Gig Harbor High’s pool, and that’s likely to continue for the foreseeable future, with repairs not yet underway, Patrick Gillespie, Peninsula School District’s facilities director, told the school board last week.
Read More