Tacoma Public Schools’ iDEA High School is moving toward a new home at the former Gault Middle School site. The district’s current plans call for a roughly 37,000-square-foot building designed for about 400 students, with an opening expected in fall 2028.
The School of Industrial Design, Engineering and Art serves high school students from across Tacoma who want to study design, engineering and the arts. Early renderings show a commons, a shop and new entry spaces. The project is in design development, and the district says the images are preliminary rather than final architectural designs.
The building is meant to support iDEA’s collaborative approach to learning. The school describes its model as connecting students and teachers with community resources and professional partners, including opportunities to work together in design-and-build studios.
The former Gault site offers a more central location for iDEA students and families and closer access to other district learning programs, including Maritime|253, SOTA and SAMI. Tacoma Public Schools says students will stay at the current Park Avenue campus while construction is underway, avoiding a second move before the new school is ready.
The district plans to sell the current Park Avenue property after the move. Across the street from the future school, the recently built Eastside Soccer Fields are expected to remain open for community use.
The replacement project is funded by Tacoma voters’ 2024 school construction bond. A groundbreaking celebration is anticipated in spring 2027, with the school expected to open the following fall. The district’s project page includes the preliminary renderings and construction updates. View it here.
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