Maritime | 253

Building rendering of the Maritime|253 Skills Center with Maritime Logo

 

Maritime|253 will serve learners across the South Sound 

Tacoma Public Schools and the Port of Tacoma are teaming up to build Maritime|253, a state-of-the-art Maritime Skills Center designed to prepare students for the real-world demands of the maritime industry. Located within the Port of Tacoma, this facility—set to open in 2026—will offer hands-on, career-driven training at no cost to students from multiple school districts.

Maritime|253 isn’t a traditional high school: it’s a regional Career and Technical Education (CTE) center where students will take advanced, industry-focused courses alongside their required high school classes. Whether heading straight into the workforce, pursuing apprenticeships, or continuing to two- and four-year colleges, Maritime|253 equips students with the skills, training and knowledge to succeed in the maritime industry.  

About the Project

The Maritime|253 Skills Center is being developed as part of a Port of Tacoma waterfront campus and operated by Tacoma Public Schools.

The proposed site for the project is on a piece of Port-owned property along the east side of the Thea Foss Waterway, where the Wheeler-Osgood Company mill once operated.

The project is a partnership between the Port of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools. Maritime|253 will be a regional Career and Technical Education center serving high school students from school districts throughout Pierce County, with intentional programming to prime a professional pipeline to the maritime industry bringing opportunities to more members of the community and helping fill a growing need for workers in the trades and maritime careers. The location will also be home to a new Port of Tacoma business operations center and commission chambers, along with the potential to incorporate amenities such as public walking paths and access to the Foss Waterway.

 Expected opening: September 2026

This project is funded by the $535 million school construction bond voters passed in 2020.

Stay connected with Maritime|253!

Follow Maritime|253 on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates, program highlights, industry insights, and opportunities to get involved. Whether you're a student, educator, or industry professional, our channels keep you informed on Maritime|253 progression, and inspired about the future of work.

 

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Contact

Career and Technical Education Department

(253) 571-1126
maritime253@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Tacoma Public Schools' needs community partners from industry experts like you!

We recognize that our growth, improvement, and evolution cannot be done without strong community partners like you.

Tacoma Public Schools acknowledges that we are on the traditional ancestral and historical lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Puyallup Tribe. This acknowledgement serves as a first step in honoring our nearest tribal neighbors and partners who have inhabited this region since time immemorial, and whom we give thanks for allowing us passage to their lands. We shall intentionally create inclusive and respectful partnerships that honor Indigenous cultures, histories, identities, and sociopolitical realities.