Frequently Asked Questions

Starting in 2025, families with outstanding Beyond the Bell invoices will need to settle their balance before registering for future sessions.

No student will be denied access due to financial need. If you need help with your invoice or have questions about financial assistance, contact beyondthebell@tacomaparks.com.

This change was implemented to ensure sustainability and continued program quality. By collecting fees on time, we can maintain and improve the enriching activities students enjoy, ensuring the program can serve more families over the long term.

We understand that circumstances arise, and we encourage families to reach out for help if they need it. Contact beyondthebell@tacomaparks.com for assistance with invoices.

Timely payments are essential to sustaining and enhancing these high-quality, affordable programs. Even families who pay the highest tier ($96 per activity) are receiving a significant discount compared to the actual cost of $320 per activity and are making an investment into the future of Beyond the Bell. Your contributions help keep the program running and ensure students can continue enjoying high-quality activities.

The actual cost per session is $320, but thanks to subsidies, families pay a reduced amount at the level they choose:

• TPS Student Discount: $96 per activity, per session
• Partial Financial Assistance: $48 per activity, per session
• Full Financial Assistance: $0

Participation fees fund the program. Additionally, agencies, organizations and philanthropic donations help us offer services at reduced rates.

Families who are able to pay the full $96 per session or donate additional funds are directly contributing to the growth and sustainability of the program. Your support ensures Beyond the Bell can continue to provide enriching after-school opportunities for students across the community. To make a donation please visit tacomaparksfoundation.org and look for the green donate button.

Families who have the ability to pay are helping the program grow and thrive, ensuring all children have access to enriching after-school experiences. We value the opportunity to offer accessible, high-quality enrichment activities and hope you do to. We encourage those who are able to support the program financially to do so.

Beyond the Bell offers enrichment activities like sports, arts, and academic support with a focus on Social Emotional Learning. It collaborates with providers like the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club to make activities accessible at students’ home schools, eliminating transportation barriers. This program is the first of its kind and is not available in any other school district.

Our online registration system, Compass, generates a waitlist when a program reaches full capacity. If openings arise, parents/guardians of students on the waitlist will be contacted in the order of their enlistment.

If a program is at capacity during registration, you can add your student to the waitlist in Compass.

If a spot opens, a confirmation email will be sent to the guardian who registered the student on the waitlist.

Parents/guardians can remove their student from a waitlist at any time using Compass.

Yes, students can be on multiple waitlists.

Waitlists are prioritized by the date and time of registration on Compass.

The waitlist is arranged by the date and time of registration on Compass. You will be notified if space becomes available.

No, it is not possible to advance students ahead of others on the waitlist.

If childcare is required, we recommend that families register for a program that has registration availability now. You may also register your student for the waitlisted program. If a spot opens in your student's preferred program, they can be transferred from their second-choice program to their first choice.

No, there is no fee associated with joining the waitlist. If a spot becomes available, your student is successfully registered, and you've chosen a payment option, a MySchool Bucks invoice will be generated in your account.

Students from a waitlist can be added up to two weeks after the session begins.

Beyond the Bell is a program offered by Metro Parks Tacoma that offers after-school activities for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. Activities include sports, STEM and arts focuses and provide out of school learning time for participants.

Childcare programming is provided through certified childcare sites and provides before-school and after-school childcare.

Yes. Children can be enrolled in both programs. Children who are enrolled in both programs would be signed out of childcare, and then signed into Beyond the Bell and then returned to childcare programming.

Beyond the Bell offers flexible pricing. When you register, you will see three payment options. Please select the best option based on your family’s current need.

Beyond the Bell is subsidized by local and state funding as well as donations to greatly reduce the cost of participation for everyone. The actual cost to operate the program is more than $320 per activity per child. We greatly appreciate the investment our partners have made to allow us to provide this program at a reduced price to our participants.

Beyond the Bell programs run from the end of the school day to 5:45 p.m., Monday-Friday, in four separate sessions throughout the school year.

Yes. Families can pick their students up early. Communication with site lead as early as possible to ensure a smooth pick-up process.

Transportation is available at a selected number of elementary schools right now. We hope to increase transportation to all elementary schools in the future. Schools provided with transportation now include Boze, DeLong, Fawcett, Larchmont, Lowell, Lyon, Manitou, Reed, Sheridan, Skyline, Stanley, Travis, Wainwright and Whitman. Families at those schools can register for transportation on Compass while registering for programming.

Field trips are typically scheduled for snow make-up days and days when school is not in session. Field trips are scheduled for a longer duration (such as 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) to educational sites such as the zoo, museums, and more.

Information is sent by Tacoma Public Schools and Metro Parks Tacoma. Families can register for fields trips on the TPS Compass app.

Club B programs are free, thanks to a host of community funding partners including Tacoma Creates, City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Greentrike, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and private philanthropy.

Club B programs run from 2:15-4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, in four separate sessions throughout the school year.

Transportation is available for all middle school locations. Students may ride the after-school-activities bus. No registration is needed. Each middle school coordinates their activity bus schedule.

Learn more about transportation

Yes. families can pick their students up early. Communication with site lead as early as possible to ensure a smooth pick-up process.

Field trips are typically scheduled for snow make-up days and days when school is not in session. Field trips are scheduled for a longer duration (such as 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) to educational sites such as the zoo, museums, and more.

Information is sent by Tacoma Public Schools and Metro Parks Tacoma. Families can register for fields trips on the TPS Compass app.