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Listen to the Story

Bethel School District

Listen to the Story brings you the latest stories from across the Bethel School District, including school news, feature stories, bond updates, and more.

education

All Episodes

2:31

Rolling dice to level up real-life skills

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2026/03/24

On any given afternoon at Frontier Middle School, you might find a group of students gathered around a table, rolling dice, imagining dragons, and setting off on epic quests. But beneath the fantasy adventure is something a little more unexpected: a lesson in real-life skills.School counselor Nick Rogen started Frontier’s Dungeons & Dragons club not just because he loves fantasy stories, but because he saw the game as a powerful way to help students grow. “What’s cool about it, especially as a

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2:22

Students thrive in Dual Language program

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2026/03/18

Inside classrooms at Thompson Elementary, students are learning much more than vocabulary and grammar. Through the school’s Dual Language program, they are building confidence, developing academic skills in two languages, and gaining tools that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.From the earliest grades, students begin learning academic content in Spanish while also developing their English skills. For kindergarten teacher Vanessa Tepalcingo, watching students take those first steps is

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2:40

One student’s road from classroom to career

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2026/03/18

At the Pierce County Skills Center, students can do more than just learn about careers -- they can actually build them. Few examples illustrate that better than Caelyn, a senior in her second year in the Automotive Technology program whose accomplishments are already turning heads across the industry. Caelyn first enrolled in the program as a junior and quickly found herself excelling both in the classroom and in competition. That year she competed in SkillsUSA, a national organization that hosts

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3:23

Bethel schools slash suspensions by 75%, attract...

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2026/03/17

Ever since there have been schools, people have been talking about the behavior of students. Today is no different. “We were hearing frustrations from teachers, over and over, the same frustrations about behaviors.” That’s Shirley Anderson, a 22-year veteran teacher from Thompson Elementary. She’s also the Bethel Education Association (BEA) treasurer. She said Bethel’s work around behavior began in earnest in 2018 when the union and administrators began to work together towards potential

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2:37

The unsung heroes helping students succeed

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2026/03/17

In every one of our schools, there are adults whose work rarely comes with fanfare but consistently shapes the daily experience of students. Paraeducators are woven into the fabric of our classrooms, stepping in wherever needed and ensuring students feel supported, safe, and ready to learn. Their responsibilities are as varied as the students they serve. Paraeducators provide one-on-one academic support, assist with small groups, help students regulate emotions, supervise common areas, support

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2:40

Proposed state budget cuts will impact Bethel

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2026/03/17

The Washington State Legislature is in session and the House and Senate have released their 2026 budget proposals, which include recommended cuts to education. Those cuts will equal millions of dollars lost for Bethel. Superintendent Brian Lowney said two items in the proposed budgets are particularly concerning for our district and others. Funding Reduction: Local Effort Assistance Local Effort Assistance (LEA) helps property-poor districts “keep up” with property-rich districts. LEA in Bethel is

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2:13

What happens if the levies fail?

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2026/02/03

We’ve seen this question a lot online, with quite a bit of speculation as to what would happen if our levies don’t pass next week.Our district has two replacement levies on the ballot right now. They are not new taxes and are at the same tax rates that voters approved in 2022. In short, a levy failure would force the district to make some very tough decisions, as the EP&O Levy alone pays the salaries of more than 400 people in the district. That’s more than 15% of the overall budget. The

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4:44

Your Guide to Bethel's 2026 Replacement Levy Election

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2026/01/27

Don't forget to VOTE!Ballots have been mailed and Bethel voters are now deciding on two replacement levies: The renewal of the Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy and the Technology Capital Levy. These are not new taxes, they are both replacements of expiring measures at the same tax rates that voters approved in 2022. How much will these levies cost me? The tax rates remain unchanged from what voters approved in 2022. The Educational Programs & Operations Levy will stay at

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1:47

Frontier Middle staff earn life-saving award

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2026/01/23

A group of Frontier Middle School employees was honored Thursday morning for their life-saving actions during a medical emergency involving a fellow staff member. A host of Pierce County Sheriff's deputies were on hand at Frontier to present special Citizen Life-Saving Awards to the employees whose quick thinking, teamwork, and calm response helped save a colleague’s life. The recognition followed an incident in December in which a teacher collapsed at school and required immediate medical

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2:06

The lasting impact of school sports

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2026/01/23

For thousands of students across our district, sports are about much more than competition. They provide structure, belonging, and life lessons that extend well beyond the field. From Friday night football to Unified Sports, basketball and bowling, our athletic programs help young people build confidence, responsibility, and relationships that can help shape their future. At Graham-Kapowsin High School, head football coach Jeff Logan sees sports as an extension of the classroom. “Athletics are

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2:27

Local elections … local voices

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2026/01/23

Every vote counts, and nowhere is this truth more evident than in local elections. While national races often dominate the headlines, it's at the local level where individual voices resonate the loudest, and where each ballot cast carries the most weight. Local elections are frequently decided by razor-thin margins, making every single vote critically important. In our own community, we've seen this play out in dramatic fashion. Just look at the results of some local school board elections from last

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2:39

Levy-funded SROs: More than emergency response

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2026/01/13

School safety and security comes from more than locked doors and security cameras. The key factor is the people who work with and build relationships with students each and every day. Our Educational Programs & Operations Levy supports over 400 staff members in positions the state underfunds or doesn't fund at all. These include teachers, paraeducators, counselors, social workers, nurses, campus safety officers, and bus drivers. It also fully supports our School Resource Officers. SROs are

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2:30

From big feelings to big futures

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2026/01/13

Throughout our district, school counselors and social workers play a vital role in helping students navigate not just academics, but the social and emotional challenges that come with growing up. At Spanaway Lake High School, school counselor Kelsey Nugent works with students as they make important decisions about their futures, while also helping them manage the everyday realities of adolescence. Counselors support students through academic planning, personal challenges, and post-graduation

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2:26

Building safe spaces

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2026/01/13

Our district's commitment to student safety goes far beyond cameras and protocols. It starts with trusted adults who students feel comfortable turning to. Bethel Middle School Campus Safety Officer Tua Aiono and MTSS/Student Supervision lead Alberto Rodriguez are two of those people, working side-by-side to make sure every student feels protected, supported, and seen. For them, safety begins with presence. Their team monitors hallways, classrooms, and common areas, making sure students are where

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2:49

A new era of safer, smarter bus routes

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2026/01/06

Every school day starts with an important promise to our families: Your students will get to school safely and on time, ready to learn.For our Transportation Department, that promise now comes with new technology that makes bus routes easier and safer. This year, Bethel launched its first districtwide digital navigation system. Each bus driver now has a tablet that gives real-time, turn-by-turn directions. This upgrade has been in the works for years. Transportation Director John West said the

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2:55

Why some WA districts get millions more in state...

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2026/01/06

During a budget update at a recent School Board meeting, the Board paused to discuss how “regionalization” is impacting our bottom line. Regionalization is an additional percentage of funding that Washington state allocates to some districts but not others. Simply put, the State determines which areas are high-cost areas, and then gives those districts more money each year. The idea is that if the cost of living is higher, the staff needs to be paid more. The problem with regionalization can be

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1:42

Levies are not new taxes

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2026/01/06

Over 100 Washington school districts will have levies on the ballot for renewal this year. So will Bethel. While we’re not alone in having a levy on the ballot, the big difference is that we aren’t asking our taxpayers for more money. Both levies are at the same tax rates that voters approved back in 2022. “Not a penny more,” said Superintendent Brian Lowney. Many districts will be asking their constituents for an increase in 2026. But Lowney and our School Board know that times are tough for

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4:06

Tech Levy dollars are keeping students safe online

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2025/12/08

Before the Technology Capital Levy was first approved by voters in 2014, the district piloted many different options for student devices, and iPads had come out on top for a variety of reasons. Apple had the biggest educational ecosystem at the time, and the devices were a good size and easy to use for all students.That investment in iPads is now making taxpayers’ dollars go even further. Chief Technology Officer Mike Christianson said Apple products are efficient and dependable, plus they also

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4:24

More than just a “basic education”

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2025/12/02

With 21,000 students in 202 square miles of unincorporated Pierce County, making sure kids get the best education they deserve is a big job.Fun Facts: 202 square miles is bigger than Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue combined. 21,000 is the capacity of the Tacoma Dome. To make sure the job is done right, more than 3,000 adults show up to work in Bethel every day. These are teachers, coaches, and support staff. It’s a well known fact that state funding in Washington is based on an outdated funding

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2:22

Let’s talk about pie

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2025/11/24

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we are very grateful for our communities' support over the years of our Educational Programs & Operations Levy and Technology Capital Levy.Levies are increasingly important in Washington state. Since 2019, the percentage of the state’s budget for K-12 education has gone down significantly. In 2019-21 it was 51.6%. From 2025-27 it will be 43.2%. At this week's School Board meeting, Superintendent Brian Lowney talked about how the state is “fixing the

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