The School of the Arts (TSOTA) was one of 10 recipients selected by a panel of educators and community members for the 2004 KCTS Golden Apple Awards for excellence in education. Art school students rehearse and perform in the renovated, 100-year-old Ted Brown Music building located in downtown Tacoma. Students may also rehearse at the New York building on Broadway, Rialto Theatre, West Coast Wagon Works building and a Tacoma School District facility that is located in the city center.

The new, state-of-the-art Mount Tacoma High School opened in the fall of 2004. The $77.7 million dollar school includes classrooms equipped with the latest technology, an indoor swimming pool that can host regional meets. The school’s stadium can seat as many as 5,000 spectators. The two-story commons-cafeteria area opens onto a landscaped courtyard. A world map, replicated from National Geographic, patterns the commons floor. The school is part of a 2001 bond measure that taxpayers passed for new construction and renovation of Tacoma public schools.

Earning the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2004, the University of Washington Tacoma is recognized by the Council for its commitment to building and maintaining energy-efficient and earth-friendly. The upgrades earning the prestigious award were completed in early 2004, and all buildings are now open for viewing and use by students, faculty and staff.