Beyond the Bell

Important Update: Beyond the Bell – Session 3

Starting in Session 3, Beyond the Bell at Downing Elementary will continue under a new partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.

What’s staying the same

  • Families will continue to register through Compass.
  • Fee options remain the same: $96, $48, or $0, based on eligibility.

What’s new

  • After registering in Compass, families will be asked to complete a BGCSPS membership packet.
    • This allows students to receive dinner at 5 p.m. and stay until 6 p.m.
  • Families will register for Beyond the Bell as a single program in Compass, rather than selecting individual activities.
  • Program questions and concerns will now be handled by BGCSPS staff rather than previous site leads.

Program experience
Students will participate in Dolphin Center programming, offering activities across arts, character and leadership, education and career development, health and life skills, sports, fitness and recreation, and social emotional learning. Programming will rotate by age group throughout the week.

Questions or Support
Please contact Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound:

Clubs, Activities, Sports, and Field Trips at Your School

Tacoma Public Schools and community partners have come together to offer Beyond the Bell activities for students in grades K-5 and Club B activities for students in grades 6-8. Login to your Compass: TPS Family App account and visit the activities page to see what options are available at your student's school. 

  • Beyond the Bell activities run at all of Tacoma’s elementary schools from the end of the school day to 5:45 p.m., Monday-Friday.
    • Beyond the Bell: Wainwright activities take from place from 2:15-4:30pm, Monday -Friday.

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

No student will be denied access due to financial need. Families can contact beyondthebell@tacomaparks.com for invoice assistance.

2025-26 Beyond the Bell Schedule 

Login to Compass: TPS Family App to register View program schedules for your school on the Parks Tacoma Website

Payment procedures
Families with outstanding Beyond the Bell invoices are now required to settle their balance in MySchoolBucks before registering for future sessions. 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 these after school programs. To learn more, please read this FAQ.

Three students smiling

Stakeholder support serves as critical piece of student opportunities

Tacoma Public Schools is profoundly grateful for the hard work and generosity of our many partners who support our students and families. These valued stakeholders enable us to expand opportunities and create lasting impacts for all of our students.

These opportunities are available thanks to our community partners, including Tacoma Creates, private philanthropy, City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Greentrike, Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools and individual donors.

We are honored to be among the recipients of a generous donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Her transformative funding bolsters programs like Beyond the Bell.

We are also grateful for the critical support of Sen. Maria Cantwell, whose congressional earmarks are instrumental in securing additional funding to expand and sustain these critical programs. 

Important Dates

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Contact Parks Tacoma

beyondthebell@parkstacoma.gov