Non-resident tuition will increase by $75 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Tuition for non-resident students attending local schools will increase to $1,937 in the coming year, up from the $1,862 charged for the current, 2025-2026 term.
The school board approved setting the nonresident tuition fees during their regular monthly meeting Monday night.
Finance director Melanie Helms says the figure varies from year-to-year based on the number of students enrolled and the amount of local revenues expended for education.
The tuition fee is derived by dividing the total number of students in Pierce County schools by the amount of local taxes used to fund the system each year, less an adjustment for state funding. Pierce County’s taxpayers contribute about $9.8 million, the state’s Quality Basic Education Act adjustment is $3.06 million and the student enrollment is 3,480.
The tuition fees are used to offset costs. Nonlocal students must apply each year and are accepted on a space-available basis provided they have no behavioral or discipline problems. A total of 46 non-resident tuition students are currently enrolled in Pierce County Schools.
The deadline for tuition students is July 1 for first semester and December 1 for second semester.
