Frequently Asked Questions

All high school students in Pierce County are eligible to attend Maritime|253. Member school districts, which include Tacoma Public Schools, Vashon Public Schools, Sumner-Bonney Lake Public Schools and University Place Public Schools, have a guaranteed number of seats. Students from non-member districts will be accepted based on available space.

These are basic eligibility requirements for Maritime|253 full-year programs: 

• Student must be (and remain) actively registered at the sending school. 
• Grades accepted: Programming is at the advanced preparatory level, and 11th and 12th grades have priority when enrolling.  
• Student completes registration form.  Once a student’s application has been processed, their Parent/Guardian creates a ParentVue account and submits application. Learn more about enrollment.
• Sending school must approve the application before it will be considered for enrollment 
• If the student has accommodations on a 504 or IEP, the sending school must meet with Maritime|253 before the enrollment process can be finalized. 

There is no cost to students; Maritime|253 is a public school. 

Maritime|253 courses are year-round. Each program is a 2-year, half-day model designed to give you up to 1,080 hours of training, industry-recognized credentials, and dual credit toward college. Students will be enrolled in a morning or afternoon session, Monday through Friday.  

Enrollment is open to all high-school students in the South Sound. Member school districts, which include Tacoma Public Schools, Vashon Public Schools, Sumner-Bonney Lake Public Schools and University Place Public Schools, have a guaranteed number of seats. Students from non-member districts will be accepted based on available space, and with a signed shared student agreement from their home district.  

ENROLL IN MARITIME|253 

Member districts, Tacoma Public Schools, Sumner Bonney Lake Public Schools, Vashon Public Schools and University Place Public Schools are working to create transportation to support their students. For students who are not part of a member district, transportation is not provided.

Maritime|253 students will prepare for maritime careers through hands-on learning provided by professionals. Students choose from four high-demand pathways: Sustainability, Technology, Port Operations & Logistics, and Advanced Maritime Manufacturing. Each program is a 2-year, half-day model designed to give you up to 1,080 hours of training, industry-recognized credentials, and dual credit toward college. 

Learn more about course studies and careers within each pathway.