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As streams of children bounded out of Washington Elementary School in Tacoma’s North End on Tuesday, “Miss Peggy” was there to greet them in the cross walk.

For 29 years, 68-year-old Peggy Tonnema has spread joy to kids and parents as the school’s vibrant and beloved crossing guard. On Tuesday, she was dressed as Wonder Woman with a long pink wig, red cape, bejeweled pink glasses, glittery blue skirt and hand-puppet gloves as she waved a neon flag and cooed at families crossing the street.

Rain or shine, Tonnema always wears wacky and bright outfits when she, twice a day, guides families across the busy intersection. A visit to her costume closet in the school reveals a floor-to-ceiling collection of bright wigs, funny hats, patterned shirts, accessories, boas, gloves, glasses and Halloween costumes. The outfits were donated to her over the decades by parents, students and complete strangers who recognized her on the street.

As she stood in the middle of the road Tuesday afternoon, cars slowed to call out to her from their windows. Tonnema said some of the drivers were former students she’d watched grow up and bring their own kids to school. She screams at cars that speed past. She calls out to kids and parents by name, teasing them with her bird hand puppets and reminding them of the late start the following day.

Tonnema won’t be a crossing guard next school year. Although she works about an hour and a half a day (she also doubles as a school nurse), Tonnema was one of 114 paraeducators who were told their positions would be eliminated in the 2025-2026 school year as the Tacoma Public School District faces a $30 million deficit. Tacoma Public Schools has cited rising costs and insufficient funding from the state as reasons for the cuts.

Although she was offered a chance to reapply for her job as an hourly employee, Tonnema said she won’t, to stand with the other paraeducators who are being laid off.

“It’s not right,” she said. “I could stay, but I can’t. And that makes me sad.”

The decision comes with immense grief, for both Tonnema and families who have seen her as a community fixture of joy and support over the years.

Tonnema said her outfits have grown more complex over time.

She started wearing bright colors, like a bright yellow cap. Then she found some antennae, and the kids begged her to put them all on at once. People began gifting her more items to add to her collection. A “We Love Miss Peggy” Facebook page documents many of her outfits, which included recent themes for Cinco De Mayo, a Star Wars-themed May the Fourth, May Day, Earth Day and Wacky Wednesday. Tonnema said the kids have a “Miss Peggy” dress-up day now.

When asked how it would feel to hang up her hat, Tonnema said, “devastated.”

According to her termination notice, which she shared with The News Tribune, she was told on May 8 “there would be a change in [her] current position” and her assignment as a 0.2 full-time employee crossing guard “will conclude at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.”

“Your last authorized workday in this assignment will be Friday, June 20, 2025. After this date, you will be considered displaced and subject to reassignment in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the District and the Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals Local 461. Your reassignment for the 2025–2026 school year will be contingent on your ability to qualify for, interview and be selected for an available position,” said HR director Steven Deaderick. “Please know that this displacement decision is not a reflection of your work or contributions. We deeply appreciate your commitment to Tacoma Public Schools and your support of Every Student, Every Day. Your efforts have made a meaningful impact on our students’ success.”

On Tuesday Tonnema said she wanted to dress as Wonder Woman “because I wanted to stand for truth, justice and the American way.”

“Our country is based on our children. Our children are going to move away. We have to educate them. We have to teach them properly. And to do that, we have to have staff,” she said. “The paraeducators are right there on the ground floor making sure that kids get the extra care that they need — and there’s plenty of them that need that.”

When her now 34-year-old son attended Washington Elementary in 1996, Tonnema said, every kindergarten had a full-time paraeducator in the classroom. She has been involved in the Parent Teacher Association for decades and has seen cuts to school nurses, librarians, music and art.

“We just keep being outraged and quiet. That’s over. I can’t do it. I can’t. They have to let the city know, let the mayor know, let the whole education [system know],” she said. “It’s time to raise a ruckus. That’s what I’m going to do.”

In February when Tonnema’s car was stolen, the community raised more than $10,000 on GoFundMe to help her replace it. Behind a pane of glass in a school cabinet are awards Tonnema has received, like the Safe Kids Child Injury Prevention Award in 2018 and the Traffic Safety Superstars Award in 2006. On the wall by her costume closet are thousands of photographs of Tonnema and kids she’s helped over the years, in addition to Christmas cards and other messages from families.

“She’s a pillar in the community. It would be very different without her,” said Annie Lindgren, who was walking her first grader and infant across the street Tuesday. “We turn the corner and we are very excited to see what she’s wearing every day. She makes everyone smile and feel important. She knows all the kid’s names, she knows the siblings’ names.”

Lindgren said she lives about six blocks away from the school and thought the district’s decision to cut Tonnema’s position was “terrible.”

“We need to figure out a way to keep positions like that for the kids,” she said. “It’s not just keeping us safe, but I think all the paras and everything are really important for our kids and the teachers.”

Parent Will Brown said Tonnema is “way more than a crossing guard,” going out of her way to help support kids and hand them fun things like Monkeyshines.

“The last place we need to be cutting anything from is education,” Brown said. “It’s like, the most obvious investment you can do [for] the future.”

Uniquely is a series from The News Tribune that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in Pierce County so special.

Miss Peggy has worked at Washington Elementary School for nearly 30 years. At least 114 educational support professionals are being impacted by district budget cuts.

TACOMA, Wash. — In Tacoma, frustration is growing as parents and teachers learn just how deep district budget cuts will go.

Tacoma Public Schools is facing a $30 million budget shortfall, which is now leading to cuts of school staff positions.

Among those impacted, is a school crossing guard who's become a fixture in her community for decades.

"This is my family, my heart, it’s everything,” said Peggy Tonnema, most commonly known as Miss Peggy.

Miss Peggy has worked for nearly 30 years as a crossing guard and health clerk for Washington Elementary School in Tacoma’s North End.

She is known for always wearing bright colors and festive outfits, always easy to spot as she brings kids safely across the crosswalk.

“I’m here forever because I love my community and my community loves me,” said Miss Peggy.

But she recently found out forever is getting cut short.

"I recently got an email that said that they appreciate my work I've done for the district, but I'm let go,” said Miss Peggy. “And if anything comes up I am qualified for, I can go ahead and apply for it."

According to the Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals, Miss Peggy is one of at least 114 educational support professionals being impacted by district budget cuts, either having their jobs eliminated or hours cut back.

These positions include pull out academic support staff, building support staff, crossing guards, and other positions that the union said all work directly to give support to students.

Miss Peggy is devastated by the news that she is getting laid off but is more concerned by the other staff members being cut and the impacts it will have to students and teachers.

“I mean, come on,” said Miss Peggy. “There's not any place else that we can take a little cut of the budget? Is there anybody that's not quite as important to the actual students? Because we're worried about the students here. They're our kids, they're our future.”

Several parents contacted KING 5 concerned about the cuts, and multiple specifically concerned about the loss of Miss Peggy.

“She's an icon, I don't know how we do this school without her,” said Jennifer Strus, the Washington Elementary School PTA president.

Strus has two kids at Washington Elementary.

“My fifth grader even said to me, ‘What do you mean, Miss Peggy isn’t going to be here? Who's going to get the kids across the street?'” said Strus.

She and other parents said they know finances need to be adjusted, but are frustrated with the choices being made.

“Lopping off the people that are here to help our kids on the ground level is not the answer,” said Strus.

As Miss Peggy is still trying to accept the loss of her job, she wants the district to reevaluate the cuts.

“The teachers need paraeducators to help in every aspect of the school day, and to even think that they are dispensable, disposable? Well, it's not true,” she said.

The district said in a statement that salaries make up a bulk of the budget.

“We have made spending cuts in other areas, but because salaries are the majority of our budget, we have no other choice but to reduce positions," the statement reads. "The cuts are not a reflection of the incredible work our team does every day for students. These cuts are to get us to a healthier financial position.”

Kari Madden, the president of the Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals, said there must be other areas to cut.

“While we do understand that the district is in a financial crisis and at least some of that is due to the state not funding education adequately, I do not feel this is the whole reason," Madden said. "I would like to see a lot more transparency with the district in why there is a $30 million shortfall, and what other cuts they have made to the top and other areas before deciding to make cuts to our lowest paid employees who provide the most support for students. I feel there are other more creative measures the district should look at before making cuts that will directly impact our most vulnerable students.”

The union represents hundreds of paraeducators, LPNs, therapy assistants, interpreters, and other staff members in Tacoma Public Schools.

The district would not confirm at this time exactly how many support staff and teachers could be impacted by the cuts.

KING 5 learned last month that around 100 first and second year teachers had been told their contracts for next school year were being reviewed and that they would be notified by May 15 if their positions were being renewed or not.

Two cities in Washington state ranked among the "50 Cheapest Places to Retire Across America," according to a recent study by GOBankingRates, a personal finance publication.

Spokane in Eastern Washington is the third-cheapest city for retirees in the United States, according to the study. Tacoma in Western Washington ranks as the 33rd most affordable city for retirement.

GOBankingRates stated that the rankings were based on an analysis of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. where seniors comprised at least 10% of the population. The study factored in the yearly retirement income needed to cover living costs such as housing, health care, food, transportation and energy.

"Most people retire on a limited budget, which means seeking new places to live where you can stretch your money further," according to the report.

Here's more on the rankings and why these Washington locations ranked among the most affordable places in the U.S. to retire.

Is Spokane a good place to retire?

Monthly expenses in Spokane averaged at $1,711, and its population of people 65 and older was 16.4%, according to the study.

The city was also assigned a "livability" score of 81, one of the highest in the study, partly based on data shared by AreaVibes.

AreaVibes gives Spokane high marks for its cost of living, "shorter than average" commutes, and access to health care and hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors' offices.

"The arts and culture scene in Spokane is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries," according to AreaVibes. "The Fox Theater and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Spokane provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home."

The median price of a home in Spokane County, which includes Spokane, was $437,300 in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a report from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington.

Is Tacoma a good place to retire?

The study calculated Tacoma's average monthly expenses at $1,819. Its population of people 65 and older stands at 14.6%.

With a livability score of 78, AreaVibes noted that Tacoma's proximity to Seattle and Olympia contributes to its place as a "cultural and economic hub" in the region.

"Prestigious institutions like the University of Washington Tacoma contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community," according to AreaVibes. "The arts and culture scene in Tacoma is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries."

Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County, where the median price of a home was $571,800 in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to theWashington Center for Real Estate Research report.

What are the top 50 cheapest places to retire across America?

Contributing: Carly Sauvageau and Ginnie Sandoval, USA TODAY Network.

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