“It feels like my daughters are getting a private school education in a public-school setting,” said Robert Daniels, Artina’s father, whose youngest daughter also attends the school. The Washington State Legislature had yet to define a K–12 STEM education, and voters were years away from authorizing charter schools. Students at TAF Academy aren’t grouped according to academic performance; those with academic and behavioral needs learn right alongside their classmates. The plan will bring the TAF style to Saghalie and give TAF Academy students access to more science labs, courses, and collaboration with a wider student body. “That’s where a place like TAF [Academy] comes in,” especially if it can produce results on a larger scale.