News

Help us welcome our two new school board directors. Dr. Damarys Espinoza represents District 4, and Blaine Holien represents District 5. The new directors will be sworn in on Monday, March 24.

The Highline School Board will interview four candidates for two open board seats on Saturday, March 15.  

Highline Public Schools’ Board of Directors stands firm in its commitment to protecting students, staff and families regardless of background, identity or immigration status. During a standing-room-only meeting on March 5, the board unanimously approved Resolution 02-25: Our Schools, Our Promise–A Stand for Every Student. 

Highline's financial outlook remains stable due to steady student enrollment and past budget adjustments. The School Board held a work session on Wednesday, March 5 about the budget development process. The next steps for the 2025-26 budget include working with leaders on school and department budgets, additional board updates in April and May, final budget development and a public hearing in June before submission to OSPI.  

The Highline School Board is moving forward with the appointment process of two vacant board seats. During the March 5 board meeting, the board narrowed the candidate pool to three finalists for District 4. The board also voted to re-open the application window for District 5 after two candidates withdrew from the process before the first round of public interviews. 

A lottery was held on March 3, 2025 to select students for our schools and programs of Choice that require an application.

In Highline, we teach comprehensive sexual health education in alignment with state law and district policy.  FLASH (Family Life and Sexual Health) is our curriculum that meets state requirements for sexual health education, which is taught in grades 4-12. Families may opt out of any or all sexual health lessons. Attend our Family Information Night on March 31.

To make up for emergency closures—including a wind closure, a snow day and the cyber incident—the last day of school for the 2024-25 school year will be June 25 for K-12 students and June 24 for preschool students, unless additional closures occur.

We are redesigning our middle and high schools to better support every student. Through listening sessions and pilot programs, we are focusing on real-world relevance and instructional rigor. Learn how each high school is taking steps to make learning more meaningful and engaging.

Juniors, join us on March 26 for FutureU at Green River College, a field trip designed to give you a glimpse into life after high school options. Explore a world of opportunities waiting for you beyond graduation.

UPDATE: Marvista Elementary and Pacific Middle School are closed today, Tuesday, February 25 due to an ongoing power outage at the school. All other Highline schools remain on a two-hour delay. Buses will arrive at their regular stops two hours later than usual. 

Ten candidates for the two open Highline School Board seats have advanced to the public interview on Wednesday, February 26. See a list of candidates. 

Online enrollment is now open as of February 18 for new students entering grades K-12 in September.

You’re invited to explore the results of January’s ThoughtExchange on our budget development process. More than 330 ideas were shared and rated nearly 13,000 times by 360 participants. A strong majority—69%—reported having at least some knowledge of the budget development process. Check out the top themes and all submitted thoughts in our interactive report. 

At Highline, we are committed to ensuring all students, families, and staff feel welcomed, valued, and safe. As part of this commitment, we have security procedures in place to protect everyone in our buildings. The security systems, installed in spring 2024, allow office staff to see and talk to visitors before unlocking the door. 

We are piloting new materials for health for grades 6-12--and we want your input! Your voice is important as we select new instructional materials. Explore materials online and give feedback by March 7. 

Literacy is one of our Big 4 focus areas, and we’re seeing growth. Elementary students are building strong reading and writing skills, while secondary students engage with complex texts and expand their vocabulary. Secondary iReady scores show a 6% increase in students reading at grade level. Teachers use data and professional development to refine instruction, ensuring every student is prepared for their future. 

At this time, we plan to open schools on time on Friday, February 7. We are closely watching conditions. We want to remind you that if weather conditions require a two-hour delay on an early release day, school will be canceled for the day.

You are invited to an open house at the Waskowitz Outdoor Education Center on Sunday, March 16 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Due to weather and road conditions, all schools are on a two-hour delay on Thursday, February 6. Buses will stop at regular stops–two hours later than normal.  

We are expanding Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to ensure every Highline student receives the right support or enrichment to succeed. A new District MTSS Implementation Team is guiding this effort, working with focus schools to refine strategies before expanding districtwide next year. This year’s priorities include instructional planning, professional learning, and a strong emphasis on literacy. 

Students across Highline are busy reading! In the last 90 days, Highline students checked out 14,048 books using Sora, Highline’s free eBook and audiobook platform.Check out what's trending with students! Families can support a love of reading by exploring books together, listening to audiobooks, and encouraging kids to choose stories that excite them. Students can access Sora anytime through ClassLink—happy reading!

Winter weather--including windstorms--may force a change in the normal school schedule, even for students who attend virtual programs. We want you to be prepared and know where to get information.

The Highline School Board is seeking community involvement as they seek applications and nominations to fill two vacant seats on the board. Review the appointment timeline and see how you can be involved in the process. 

We are seeing an encouraging trend in student enrollment. Looking ahead, we anticipate a slight enrollment decline over the next two years, followed by growth as more housing developments are completed in our community. Our enrollment projections are critical in budget development. As we develop our budget for next year, we are seeking feedback on the most important considerations to support all students we should prioritize. Give your input today.