Schools are the heart of our community. Children are our most precious asset and promise for the future. It’s time to renew our commitment to funding educational programs so all Highline students have equitable opportunities to succeed in school. This is not a new tax or a tax increase. 

We represent community leaders and volunteers from across Highline. We ask for your vote to approve an expiring education levy providing local funds to fill critical gaps in state and federal funding for our students’ needs.

By voting to approve this levy, you are voting “yes” to continue high-quality instruction with support and training for our teachers, academic and emotional support for our students through counselors and social workers, and funding for broad course offerings in middle and high school–including advanced courses. Renewing this levy also impacts students’ health and safety, by paying for nurses and other staff not fully funded by the state. Your approval ensures that services and programs needed by our students, now more than ever, will continue.

Vote yes to renew our promise to Highline students–to know each student by name, strength and need and prepare each one to choose their own future.

Submitted by: Mia Gregerson, Kevin Schilling, Dave Upthegrove, www.yesforhighline.org

Local property taxpayers (homeowners and renters in their rent) are maxed out. We are still facing economic instability due to Covid-19, while many parents have incurred additional education expenses such as home tutoring, or had to quit jobs to do so themselves, for the last year and a half.

In 2018, the legislature determined levies are unfair and dramatically increased state school property taxes. The Highline SD, as of 2019-2020, is already excessively spending $20,000 per student per year for operational expenditures, capital outlays, and interest on debt. More than tuition at most private schools, and all from your taxes. Total compensation for district administrators ranges from a median of $180,000 to a high of $400,000 yet 60% of the district's students are from low-income families.

Currently, our nation’s school districts are flush with federal Covid-19 relief cash. Most are still trying to decide what to do with all the extra money. They don’t need to ask taxpayers for more. The district needs to respect hardworking taxpayers, stick to a budget, and continually reduce overhead and waste. Stop taxing people out of their homes.

The district needs to act frugally, starting now.

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, schooldataproj@gmail.com

One-time federal dollars are for covering COVID-related costs only. They can’t be used for ongoing expenses. Levy dollars sustain operating expenses and student support until 2027. Levy failure will mean staff lay-offs and cuts that harm students.

Highline has a track record for good stewardship of tax dollars and balanced budgets. This is not a tax increase. Investing in schools benefits everyone in our community. Vote to approve.

Submitted by: Mia Gregerson, Kevin Schilling, Dave Upthegrove, www.yesforhighline.org

The Highline SD is misleading voters and confusing themselves. This levy is a new tax and is a tax increase. The previous 4 year levy was for $177M. This new levy, as of this writing, 8/11/21, is advertised on the district's website for $208M. But what will be on the November ballot is $268M. Using arithmetic, that is a 51% increase.

Vote no to overspending and to the lack of transparency.

Submitted by: Jeff Heckathorn, schooldataproj@gmail.com

Download the full text of the resolution

Simple majority (Wash. Const. art. VII, §2(a)) 

For questions about this measure, contact: Kate Davis, Chief Financial Officer, (206) 631-3079, Kate.Davis@HighlineSchools.org