News

We’re standing strong in our values—belonging, inclusion and safety for every student and staff member. Read how we’re moving forward, together.

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. Always use the main entrance to enter the school.

Meet Jill Wilson, a Highline social worker helping students feel safe, seen and supported—one conversation at a time.

Highline students are gaining real-world skills through hands-on programs in construction and health care. Core Plus Construction trains students in building trades with industry certifications, while Tyee High School’s new Health Sciences Program, launching fall 2025, prepares students for medical careers with clinical training and mentorship.

Students must be registered and cleared in FinalForms before the first day of practice. Tryouts begin on day one for many sports, so don’t miss your chance to join a team. Physicals are required and must be current within the last two years.

Classrooms turned into career hubs during Chinook Middle School’s 7th-Grade Career Expo. Representatives from the FAA, Port of Seattle, City of Burien, and more shared what it’s like to work in their industries.

Highline Schools Foundation is investing in the future of our students. Forty-two graduating seniors across Highline received scholarships totaling $349,750. 

We want to hear from you! Please take 10 to 20 minutes to complete our Family Engagement Survey, open now through May 30.

Highline teachers do more than teach—they build trust, spark learning and help students believe in themselves. This week, we honor all Highline educators and extend a heartfelt thank you for bringing our promise to life each day—in every school, every classroom and every lesson.  

Step into the Chinook Middle School library and discover a vibrant hub of curiosity and connection. At the heart is librarian Josi Hodge, whose passion for reading drives a bold vision for literacy. Students tell the story best. See how the Chinook library is shaping how students read and grow.

Spring brings warmer weather but also seasonal allergies and colds. Knowing when to keep your child home — and when they’re okay to attend — helps protect learning time. Missing just two days a month adds up! Whether excused or unexcused, absences can impact progress. 

ParentVUE and ParentSquare are two important tools families can use to support their student’s success in school. Each one has a different purpose—and both are helpful

We are launching the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) on April 14 to ensure clear, consistent safety communication. SRP outlines five actions—Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter—and replaces vague terms with precise steps. Families will receive timely updates and instructions through email, text, phone, or app.

We are launching the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) on April 14 to improve school safety and emergency communication. The SRP includes five clear actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Watch the student training video to learn how we respond in each situation.

We want to provide an update to the ransomware attack we experienced last fall. After a thorough forensic investigation and a labor-intensive review, we have determined that certain files containing personal information were accessed by an unauthorized actor. The forensic investigation was conducted by a third-party expert and took several months to complete. 

At Gregory Heights Elementary, fifth-grader Malachi is thriving in an inclusive classroom where students of all abilities learn together. His journey from a separate special education setting to a general education classroom has sparked remarkable academic growth, deeper friendships and a powerful sense of belonging—for him and his entire school community.

Students are stepping out of the traditional classroom and into hands-on learning where math, science and language arts are taught through the lens of the construction industry. Core Plus Construction gives students real-world experience, industry certifications and a clear path to a rewarding career after graduation.

Highline’s two newest school board directors, Dr. Damarys Espinoza and Blaine Holien, were officially sworn in during a special oath of office ceremony on March 24. The event was attended by family, friends and community members. Each new director was joined by their family as they took the oath and committed to serving the students, staff and families of Highline.

In the fall, we will enter the final year of our strategic plan. We would like to hear from you. This year, we introduced four key priority areas to guide our work and investments in alignment with our strategic plan. As we develop next year’s budget and plan for the next version of our strategic plan, we want your input on how we can build on this work and allocate resources for maximum impact.

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.