Highline Public Schools has launched a district-wide initiative to gather community feedback as it prepares to navigate a projected $8 million budget reduction for the 2026–27 school year. While the district remains financially stable due to years of disciplined fiscal management, leaders are taking proactive steps to address a growing gap between rising operational costs and state funding, which has failed to keep pace.
Strategic Goals Remain Constant Amid Financial Shifts
Despite the looming budget cuts, district leaders do not anticipate altering Highline’s four core strategic goals, its priority areas, or the foundational "Highline Promise". Recent polling indicates that the community continues to show strong support for the district's overall direction.
Instead, the current focus is on refining how the strategic plan is implemented and ensuring that progress is measured in ways that are transparent and accessible to the public. The district is specifically seeking insight on:
• What success should look like within individual schools.
• How to align reduced resources with existing educational goals.
• How to improve future outreach efforts by evaluating the current engagement platform.
Multiple Pathways for Community Participation
To ensure a broad range of perspectives, Highline is utilizing ThoughtExchange, an online feedback platform open to all community members through February 13. This year, the district is using an updated version of the tool that features built-in analysis capabilities to help summarize and organize community themes for review.
In addition to digital outreach, Highline is hosting in-person engagement sessions specifically designed for students, staff, and families. These sessions provide a detailed overview of the 2026-27 budget outlook and offer structured opportunities for attendees to share their priorities directly with district leadership.
Community members who are not currently students, staff, or parents are strongly encouraged to participate via the ThoughtExchange link, which takes approximately five minutes to complete. Highline officials emphasize that this feedback is vital to maintaining financial stability while continuing to deliver on the district's educational commitments
