Four members of the Highline School Board reaffirmed their commitment to serve our students, staff, families and community after winning their November elections. Angelica Alvarez, Joe Van, Dr. Damarys Espinoza and Blaine Holien each took the oath of office during a brief ceremony this week.

Winter break is coming up, and we want to thank you for all you do to help your children show up, learn, and feel part of our school community. This time of year often includes family gatherings and travel, sometimes far from home. We honor that. We also ask that travel plans follow the school calendar when possible, so your child doesn't miss valuable learning time. 

At Highline, everything begins with one question: how do we fulfill our promise to know every student by name, strength and need, so that they graduate prepare for the future they choose?

This promise shapes how we make decisions, how we build relationships and how we show up in our schools. Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran leads with this approach, grounding our work in values that center students.  

We’ve been sharing regular updates on our work to reduce the 2026-27 budget by $8 million while maintaining long-term financial stability. This week, we are focusing on two factors that directly inform those decisions: our latest enrollment data and early insights from the Superintendent’s Advisory Leadership Team.

Student conferences offer a chance to understand your child’s progress and build a strong connection with their teacher. We share 10 helpful questions to guide your conversation—from academic growth to social well-being—so you leave with a clearer picture and ways to support learning at home.

Highline educators stepped away from their daily routine to focus on what matters most: helping every student feel valued, supported and fully included. On November 3, teachers, paraeducators and school leaders spent the day learning together about what students need to feel a strong sense of belonging at school and to be successful in their learning.  

We continue our work to develop a balanced budget for the 2026-27 school year. As shared in October, Highline will need to reduce spending by $8 million to maintain long-term financial stability. Department leaders are reviewing budgets now. We will also identify districtwide efficiencies and gather input from staff, families, students and community members. Monthly updates will be shared at School Board meetings throughout the year.

This school year, students in all grades are learning from updated health lessons that help them build healthy habits for body and mind. Check out an overview of what is being taught in elementary and secondary classrooms. Sexual health remains taught separately through FLASH. 

We are standardizing visitor check-in procedures across all Highline schools to support safety and belonging. All visitors are now consistently verified via intercom and must sign in and wear a badge. Families can help by not holding doors open. Read more about this update.

Election results are in! We are proud to share our levy is passing with overwhelming support from our community. Thank you to all voters who participated in this election.