Highline board votes to place replacement levy on November ballot and adopts 2025–26 budget

The Highline Public Schools Board of Directors voted unanimously to place a four‑year replacement educational programs and operations levy on the Nov. 4, 2025, King County ballot and to adopt the district's 2025–26 budget.

Board members approved the levy placement during their July meeting after a series of public comments both urging and critiquing the district's request. In the same meeting the board approved the 2025–26 budget by roll call vote, also 5–0.

Supporters told the board the levy is essential to preserve counselors, safety staff, extracurriculars and other programs not fully funded by the state. Mika Sundberg, identified as a parent and chair of Yes for Highline, said, "This levy is absolutely essential to our kids' education. It helps fund the programs and people our students count on every day, from mental health counselors and safety staff to classroom technology and school supplies." Several students and parents described classroom and extracurricular experiences they said would be at risk without local funding.

Opponents and some concerned community members raised questions about district spending decisions, administrative staffing and past uses of federal pandemic relief funds. Melissa Petrini, a former school board director, criticized the use of ESSER funds and questioned whether some emergency dollars were treated as ongoing budget support; she said the district had used more than $84 million in COVID relief and called attention to what she described as $15 million of that being effectively used for ongoing expenses.

Chief Financial Officer Jackie Bryant told the board and the public that levy proceeds are designed to fill the gap between state funding and district needs. Bryant said levies historically make up "approximately 15% of our operating budget" and explained the legal distinction between levies (for operating expenses) and bonds (for capital). She outlined program areas the 2027–2030 levy is intended to cover, including college and career access positions, health services staff, safety and security positions, custodial and maintenance staff, athletics (which the district funds entirely), and roughly $11 million in operating costs paced to increase with utilities and insurance.

Bryant also walked through the state formula for levy collection, noting the district uses either a per‑pupil amount (adjusted for inflation) or a rate tied to assessed value, whichever produces the smaller tax. She said the district used "high" enrollment projections when drafting ballot language to preserve the ability to collect funds if enrollment rises, while the four‑year budget uses more conservative "medium" projections.

On the budget, Bryant said the district is entering 2025–26 with an unassigned fund balance of about 7% (board minimum is 3%) and a clean audit that included federal ESSER funds and other federal programs. She emphasized year‑over‑year increases in the budget result largely from inflationary adjustments, negotiated salary increases and other standard pressures.

The board voted by roll call to adopt the levy resolution (as read at the meeting) and to approve the 2025–26 budget; both measures passed 5–0.

The levy placement now moves to the Nov. 4, 2025, King County ballot; a successful approval by voters will authorize the district to collect the local levy described in the resolution. The district posted levy and budget documents referenced at the meeting on its website and invited community members to review the interactive budget book for more detail.