What we do
We know that great schools make safe and thriving communities.
Yes for Highline is a community-led committee of parents, community members, staff, alumni and local business owners who want strong schools in Highline. We work together to support passage of school construction bonds and operating levies for Highline Public Schools.
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Highline Public Schools encompasses Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac and White Center. We want the children in our community to have the same educational opportunities as children in other communities.
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We all benefit when local schools are strong.
Who we are
We are parents, community members, staff, alumni and local business owners who want strong schools in Highline.
For a long time we were known as Highline Citizens for Schools, but officially rebranded ourselves as Yes for Highline to more accurately represent the diverse community coalition we are building in support of our schools.
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Meet our campaign leaders
Megan Gibbard
Co-Chair
Mika Sundberg
Co-Chair
Recent Successes
2022 Construction Bond
What we did together
The $518 million construction bond will rebuild three schools and and fund critical improvements across Highline while keeping taxes stable.
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Rebuild Evergreen High School
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Rebuild Tyee High School
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Rebuild Pacific Middle School
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Replenish the capital fund for emergency repairs
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Roofing, painting, carpeting, heating/ventilation or other improvements/repairs
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Sylvester Middle School synthetic field & track
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Transportation Building L replacement
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Remodel a site for Highline Virtual Academy
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Maritime High School - district contribution
Voters approved the construction bond by 68.8%! (60% needed)
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2021 Operating Levy
What we did together
The four-year, $208.5 million levy renewed funding for educational programs so all Highline students have equitable opportunities to succeed in school, including:
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High quality instruction: Support and training our teachers and instructional assistants need to provide students with high-quality instruction
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Academic and social-emotional support for students: Counselors and social workers who support students’ social-emotional needs.
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Health and safety: Nurses and other staff not fully funded by the state ((State funding pays for only three school nurses to serve our entire district; levy funding pays for 16 more nurses who serve medically fragile students as well as general health and safety needs.)
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Student opportunities: Broad course offerings for high school students, including advanced courses
Voters approved the levy renewal by 62.5% (50% needed).
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2020 Technology Levy
What we did together
The two-year, $32.5 million levy addresses the urgent need to support students and teachers with distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic:
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Replace aging computers for students and teachers
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Ensure all students have access to internet for learning at home
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Provide training and coaching to help teachers personalize student learning using digital tools
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Upgrade cybersecurity to protect confidential student and district data
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Update classroom technology
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Voters approved the technology levy by 73.6%! (50% needed)
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2018 Operating Levy
What we did together
The $198 million levy helped closed the gap in state funding for additional staff and programs including:
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Teachers
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Support staff
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School nurses
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Counselors
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Social workers
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Special education staff
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Outdoor learning experiences at Camp Waskowitz
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Athletic programs
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Voters passed the levy renewal by 58.3% (50% needed)
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2016 Construction Bond
What we did together
The $299 million bond fixed or funded the construction of:
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New, larger Des Moines Elementary School
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New Glacier Middle School
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New Highline High School (Opening fall 2021)
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Renovated Olympic Interim Site
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Critical needs (painting, roofing, play toy tiles, and more)
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Additional classroom buildings
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Safety & security upgrades
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Initial designs for new Evergreen, Tyee and Pacific
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Voters passed the construction bond by 66.9%! (60% needed)
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