Highline Public Schools is inviting community input as it refines the implementation of its strategic plan and prepares for $8 million in budget reductions for the 2026–27 school year.
Like many districts across Washington and the nation, Highline is navigating funding challenges as state funding has not kept pace with rising costs. Thanks to disciplined financial decisions over many years, Highline remains financially stable today. To maintain that stability, leaders must plan reductions as they develop the upcoming school year budget.
Recent polling shows strong community support for Highline’s overall strategic direction. Highline does not anticipate changing its four strategic goals, priority areas or the Highline Promise. Instead, the focus is on how the plan is implemented, and how progress is measured in ways that are clear, meaningful and accessible to families and the community.
Highline is gathering input from families, students, staff, and the broader community through ThoughtExchange.
The ThoughtExchange is open through Feb. 13, 2026, and takes about five minutes. Participants will be asked to:
- Share input on what success should look like in schools.
- Share input on budget priorities as Highline aligns reduced resources with its goals.
- Provide feedback on the engagement platform so Highline can improve future outreach.
Highline is using a newer version of the platform that includes built-in tools to help organize themes and summarize feedback for review.
Highline is also hosting in-person engagement sessions specifically for families, students and staff. These sessions will include a brief overview of the strategic plan update and the 2026-27 budget outlook, plus structured opportunities to share feedback. Families and staff can find session details through school communication.
Community members who are not Highline families, students or staff are encouraged to participate through the ThoughtExchange, open to everyone through Feb. 13.
