LETTER: Residents question feasibility of proposed Cascade Middle School site at Salmon Creek

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by verified residents. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]

We are a group of parents, neighbors, gardeners, and community members asking the Highline School Board to reconsider using the Salmon Creek site for Cascade Middle School and instead evaluate rebuilding Cascade at the existing, school-ready Evergreen High School campus with updated facilities.

Community members have repeatedly attempted to provide lot data, site analysis, and direct feedback to district leadership. A petition requesting reconsideration of the Salmon Creek site has also gathered more than 300 signatures, reflecting continued concern from residents seeking additional review of the proposal: Petition · Urge Highline school board to reconsider using the Salmon Creek site for Cascade – Burien, United States · Change.org 

At the heart of this issue is the future of the Community Shark Garden, a well-established community garden that has served local families for more than a decade. The garden is far more than planting beds—it provides fresh produce to the community and local food bank, environmental education, cultural connection, mental health benefits, and an important gathering place for families, seniors, and children. In North Burien, an area already identified as highly impacted on Washington State’s Environmental Health Disparities Map and a community with limited accessible green space, its loss would be especially significant.  See more about the impact of the Shark Garden here: Shark_Garden_One_Page_Summary.pdf 

While the district has stated that the garden could be relocated, public updates shared by the garden and posted on its website indicate that the proposed alternative locations are not feasible due to site limitations. Community members also question whether a long-established ecosystem—including mature plants, developed soil systems, and pollinator habitat—can realistically be relocated without significant loss.

Under the district’s current proposal, taxpayer funds would be used to demolish the Community Shark Garden—representing more than $1 million in community investment—and replace it with a turf soccer field and parking lot while introducing substantially increased vehicle traffic onto a dead-end residential street directly across from a neighborhood park. For many residents, this raises concerns about environmental impacts, neighborhood safety, and long-term community benefit. To date, residents say no publicly available traffic study or parking analysis has demonstrated that the proposed circulation pattern, limited site access, or parking capacity would be sufficient to support a middle school campus of this scale.

However, concerns extend far beyond the garden itself.

Many residents are questioning whether the Salmon Creek property is an appropriate or feasible location for a middle school. Based on publicly available district information, the site appears to be among the smallest school properties in the district—smaller than most existing elementary schools and significantly smaller than comparable middle school campuses. This raises serious questions about long-term student capacity, traffic flow, safe access, recreation space, emergency access, and whether the site can adequately support the needs of a modern middle school for decades to come. Community members have also questioned why the district’s long-term planning did not appear to preserve or incorporate adequate space for a future Cascade Middle School rebuild at the existing Evergreen campus, particularly given that Cascade has long shared facilities and infrastructure with Evergreen High School and the need for a replacement school was foreseeable.

In addition, publicly available site plans have raised concerns among residents about feasibility. Community members reviewing the plans question whether aspects of the proposal meet development and siting requirements, including sufficient on-site parking and building placement near neighboring homes. These concerns have led many residents to question whether the plans presented to the public realistically reflect what could ultimately be approved or built. Further increasing concern, Highline has confirmed that traffic studies, site feasibility analysis, and parking studies would not occur until after a bond is approved and a formal land use review is submitted. As a result, many residents feel they are being asked to support a major public investment before critical questions about safety, traffic, access, and site viability have been fully evaluated.

Perhaps most concerning is the growing perception that public feedback has not meaningfully influenced the process. During the district’s ThoughtExchange survey, more than 200 participants expressed concerns or opposition related to the Salmon Creek proposal, citing issues including site feasibility, neighborhood impacts, traffic and safety concerns, and the loss of community assets. Multiple highly ranked comments questioned the decision to move Cascade from its existing campus near Evergreen High School, where facilities and infrastructure are already shared.

Below are just a few community thought exchange submissions to the district and CFAC committee:

•  #1 (4.2 stars): Rebuilding schools on the same site is one thing. Moving a school to a completely NEW location requires additional planning & considerations. Neighborhood members should have a say in a huge project that will impact their quality of life, housing, and traffic/commute.
• #2 (4.2 stars): Leave Cascade MS in current location to utilize shared facilities with Evergreen HS. Making twice the fields and parking is not efficient land use.
• #3 (4.1 stars): Cascade MS currently shares a campus w/EHS that was recently rebuilt. It would be helpful to know how relocating the MS aligns w/responsible planning. Those schools share circulation space, access flexibility, and operational advantages that a constrained residential site does NOT.

Despite this feedback, the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) ultimately moved forward with recommending the proposal. Community concern increased further after the proposed bond amount reportedly increased by approximately $100 million during the final CFAC meeting before recommendations moved to the School Board, despite prior public messaging that relocating Cascade to the Salmon Creek site would save taxpayers approximately $44 million. Many residents are left questioning whether public input has been meaningfully incorporated into the process.

Many of us strongly support investing in new schools and improved educational facilities. This is not opposition to modernization or investment in students. Rather, we believe the public deserves a closer examination of whether this specific site is truly viable and whether community concerns are being adequately addressed before irreversible decisions are made.

With June 3 representing one of the final opportunities for the School Board to determine whether this proposal should move forward to the November ballot, we encourage concerned residents, parents, and community members to attend the meeting, provide public comment, and email School Board members directly to ensure community voices are heard. Before taxpayers are asked to support this proposal, we believe critical questions regarding feasibility, safety, environmental impacts, and long-term planning deserve greater transparency and public scrutiny.

• Sign the petition using the QR code
• Email the School Board: SchoolBoardMembers@highlineschools.org
• Attend the School Board Meeting
  • June 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM
  • 15675 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien, WA 98166

Sincerely,
Salmon Creek Site Community Members

• Jill Stack
• Jen Ivins
• Keegan Ryan
• Emily Inlow-Hood
• Kirsten Cooper

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