Highline Public Schools has earned a regional sustainability award for work that includes solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and energy upgrades estimated to have saved $5.1 million in utility costs since 2007, the district announced.
The district will be recognized during the Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, Nov. 8 after receiving a 2026 Zero+ Champion of Sustainability Award from McKinstry and Lumen Field. It is one of five education organizations in Washington and Oregon receiving the recognition.
The work reaches into classrooms as well as building systems. At Highline High School, students can track electricity generated by rooftop solar panels. At Tyee High School, a geothermal system beneath the athletic field helps heat and cool the building.
According to the district, new schools are using several approaches to reduce energy use and the environmental impact of construction:
- Highline High School (opened fall 2021): Students helped lead the development of a rooftop solar array. A real-time energy dashboard allows students to see how much electricity their school generates and uses.
- Evergreen High School (opened fall 2025): A three-story section is built with mass timber, a renewable material that stores carbon. The school also has solar panels, energy-efficient heating and cooling, LED lighting, and rain gardens that manage stormwater.
- Tyee High School (opened fall 2025): A geothermal system beneath the athletic field helps heat and cool the school. Solar panels and timber beams repurposed from the original Tyee building add to the building’s sustainable design.
- Pacific Middle School (under construction): More than 140 geothermal wells will help heat and cool the new school using the Earth’s relatively constant underground temperature. The school is scheduled to open in 2027.
Highline has also spent nearly 20 years improving existing schools through heating and cooling upgrades, LED lighting and building controls, according to the district.
Energy engineers at McKinstry calculated the estimated $5.1 million in utility savings from those projects since 2007. The district said it has also secured more than $1.4 million in grants and incentives for energy efficiency planning and projects.
Highline participates in Puget Sound Energy’s Commercial Strategic Energy Management program, through which facilities staff monitor energy use, identify potential savings and improve building operations.
The district reported the following results from its ongoing energy management work, citing Puget Sound Energy:
- Avoided more than $2.84 million in utility costs.
- Received more than $366,000 in utility incentives.
- Reduced electricity consumption by 13.9% since 2021.
- Reduced natural gas use by more than 26% since 2021.
McKinstry and Lumen Field created the awards to recognize organizations making progress in sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, according to the district.
