REMINDER: Ten candidates vying for two open seats on the Highline School Board will participate in a public interview session from 4:30 to 7 p.m. this Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.

Following the resignations of board members Melissa Petrini and Azeb Hagos in January, the Highline Public Schools Board of Directors are in the process of appointing new directors for District 4 and District 5.

Petrini represented District 4, encompassing Normandy Park and parts of Des Moines and SeaTac, while Hagos represented District 5, covering the Des Moines area.

“I look forward to learning more about the candidates and their interest in serving on the Highline School Board,” said School Board President Joe Van. “The Board of Directors are committed to our Highline Promise to know every student by name, strength and need, and these two new board members will play a vital role in serving our community.”

The Board of Directors received 13 applications from community members eager to serve on the Highline School Board—eight candidates from District 4 and five candidates from District 5. Their willingness to step forward reflects a deep commitment to our schools and students.

After reviewing all applications, the board identified 10 candidates to move forward to the interview process, five for each open board seat.

Per Board Procedure 1114, if there are more than five applicants for a district, the board will select five candidates to advance to interviews “whose prior experience and expressed interest suggest that they will be most able to contribute breadth of view to the board’s deliberations as well as effectively represent a large segment of the community.”

District 4 Candidates:

Damarys Espinoza
Kenneth Kemp
Michael McCurdy
Sarah Postel
Carlos Ruiz

District 5 Candidates:

Pierre Blosse
Usame Dahir
Jeanne Dore
Chad Harper
Robert Ribaudo

Candidate interviews will take place in a public meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26. District 4 candidates will be interviewed first in alphabetical order. District 5 candidates will be interviewed second in alphabetical order.

Candidate Interviews

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025: 4:30-7 p.m.
WHERE: Central Office Board Room, 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW, Burien (map below).

The interviews will also be livestreamed and recorded.

Following the interviews, the board will deliberate and anticipate voting to appoint new board members on Mar. 5.

Newly appointed board members will be sworn in on Mar. 19 and will immediately begin their service.

The new directors for District 4 and District 5 will serve until those elected in the November 2025 election take their oaths.

“The Board of Directors are grateful to every candidate who applied for their willingness to serve. Strong community engagement is vital to Highline’s success, and we appreciate all who participated in this process,” President Van added.