by Tommy Butzerin.
Highline’s board praised clean audit results but faced parent frustration over late buses, levy worries, and persistent gaps in student outcomes.
Audit Results Shared Before Meeting Began
Just before the September 17 board meeting officially started, President Joe Van enthusiastically reported back from a fresh state auditor’s session held at 4:30 p.m. that same day. Although complaints have been filed alleging open public meetings violations and the handling of an employee’s FERPA violations, the auditors did not raise those issues in their remarks. The full report is expected in about a week, and any additional findings will be reported then. For now, Van emphasized that Highline received clean accountability results and thanked both the auditors and district staff for their diligence.
Opening Business
Once the meeting was called to order, Vice President Stephanie Tidholm proposed moving agenda items 8.2, 8.3, and 8.5 into the consent agenda, which the board approved unanimously. President Van also requested that item 6.3, the personnel report, be voted on separately due to his conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements & Celebrations
The evening’s acknowledgements reflected both pride and community spirit. Vice President Tidholm opened with a video spotlighting the district’s mariachi program. Jackie Bryant followed with updates on the grand openings of the new Tyee and Evergreen High Schools. Public will be invited to visit the new schools on October 7 and October 9.
She also shared a rap video created by an Evergreen math teacher to welcome students and celebrate Evergreen school pride. The song emphasized student resilience and focus on academics.
Board Member Comments
Board members offered brief personal updates. Director Angelica Alvarez noted her children’s first days of kindergarten and high school. Director Damarys Espinoza encouraged families to join the Superintendent’s Family Action Committee. Director Blaine Holien highlighted progress on capital projects, including the Pacific building’s geothermal and all-electric design.
Vice President Stephanie Tidholm invited families to the Tyee High School grand opening, proudly mentioned her son’s mariachi participation, and added pointedly: “Nobody is illegal on stolen land.”
President Joe Van referenced his niece’s enrollment in Highline and congratulated the 2025 All-Star Educators recognized at a Seattle Storm game.
Union & Community Voices
Highline Education Association President Jeb Binns delivered a sharp address, stressing the urgent need for more paraeducators and reaffirming protections for immigrant families. He insisted posters outlining the district’s ICE response policies must be visible in every school: “If you want to put the sign up in your school in the place you want it, go ahead and do it, otherwise I will just show up and post it for you.”
Public comments highlighted serious parental concerns. Families described students arriving late nearly every day due to unreliable buses, long waits at stops, and missed instructional time. Some called the situation unsafe; others described the academic toll. Additional concerns included parents not being informed about students’ gender transitions and widespread reluctance to send children to Cascade Middle School.
A kindergartner presented a short statement on why she enjoys school and also that there is very little misbehavior in her class. She forgot to mention that her statement was meant to promote the upcoming levy, so an adult said that for her.
A Highline Schools levy will be on the November ballot, but even young potential parents who support the levy during public comment expressed concerns about the current state of the school district.
Policy & Decisions
When voting began, President Van abstained from the personnel report due to his conflict of interest. Most other items passed quickly under the consent agenda.
One exception, a revision to Board Policy 3210 on nondiscrimination, was explained by Holly Ferguson, the district’s Chief Policy & Strategy Officer, and passed unanimously. Specifically, protections have been extended to “ethnicity”, “homeless, immigration or citizenship status”, and “neurodivergence”.
Introduction items included:
- 10.1 – A motion to sell unused district land. Jackie Bryant explained that because the district could not secure surrounding parcels, the land could not be used for schools. She framed the sale as fiscally responsible.
- 10.2 – Updated salary schedules, which received little discussion.
Transportation Concerns and Electric Bus Debate
Transportation was a dominant theme of the evening. Parents in public comment described unreliable buses leaving children tardy nearly every day, cutting into instructional time and raising safety risks.
Later, transportation came up again during the final introduction item, 10.3, when district employee Claire presented a proposal to purchase 11 new school buses. She explained that Highline’s fleet currently consists of 66 diesel, 15 propane, and 8 electric buses. The district intends to expand propane use over time as a step toward reducing emissions.
Director Holien asked pointed questions about the cost of new buses and how the district decides on the balance of bus types. Claire was unable to provide a cost figure. Regarding styles, she explained that the lack of infrastructure prevents Highline from operating a larger electric fleet; electric buses have limitations that confine them to shorter routes than diesel or propane buses.
Despite these challenges, Director Espinoza pushed for accelerating the shift to electric vehicles, arguing the district should take stronger steps for environmental reasons.
The meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.
