Community feedback will help shape district priorities and upcoming budget decisions
February 9, 2026 at 5:45 p.m. at Madrona Elementary in SeaTac is the final opportunity for community members to weigh in on the Highline School District’s strategic plan and budget discussion.
The first two meetings, held January 20 and February 3, reviewed four areas of the district’s strategic plan and asked attendees to visualize what success would look like in those areas by 2030, including creating “future headlines.”
At the February 3 session, which drew far more attendees than the January 20 meeting, District Chief Financial Officer Jackie Bryan presented the need to cut $8 million—about two percent of the district’s budget—in the coming school year.
Highline’s Strategic Plan Goals
- Culture of Belonging: A culture where all are welcome, valued and safe.
- Innovative Learning: Academic experiences that engage, empower and challenge every student.
- Bilingual and Biliterate: Multicultural skills that enable students to live, work and communicate across cultures.
- Future Ready: Students explore possibilities and develop mindsets that prepare them for a changing future.
According to the district, meeting attendees can expect:
- A brief overview of the strategic plan and why it is being updated
- A brief update on the district budget
- A clear explanation of what feedback the district is seeking
- Structured opportunities to share feedback and perspectives
In an earlier story, we suggested that the district host an online session for the community and make presentation slides available online. In response, Tove Tupper, Director of Communications for Highline, shared the district’s news article on the engagement sessions, which includes the Engagement Session Slide Deck. The district has no plans to hold a live, online community session.
Ms. Tupper added:
“This is a focused refinement process rather than a full strategic plan update.
“The goals and priority areas are not changing. The engagement is centered on gathering feedback about the outcomes our Highline community expects so we can update our measures and implementation accordingly.
“In addition to the three family sessions, we are gathering input through three staff sessions and conversations with existing advisory groups, including the Family Action Committee, Community Partnerships Roundtable and the Superintendent Student Leadership Team. We will also hold targeted student engagement sessions during the school day and targeted staff focus groups to broaden participation. And of course, we also have a ThoughtExchange.”
Online Feedback Opportunity
Community members may also participate through a ThoughtExchange survey, which remains open through February 13. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is shorter than previous ThoughtExchanges because participants are not asked to rate others’ comments.
Feb. 9 Meeting Details
February 9 | 5:45–7:15 p.m.
Madrona Elementary School
20301 32nd Avenue South, SeaTac
Here’s a link to Madrona in Google Maps.
