[NOTE FROM EDITOR: Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Highline Journal or Daniel Media. If you wish to submit a story, photo, article, or letter, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.]
Kirsten Cooper, a Highline alumna and parent who volunteers at New Start Shark Garden and Maritime High School, spoke publicly at Highline School Board meeting on March 18, 2026. She submitted her full testimony for publication:
Good evening Board of Directors and Superintendent,
My name is Kirsten Cooper. I am a Highline School District alumna, a parent of a special-needs student in the district, and a resident of North Burien.
I’m speaking tonight on behalf of hundreds of community members who participated in the recent thought exchange regarding the proposed relocation of Cascade Middle School. Eighty-one percent (81%) of respondents opposed relocating the school to the Salmon Creek site and supported keeping the New Start Community Garden in its current location.
The New Start Community Garden—also known as Shark Garden, named after the former school mascot—is a 1.6-acre community space that supports 76 culturally diverse local families growing food for households. Each year, volunteers grow more than 1,000 pounds of fresh produce for the White Center Food Bank. In a neighborhood identified as having some of the highest environmental health disparities in our state, this space is not a luxury—it is an essential community resource.
The Shark Garden also offers a ready-made outdoor learning environment. In many ways, it’s like a mini Waskowitz right in your own backyard—a place where students can experience hands-on, place-based learning without leaving their community. Given the site’s small size and the established presence of the garden, it may be better suited to a choice school, such as Big Picture.
Additionally, this proposal raises important questions about equity for Cascade students. For decades, Cascade Middle School has operated on a large 41 acre shared campus with access to full-size athletic fields and outdoor learning space. Those facilities are in the final stages of being rebuilt and upgraded to modern standards.
Relocating approximately 650 to 700 middle school students to a significantly smaller 6.6 acre site without room for even one regulation-size field represents a major reduction in space.
It also means losing access to facilities their community has recently invested in for them.
What message then are we sending to those students and families about how they are valued? Are they not good enough to benefit from that beautiful new campus?
These two issues are connected. It’s not just about school building placement; it is about how we value student experience, community health, and long-standing partnerships.
I respectfully request that the board ask the CFAC [Capital Facilities Advisory Committee] to revisit the option of rebuilding Cascade at its current site and to work toward a solution that protects both equitable student facilities and the community assets that already serve this neighborhood.
Thank you for your time and your service.
-Kirsten Cooper
[NOTE FROM EDITOR: If you wish to submit a story, photo, article or letter, please email us at [email protected] Even if you wish to remain anonymous, please include your name and phone number so we may contact you privately. We look forward to hearing from you.]
Additional photos of Shark Garden activities, submitted by author and garden volunteer, Kirsten Cooper.
