We are exploring a renewal of a capital technology levy as a continued source of local funding. This update was shared at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, March 4.
A capital technology levy is not new to the Highline community. Voters have supported a technology levy in the past to fund essential school infrastructure. In 2020, voters approved a capital technology levy with 73.64% support. That strong approval demonstrated the community’s commitment to our students and schools.
Our initial consideration is $12 million per year for four years. This amount reflects what is needed to sustain core technology systems and critical facilities infrastructure across Highline.
As we’ve shared in recent budget updates, Highline is building a balanced budget for the 2026-27 school year and will reduce spending by $8 million. Rising costs outpace state funding for public education. The state does not fully fund schools, and we do not anticipate additional legislative funding
School districts across Washington rely on local levies to maintain operations. Like many districts statewide, we must rely on local support to maintain essential systems.
We are gathering more information about the potential capital technology levy renewal and will share more during the Budget Board Work Session on March 18.
Thank you for staying engaged and informed as this work continues. More updates will be shared as information becomes available.
Budget Development Process
We will share clear updates throughout the year to keep staff, families, and our community informed. Here are the articles we have shared so far:
- May 2025: We outlined the impacts of the new state budget and the underfunding in special education, transportation and basic operations.
- July 2025: The School Board voted to place a levy renewal on the November ballot to help fill the gap in state funding.
- September 2025: We shared more detail about what the levy could support, including programs, services and staff not funded by the state.
- October: Superintendent Ivan Duran shared we must reduce our 2026-27 budget by $8 million to maintain long-term stability.
- November: Department leaders began reviewing budgets to identify potential reductions and efficiencies.
- December: We shared our 2026 legislative agenda, a fully funding K-12 education in Washington state
- January: We asked our community to give feedback on budget priorities as we align limited resources with our goals. We also shared enrollment projections for the 2026-27 school year.
- February: We shared the elimination of 31.5 central office positions for the 2025-26 school year.