Editorials
Highline parent and employee advocate Kristen Price posted the following on Facebook at 1:01 p.m. on October 28, 2026:
“Received this in the email box set up to provide a safe space for educators negatively impacted by Highline Public Schools. Sharing for visibility into just how broken things are. Yes for Highline any insight you have would be welcomed!”
Price asked the district when it planned to go public. Two hours later, at 3:01 p.m., the district sent a message to families and posted an announcement on the district website.
The anonymous comment (confirmed by Price that it was written by Highline resident) about Maritime High School’s proposed closure appears in full below.
Hello,
I am writing as a deeply concerned citizen demanding immediate answers, transparency, and accountability regarding the decision to close Maritime High School.
How does a school that was just awarded GOLD for Best Trade/Technical School in The Seattle Times' 2026 Best in the PNW competition, with a principal recently nominated for Principal of the Year, suddenly find itself facing closure?
Something is not adding up, and the community deserves answers.
Maritime High School represents more than a building. It represents opportunity, innovation, career pathways, community partnerships, and a commitment to preparing young people for their futures. Families, educators, donors, and community partners have invested their time, resources, and trust into this school.
Yet, decisions of this magnitude appear to be happening behind closed doors, with little public explanation or meaningful community engagement.
Even more troubling is the uncertainty surrounding the school's dedicated educators and staff. How is it acceptable that a principal receiving recognition for outstanding leadership, alongside teachers and staff who have helped build this award-winning school, face displacement without guaranteed reassignment?
And most importantly, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?
What happens to the students who chose Maritime High School because of its unique educational opportunities? What happens to their academic pathways, industry connections, internships, relationships, and sense of belonging? Who is advocating for them while decisions are being made about their futures?
The Board of Educators has a responsibility to provide oversight, ask difficult questions, and ensure district leadership is accountable to the students, families, employees, and taxpayers it serves.
I am demanding that the Board publicly address the following:
Why is Maritime High School being closed, and what evidence supports this decision?
What alternatives were explored before deciding to close the school?
When were families, staff, donors, and community partners meaningfully included in the decision-making process?
What protections and reassignment opportunities will be provided to the principal, teachers, and staff?
What specific plan is in place to protect students' educational opportunities and ensure they do not suffer because of this decision?
Will the Board hold a public meeting specifically addressing this closure and allow the community to demand answers directly from district leadership?
The potential educational, legal, financial, and community consequences of this decision cannot simply be brushed aside.
An award-winning school should not disappear without a transparent explanation. A recognized principal and dedicated staff should not be left in professional uncertainty. And students should NEVER be an afterthought.
The community deserves more than silence. It deserves honesty, transparency, accountability, and leadership willing to answer difficult questions publicly.
Highline Public Schools Board, the community is watching. The students are counting on you. What are you going to do about it?
Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen
[Note From the Editor: Letters to the Editor reflect the views of their authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Highline Journal. Bolding, highlights, images, and links were provided by the author.]
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