Capital Facilities Committee Backs $615 Million Highline Bond to Rebuild Remaining Three Middle Schools

The Highline Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) has voted to recommend a $615.4 million school bond to the Highline School Board, focused on rebuilding and modernizing key schools across the district.

The proposal, if approved, could appear on the November 2026 ballot, alongside a $48 million technology levy.

The recommended bond package includes:

• Sylvester Middle School – Replacement
• Cascade Middle School – Replacement at Salmon Creek site
• Chinook Middle School – Partial rebuild and modernization
• Southern Heights site – Partial rebuild and modernization for CHOICE Academy, RTP, and CBS programs
• Hilltop Elementary School – Initial design and required maintenance
• Valley View Early Learning Center – Initial design and required maintenance
• Critical needs – Districtwide maintenance and repairs

Total: $615.4 million

Committee members said the larger package was the most complete option, addressing all three remaining middle schools in the district.

Eighteen (18) of the 21 committee members voted in favor of this bond recommendation. Only 3 of the 21 voting members supported a smaller bond, citing concerns about taxpayer overload.

Meeting Held After Earlier Deadlock

The committee met March 30, 2026, at the Puget Sound Skills Center Health Sciences building. The extra meeting followed a March 9 session where members could not agree on a recommendation.

At the final meeting, members reviewed four bond packages ranging from $455 million to $615 million before selecting the largest option that included all three middle schools.

Meeting Transparency

The March 30 meeting was audio recorded, but no video recording was made, even though it was held at a public facility. The room was arranged in one large round table so all members could hear the full discussion, rather than splitting into breakout groups.

Highline Public Schools does not consistently provide video recordings for all district meetings, especially when meetings are held at the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC), including this session and most board retreats.

By contrast, the Burien City Council recently held a nine hour retreat at the same PSSC campus and recorded the full meeting on video.

Who Was in the Room

A total of 21 voting members were present for the final vote. Ten were appointed to represent advocacy groups, unions, construction, or school related interests. Eleven were community members were selected through a public lottery.

Community Voices Limited

At least 10 additional community members, many connected to efforts to preserve the Shark Garden at the Salmon Creek site, attended to observe and record the proceedings. There was no opportunity for public comment, so they shared several informational handouts with community members.

Many had previously submitted concerns about moving Cascade Middle School to the Salmon Creek site, including the loss of the Shark Garden and whether a large middle school would fit the site.

According to district's community feedback, 81 percent of responses supported keeping the garden in place.

Shark Garden proponents had provided written materials to the district ahead of the meeting. However, that information was not distributed to committee members in advance. During the meeting, district staff downplayed the group's information sheets, described the materials as “not vetted.”

Unexpected Change for Elected Official

Normandy Park Deputy Mayor Sue-Ann Hohimer, who attended, spoke, and voted at CFAC meetings for nearly three years, was abruptly skipped over during the meeting, but apparently no one had warned her in advance.

District Communications Chief Tove Tupper explained to the confused committee members and attendees that Hohimer was barred from voting - or even commenting - because she was an elected official. The deputy mayor was caught off guard, but she smiled and stated, "I was prepared..."

Cost and Decision Making related to Cascade Rebuild at Salmon Creek

A key factor was cost. Rebuilding Cascade middle school at its current site was estimated to cost $46 million more than relocating it to Salmon Creek.

In response to the community pushback, Superintendent Ivan Durán reminded attendees that the Shark Garden was initially created as part of New Start (now Innovation Heights). He acknowledged that while the district deeply values the garden, ultimately “this is the property that we own... and we need the property for a building in this situation... we need to prioritize our students."

The majority of CFAC members agreed that delaying projects would create a higher burden on taxpayers in the future, so they opted for a bond package that included all three middle schools.

What Happens Next

The $615 million recommendation is the largest school bond proposal in district history. Voters approved a $518 million bond in 2022 and a levy replacement in 2025.

If approved by the board, voters will decide this November whether to support the largest bond proposal in district history.