Letters to the Editor: School Board Testimonies on Levy & Controversial Book

Oct 15, 2025

In the voter’s pamphlet for the Highline School Levy that advocates for a “yes” vote, it states that funds are needed for “day-to-day operations” and to “keep the lights on.” This has all the appearance of the use of fear to motivate votes. 

Highline voters are in favor of fully funding education, as am I; however, when we see how tax dollars are actually being used, major alarms go off. 

The 2024 salary of Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson was around $204,000 a year. That sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider he's responsible for governing the entire state of Washington, it makes sense. However, according to the 2024 gov.salaries.com, it shows over 20 Highline central administrators making more than the governor! But that’s not all. The superintendent is making over $339,000 a year, which is over $134,000 more than our Washington State governor!

This may make sense if Highline were one of the highest-performing school districts in our state. But when compared to all the other Washington State districts, Highline is near the bottom in all state tests.

The average individual income of Burien residents is less than $52,000 a year, according to an internet search assistant, and yet these residents are being asked to fund exorbitant salaries with poor outcomes. The school board must develop fiscal responsibility as well as compassion for our over-taxed working families, and go back to the drawing board to cut excessive spending as well as direct money to the classroom.

Thank you. 

-Patricia Bailey

Oct 15, 2025

Good evening, Directors. Today, I learned of an urgent issue requiring me to preempt my original testimony. The issue is a pornographic assignment for 9th graders at Evergreen High School. The assignment is “The Book of Unknown Americans.” It appears to be a mediocre story of immigration, poverty, and romance, seeking a higher profile by including depictions of anal sex, oral sex, f-bombs, and a description of rape by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The author and publisher have the right to produce this, but many of your constituents do not believe the district should allocate funds and library space for a book such as this. To make it required reading for 14 and 15-year-olds, and to be read aloud in class, is beyond the pale.

As I have previously mentioned, over 50% of Highline’s students are three years or more behind academically. For many of these students, this will be the very first novel they have ever read. When there is a wealth of excellent literature available, why should their first novel be a mediocre one with pornographic elements? For poverty, hardship, and oppression, they could read The Grapes of Wrath. For tragedy, immigration, and hardship, they could read Esperanza Rising. For idealism vs. reality, they could read Don Quixote. For romance, they could read the novels of Jane Austen.

We can reasonably disagree on priorities, methods, and even values, but this is something about which we should have unity.

If you have any decency, you will order Superintendent Duran to remove this pornographic book from the syllabus and the required reading list for 9th graders.

-Alex Myrick

Good Evening, Board Members. My name is Wendy Butzerin, and I am a parent living in the Highline district. I’m deeply concerned about the district's lack of transparency regarding curriculum. 

Parents need to be able to trust their schools. 

Local media reported this week about an Evergreen High School father, whose 9th grader was assigned a book called The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. He also reported that the book was read aloud in class. 

While intended to broaden cultural understanding, the fictional story centers around a migrant family from Mexico and includes explicit content about a 15-year-old girl being raped by an immigration agent. 

Frankly, I would find that book very uncomfortable to read out loud, and even if I WAS willing…. according to public testimony norms and rules, I cannot read anything that is “abusive, obscene or indecent” because students may be listening. I can only imagine the extreme discomfort felt by the 9th graders.

Not all parents of 14 and 15-year-olds would be on board with the sexual content or the delicate subject matter of the book. 

How are parents expected to make informed decisions about what their children are reading in class or discuss it at home with them, if they aren’t properly informed of the explicit sexual nature?

The District publicly defended the book and shared the syllabus disclaimer:

“Some of the materials used may contain explicit or sensitive content such as profanity and/or violence. All materials will be age-, grade-, and subject-appropriate.” Sexual content alert is not included in the disclaimer. 

Yes, The Book of Unknown Americans is a fictional novel, but if I were a 14-year-old girl, this narrative would carry the same emotional weight as a true story. 

How does this book affect girls who have a history of abuse or rape? 

I respectfully urge the Board to direct the Instructional Materials Committee to seek alternatives to trauma-inducing content and to ensure transparency with families by clearly communicating what the materials include. 

Please help parents trust their schools again.

-Wendy Butzerin