Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

School levies fund educational programs, services and staff — filling the gap between what the state provides and what’s needed to support all students. 

Levies must be approved by local voters and typically last for a set number of years. 

The 2025 levy will renew local funding for educational programs, services, and staff that are not fully funded by the state. These funds help close the gap between what the state provides and what it actually takes to meet the needs of all Highline students. The levy makes up about 15% of Highline’s budget.  

How does the levy support students? 

Levy funds support students in several ways, including: 

• Staff and resources that ensures students, regardless of abilities and needs, are fully included and welcome in the classroom.  
• Staff and programs that support students in exploring post-secondary options, including career fairs, job shadowing, apprenticeships and college planning. 
• Counselors, mental health staff, and social workers who provide support for students’ mental and emotional health. 
• Competitive wages for teachers, paraeducators and support staff. 
• Basic operating costs such as materials, supplies, utilities, insurance and facility maintenance. 
• Classroom technology, software, and cybersecurity systems to support digital learning and protect school data. 

Yes. The levy funds 100% of college and career staff, who connect students with real-world learning opportunities, including job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships and career fairs. These staff build partnerships with local employers and help students gain hands-on experience, explore career paths, and prepare for life after high school. These critical roles are not fully funded by the state. 

Yes. Levy funds help pay for everyday operating costs like classroom supplies, utilities, facility maintenance, insurance, and technology—including cybersecurity tools to protect school data and systems. 

The state does not provide any funding for athletics. The levy pays 100% of athletic programs in Highline. This includes funding for coaches and support staff who make after-school sports possible for students. 

Highline is currently underfunded in special education by approximately $19 million for the 2025-26 school year. The state’s new budget adds $2.5 million. This is a step in the right direction—but still leaves a significant gap. In the past, we used levy dollars to help fill that gap for students receiving special education services. 

Now, a new state rule prohibits the use of local levy funds for special education. Districts are required to use basic education dollars instead. That means local levy funds must now cover more of our basic education costs—creating new funding pressures that this renewal is designed to help address.  

Levies are for learning. Bonds are for building. 

A levy provides short-term, local funding for day-to-day school operations—things like teachers, classroom support, mental health staff, technology, athletics and basic maintenance. Levies must be renewed by voters every few years. 

A bond is used to fund large, long-term investments like building new schools, modernizing old buildings, or making major safety upgrades. Bond funds are borrowed and repaid over time, like a mortgage. 

Both require voter approval and are essential to maintaining safe, high-quality learning environments for students. 

The proposed levy will provide approximately $333.9 million for educational needs not fully funded by the state.   

If approved, we will collect funds over four years.  

Here is the maximum amount of money we would be able to collect:  

• $74.5 million in 2027 
• $80.4 million in 2028 
• $86.2 million in 2029 
• $92.8 million in 2030 

Levy amounts are based on high enrollment projections to ensure we are prepared for the possibility of increased enrollment. We use high projections to ensure we are authorized to collect enough funding to serve all students who may enroll. 

Enrollment in recent years has been closer to our medium projection. Here is the collection amount based on medium enrollment projections—which is the amount we anticipate collecting for the course of this levy: 

• $71.8 million in 2027 
• $76.6 million in 2028 
• $81.3 million in 2029 
• $86.6 million in 2030 

Actual collections will align with actual enrollment. If enrollment is lower than projected, Highline will collect less than the approved maximum—just as it has in recent years. This means the levy provides flexibility without overburdening taxpayers. 

Levy amounts are based on high enrollment projections to ensure we are prepared for the possibility of increased enrollment. We use high projections to ensure we are authorized to collect enough funding to serve all students who may enroll. Actual enrollment in recent years has been closer to our medium projection—so we typically collect less than the maximum approved. 

Actual collections will align with actual enrollment. If enrollment is lower than projected, Highline will collect less than the approved maximum—just as it has in recent years. This means the levy provides flexibility without overburdening taxpayers. 

Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, Highline will be able to collect more local levy funding than in recent years—about $4 million more. While voters approved this amount in 2021, a state-imposed cap prevented us from collecting the full amount. That cap has now been lifted, and in 2026, we can collect the full amount voters authorized. 

The proposed 2025 levy is a renewal of the 2021 levy—not a new tax. It maintains that increased funding level moving forward, with small annual adjustments for inflation as allowed by the state. 

The “levy lid” is a state-imposed limit on how much money a school district can collect from local voter-approved levies. Even if voters approve a higher amount, the levy lid can prevent districts from collecting the full amount authorized. 

In Highline’s case, voters approved a levy in 2021, but we were not allowed to collect the full amount due to the levy lid. The legislature recently increased that cap, so starting in the 2025–26 school year, we will finally be able to collect the full amount voters approved—an estimated $4 million more than in recent years. This helps ensure we have the resources needed to support student learning and school operations. 

We use high enrollment projections so we’re prepared to serve every student who may enroll. By basing our levy amounts on the highest reasonable estimate, we ensure the district is authorized to collect enough funding to support all students—if enrollment increases. 

This doesn’t mean we automatically collect the full amount. Actual collections are tied to actual enrollment, so if fewer students enroll, we collect less. This approach gives us flexibility to respond to changes without needing to go back to voters for approval. 

Actual enrollment in recent years has been closer to our medium projection—so we collect less than the maximum approved.

Not necessarily. While the proposed levy sets a maximum amount we are allowed to collect, actual collections will be based on how many students are enrolled each year. 

In recent years, our enrollment has been closer to medium projections, so we’ve collected less than the maximum approved. That pattern is expected to continue. The levy gives us the flexibility to collect what we need—without overburdening taxpayers. 

Tax rates are expected to remain stable — with a modest adjustment each year to keep up with inflation. The highest proposed rate starts at $2.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2027 and rises slightly each year, reaching $2.11 in 2030. This adjustment helps maintain current service levels in the face of rising costs. 

This is not a new tax. It renews an expiring local levy. This proposal renews the existing levy that is set to expire at the end of 2026. It continues our community’s investment in our students and schools—without introducing a new tax. 

We take stewardship of public funds seriously. Every dollar we spend is guided by our strategic plan, which prioritizes building a culture of belonging, innovative learning, bilingualism and biliteracy, and future readiness. We regularly review our budgets, track spending, and report to the public. We also undergo external audits to ensure transparency and accountability.

Schools rely on stable funding to hire staff, offer programs, and plan for future needs. Long-term planning helps us avoid sudden cuts and ensures we can continue offering quality education even when funding sources fluctuate. It also helps us make smart decisions about when to invest, when to conserve, and how to prioritize.

The levy is just one part of the picture. We also work to secure grants, build community partnerships, and advocate at the state level for more sustainable funding. Internally, we’re looking at ways to be more efficient with what we have—restructuring where needed, without compromising what students need to thrive.