At the February 19 School Board meeting, Resolution 02-25: Our Schools, Our Promise – A Stand for Every Student was introduced. The proposed resolution reaffirms Highline's commitment to creating safe and welcoming schools for all students, staff and families, regardless of background, identity or immigration status.
“This resolution is about our schools and Our Promise,” said Chief Policy & Strategy Officer Holly Ferguson during the meeting when it was introduced. “It is about standing up and supporting each of our students in all their brilliance. And this resolution is about how we live up to Our Promise.”
Notably, the resolution was introduced 83 years to the day of President Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066, which sent thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans to internment camps.
“Many people from Washington state and the Highline area were subject to those orders; many lost everything. That order was based on fear and hate — something we are seeing replicated today. The negative intergenerational impacts of that order are still being felt today,” Holly said.
Washington state took a different stand 50 years ago, when then Gov. Dan Evans welcomed the first Vietnamese refugees to Washington in April 1975.
“At a time when other states were refusing to help, Washington stood up and said come to Washington. You are welcome here. You belong here,” Holly said. “The positive impact of this action also has been felt across the generations.”
The board is scheduled to take action on the resolution at its next meeting on Wednesday, March 5.
Resolution 02-25 emphasizes Highline’s dedication to a culture of belonging, as outlined in our strategic plan. It commits to upholding School Board Policy, as well as state and federal laws that protect students from discrimination and harassment, including those based on race, gender identity, religion, immigration status and other identities.
Key commitments in the resolution include:
- Upholding Highline School Board policies and Washington state laws, regardless of federal actions.
- Protecting our LGBTQIA+ community, including those who are transgender, by adhering to federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
- Affirming the right of all students to a public education, regardless of immigration status, as established in federal law.
- Rejecting all forms of discrimination, including antisemitic actions and religious harassment.
- Ensuring safe and equitable school environments, where bullying, discrimination and harassment are not tolerated.
“In 2025, we are again living in a time of fear and hatred, when executive orders are being used to target and to other people. With this resolution [the board] instead upholds the ethos that Gov. Evans embodied," Holly said. “This resolution is a step towards ensuring that people of every race, color, religion — all people — know that here in Highline they are supported. They are protected. They know that Highline stands for them.”
The full resolution will be considered for approval at the March 5 board meeting. As always, staff and community members are welcomed and encouraged to attend the meeting and sign up to make public comments.