What is the value & impact of a new, modern school building?
The design of the new school makes me feel special, like we earned the school. I was at the old building as a freshman, and I’m not going to lie, it was old and rundown. Seeing the school now makes me feel so special.
New students who had transferred away are coming back to Highline High School. So it makes me feel happy and joyful.
I think it impacted me greatly as a student and an athlete because if you are in an environment that is kind of neglected, then you feel like you are kind of neglected as well. So having this new building with new equipment and books and everything, it made us feel heard and seen.
In other years as a student and an athlete we hadn’t really gotten a lot of the stuff we wanted. Coming to school in a place that is broken down puts you in a bad mood. It made us feel heartbroken to see at other schools, where we competed in games, what we didn’t get. But seeing the new school was a relief—to see that we were actually being listened to and that what we got was very satisfying. Students feel more upbeat and welcomed.
In all our sports, we are always so friendly with Tyee and Evergreen (in the same KingCo league), no matter who was on top or who was losing, so as a Highline student athlete, I think that Tyee and Evergreen definitely deserve new schools also.
My favorite places in the new school are the locker rooms, the gym and the commons area by the big learning stairs, outside the gym. Everyone knew where to go before practice or games to wait.
Our volleyball team is silly, and we were always laughing together, having a good time and trying to work on homework while we were waiting, either by the stairs or in the locker room. This was a place to talk or wind down after games. This was the area we found before school even started last fall, but we already had practices in August, so we kind of got first dibs and it was really special.
This is where you would hear the most laughter. It was a relaxation time.
—Lenora Fuaga, Highline High School, Class of 2022
Lenora's plans: attend South Seattle College, then major in psychology at Seattle University.
Note: January 4, 2024
Lenora's answer was the sixth in our 2022 Highline Bond series spotlighting student voices to explain the value and impact of a new, modern school building.
Highline High School was constructed with funding from the 2016 school construction bond.
Find out more about the 2022 bond that is rebuilding Evergreen and Tyee high schools and Pacific Middle School and funding critical needs districtwide.
