Greetings,
As we approach spring break, I want to share a few important updates and invite you to take a moment to reflect, reset, and refocus on our shared commitment to our students. I deeply appreciate your support during this time. In Highline, our promise remains our guiding vision, and through our strategic plan, we are taking purposeful action to fulfill that promise for every student.
School Board Update
This month, we welcomed Dr. Damarys Espinoza and Mr. Blaine Holien to the Highline School Board. Effective collaboration between school leaders and board members is key to achieving district goals and improving outcomes for students, staff, and the community. Clear communication, trust, and a shared vision create a strong foundation for success. I look forward to building these relationships because when we work together, everyone benefits.
Budget & Strategic Planning
As we enter the final year of our current strategic plan, we are committed to deepening our work in our four priority areas:
- Inclusionary Practices
- Literacy and Language Development
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
- Secondary Redesign
To strengthen our efforts, we need your insights into what’s working and where we can improve. Your feedback will help shape the future of these initiatives and guide resource allocation for the 2025–26 budget. We invite you to share your thoughts in our ThoughtExchange discussions by April 20. Your input is essential in ensuring our work has the greatest impact for our students and community.
Throughout the year, we’ve kept you informed about enrollment trends, budget priorities and state funding advocacy. Thanks to stable enrollment and last year's budget reductions, we do not anticipate additional cuts for 2025–26. We are closely monitoring the current legislative session and anticipating our legislators to deepen their financial commitment to our students and fulfill their paramount duty to fully fund public education.
Spring Break Reset
We have faced unexpected challenges this year that required adjustments, flexibility, and additional time to resolve. I hope spring break gives you a chance to rest and recharge. Whether you are taking a trip or staying close to home, I hope you find moments of peace, connection and joy.
After a well-deserved break, we will return recharged and ready to keep doing what matters most - knowing every student by name, strength and need, so that they graduate prepared for the future they choose.
Living the Promise,
Ivan Duran, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Highline Public Schools