Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights law that is designated to eliminate disability discrimination in programs and activities that receive federal funds.

The district shall provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities program without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district will provide equal access to all outside youth groups. District programs shall be free from sexual harassment.

For more information check the resources below or contact the 504 Coordinator and Non-Discrimination Coordinator for Highline Public Schools, Kim Dunn-Hawthorne at 206-631-3011. 

YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION

Your child has the right to:

• Receive a free and appropriate public education.
• Participate in and benefit from the district’s educational programs without discrimination.
• Be provided an equal opportunity to participate in the district’s nonacademic and extracurricular activities.
• Be educated with students who do not have disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate.
• Be educated in facilities and receive services that are comparable to those provided to students without disabilities.
• Receive accommodations and/or related aids and services to allow your child an equal opportunity to participate in school activities.
• Receive educational and related aids and services without cost, except for those fees imposed on the parents of children without disabilities.
• Receive special education services if needed.

YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS

You have the right to:

• Review your child’s educational records and to receive copies at a reasonable cost. You will not be charged if the cost would keep you from reviewing the records.
• Ask the district to change your child’s education records if you believe that they are wrong, misleading, or are otherwise in violation of your child’s privacy rights. If the district refuses this request, you have the right to challenge the refusal by requesting an impartial hearing.
• A response to your reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of your child’s education records.

THE SECTION 504 PROCESS

Your child has the right to an evaluation before the school determines if he or she is eligible under Section 504. You have the right to:

• Receive notice before the district takes any action regarding the identification, evaluation, and placement of your child.
• Have evaluation and placement decisions made by a group of persons, often called a “504 team”, including persons who know your child, the meaning of the evaluation information, and the placement options available.
• Have evaluation decisions based on a variety of sources, such as aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical conditions, medical records, and parental observations.
• Refuse consent for the initial evaluation and initial placement of your child.

If your child is eligible under Section 504, your child has a right to periodic re-evaluations, including re-evaluations before any significant change is made in your child’s placement.

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE DISTRICT’S DECISION

If you disagree with the district’s decisions regarding your child’s identification, evaluation, educational program, or placement under Section 504, you may request mediation or an impartial due process hearing. You and your child have the right to take part in the hearing and have an attorney represent you. Hearing requests and other concerns can be made to your district’s Section 504 Coordinator:

Kim Dunn-Hawthorne
15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W.
Burien, WA 98166
(206) 631-3011
Kimberly.Dunn-Hawthorne@highlineschools.org

You have the right to file a complaint of discrimination with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), or to file a complaint in federal court. Generally, an OCR complaint may be filed within 180 calendar days of the act that you believe was discriminatory. The regional office is located at 915 Second Ave, Room 3310, Seattle, WA 98174-1099.

Phone: 206-607-1600/TDD: 206-607-1647

Website: www.ed.gov/OCR.

Associated Student Body (ASB) funds are public monies raised on behalf of students and used for optional extra-curricular events of a cultural, athletic, recreational or social nature. In general, carryover amounts from one year to another are due to anticipated expenditures for student activities which take more than a year of fundraising. These funds are not available for curricular or graded student activities.

As required by the State of Washington, here is a record of ASB funding at each school by year. 

• 2019-20
• 2018-19
• 2017-18
• 2016-17
• 2015-16

*This financial report reflects the detailed ASB account balances by school. Beginning balances are as of September 1, 2019 and ending balances are as of August 31, 2020. This report is unaudited and may not reflect final ending balances for the year.

Please contact Andrew Burgess, Business Services Controller, if you have any questions.

ASB School Activity Reports

• Big Picture ASB Activity Report
• Choice ASB Activity Report
• PSSC ASB Activity Report
• New Start ASB Activity Report
• Raisbeck Aviation ASB Activity Report
• Highline ASB Activity Report
• Evergreen ASB Activity Report
• Mount Rainier ASB Activity Report
• Tyee ASB Activity Report

It is important for students to attend school every day. Absent or late students miss valuable instructional time and may miss out on opportunities such as field trips or college/career exploration events. Families are encouraged to not schedule appointments, vacations or other events at times that would cause students to miss school. Research shows that any type of absence, excused or unexcused, dramatically decreases a student’s chance of graduating on time.

Remember, if your child is going to be absent, let your school know as soon as possible. Call, email or send a note to the school to let them know about the absence and ask for make-up work for your child.

Students who have multiple absences may require additional interventions. You may be asked to come to the school for a conference to discuss ways to get your child to school on time every day. In some instances when students have multiple unexcused absences, the district may be required to file a truancy petition with King County, and a judge may require your child to attend school or to participate in other activities such as counseling. See Policy 3122 for information on what counts as an excused absence, and gives more details on what happens if your child has too many unexcused absences.

Highline Public Schools uses automated telephone calls, emails and text messages to share emergency and education-related information with our families. The messages that you receive from the District are not for marketing, commercial or political purposes. By providing your contact information, you consent to receiving automated messages. You also agree to provide the District with updated contact information when any of the information changes. If you prefer not to receive phone calls, text messages or emails, please contact your school office. Please remember, we need to be able to reach you in case of emergency.

If a parent has concerns about their young child’s learning, hearing, language, speech, movement or health, Childfind provides free developmental screening. Interpreters are available.

• For children from birth to 3, please call 1-800-756-5437.
• For children ages 3 to 5, please call 206-631-3009.

To access services for school-age students, please contact your local school.

Each school district that withholds a diploma shall publish and maintain the following information on its website:

(i) The number of diplomas withheld under this section, by graduating class, during the previous three school years; and

(ii) The number of students with withheld diplomas who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals during their last two years of enrollment in the school district.

Low income percentage: 68.2%

For more information refer to RCW 28A.635.060
Defacing or injuring school property—Liability of pupil, parent, or guardian—Withholding diplomas—Suspension and restitution—Community service program as alternative—Publication of information on withheld diplomas—Student rights protected. (wa.gov)

Schools are dismissed 90 minutes early almost every Friday to provide teachers time for training and collaboration.

During the Friday afternoon sessions, known as Professional Collaboration Time (PCT), teachers will work together to improve their instructional skills, implement new instructional practices, and share ideas that will improve student achievement.

Research shows that improving instruction is the single most effective factor for improving student achievement.

For questions, please contact your school.  

The Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) is an independent state agency that helps to reduce educational opportunity gaps by supporting families, students, educators, and other stakeholders in communities across Washington by sharing information about the K-12 public school system and resolving concerns collaboratively.  OEO services are free and confidential. Anyone can contact OEO with a question or concern about school.

OEO listens, shares information and referrals, and works informally with families, communities, and schools to address concerns so that every student can fully participate and thrive in our state’s public schools. OEO provides support in multiple languages and has telephone interpretation available. To get help or learn more about what OEO does, please visit OEO's website; email oeoinfo@gov.wa.gov, or call:  1-866-297-2597 (interpretation available).

OEO has many publications available on the OEO publications web page, including new flyers in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Dari, French, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Marshallese, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Each year Highline Public Schools faces the possibility that an emergency may necessitate closing of schools without advance notice. Arrangements have been made with the following Seattle radio stations to broadcast information regarding the operation of school during snow and ice conditions and other school emergencies:

• KRWM 106.9 FM
• KMTT 103.7 FM
• KLSY 92.5 FM
• KIRO 710 AM
• KOMO 1000 AM
• KBSG 97.3 FM
• KMPS 94.1 FM
• KIXI 880 AM

Families will be notified directly via phone, email and/or text message using the emergency contact information submitted to school.

If schools are closed, activities planned for that day and evening will be cancelled. 

Learn about Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Title IA.

Highline Public Schools cares about internet safety for all students. There are many resources available for parents, teachers and the community. 

Our Language Access Policy 4218 states, "To the extent practicable, the district website will provide information in designated languages concerning the rights of parents to translation and interpretation services under federal and state law and how to access such services."

If you need interpretation or translation support, please email our interpretation & translation team or visit us in the Family Center, located at the District Central Office

The Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has information regarding the Learning by Choice law. The booklet contains answers to the most commonly asked questions about the law, options created by the No Child Left Behind Act, descriptions of programs that may be available to students if they meet program eligibility criteria, and other enrollment options available to students in public, private and home-based instruction. 

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children or unaccompanied youth as lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, which includes:

• Families doubled up with friends or relatives due to loss of housing.
• Children living in motels, hotels, trailer parks and campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations.
• Children living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Children living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, and bus or train stations.

The McKinney-Vento Act ensures that children have a right to:

• Attend the school they last attended before they became homeless (school of origin) OR enroll in their neighborhood school.
• Immediate enrollment in school even if they lack required documents, such as school records, immunization records, or proof of residence.
• Free transportation to school of origin, when feasible.
• Free meals at school.
• Assistance for school fees, school supplies, and connecting to social service supports.

To access McKinney-Vento services, call your child’s school or the McKinney-Vento office at 206-631-3256 or 206-631-3225.

Please visit our Homelessness & Education page to learn more.  

Please tell your school nurse about any student health concerns.

Washington State law requires that any student determined by the school nurse to have a potential life threatening condition must have current health care provider orders, medications, equipment and care plans, including school staff training, prior to attending school.

Any student may carry and self-administer asthma/anaphylaxis rescue medication at school when authorized by his or her parent/guardian and healthcare provider and approved by the school nurse.

Students in grades 7-12 may carry and self-administer their own prescription medication (excluding controlled substances) when authorized by the parent/ guardian, the healthcare provider, and the school nurse. In addition, students may carry a reasonable amount of over-the-counter medication for their own use with appropriate authorization from the parent/guardian and approval by the school nurse.

Students in any grade may carry and self-administer non-prescription sunscreen at school.  Students may not share sunscreen with other students.  Parents/guardians should write their child’s name on the sunscreen container.  Only rub-on sunscreen is permitted; spray sunscreen is not allowed.

All medication or treatment orders must be renewed before attending school each year.

No student may give, dispense or administer any mediation or remedy to another student. Any violation of the conditions for permission to carry and/or self-administer medication may result in termination of that permission as well as discipline.

Non-Discrimination Statement 

Under RCW 9.91.160, students age 14 years and older may legally possess personal protective spray devices (Mace and pepper spray) if that student has parent permission. Schools may not prohibit the possession of personal protection spray devices if the student is at least 14 years of age with parent permission, or any person age 18 or older. Parents/guardians who want their child to carry such a device must provide the school with a letter stating the student’s name, the type of device to be carried, the expiration date, if any, and the reason the child should carry the device. This letter must be provided to the school each year and will be kept in the student’s file. A notation will also be added to the student’s profile in illuminate. While carrying a protective device is permitted under these circumstances, use of the device may result in discipline, depending on the situation.

We are committed to providing access to all individuals, with or without disabilities, seeking information on our website.

To meet this commitment we will comply with the standards of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA and the Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (WAI-ARIA) 1.0 for web-based content.

If, because of a disability, you are unable to access content on our website and/or would like to report barriers to accessing any information on our website, please contact us at accessibility@highlineschools.org and indicate:

• The nature of your accessibility or alternative format needs
• The URL (web address) of the material you would like to access
• Your contact information

We will contact you to attempt to provide the information you are seeking and will seek to resolve any issues regarding inaccessibility of the information on our website.

Formal Grievance Process

If you would like to share concerns or file a complaint regarding the accessibility of our website for persons with disabilities, please file a written grievance with Highline Public Schools.

Once a written grievance is received, the District will investigate the allegations contained in the grievance in an effort to reach a prompt and equitable resolution.

The grievance should be in writing and include (1) the nature of the grievance; (2) the facts upon which the grievance is based; and (3) the complainant’s signature and the date the grievance is filed.

The grievance should be filed with:

Kisa Hendrickson, Chief Engagement and Partnership Officer
Civil Rights Coordinator 
Highline Public Schools
15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW
Burien WA 98166
CivilRightsCoordinator@highlineschools.org
206-631-3100

The Seattle Times serves as the newspaper of record for Highline Public Schools. The Seattle Times publishes official notifications required by law, including but not limited to:

• Notice of school board meetings
• Notice of public hearings
• Eligible Requests for Proposal (RFP)
• Notice of competitive bid

Breakfast 

• Student: $1.75
• Student - reduced price: $0
• Adult: $2.75

Lunch

• Elementary student: $3.00
• Secondary student: $3.25
• Student - reduced price: $0
• Adult: $4.00

For information about free or reduced-priced meals, please contact your school office or nutrition services at 206-631-3010 or visit the nutrition services website.

Field trips are an integral part of our curriculum and are designed to ensure that students graduate ready for college, career, and citizenship. For trips that take place during the school day, families will receive notice of and instructions for the trip in advance, including contact information for the trip leader. Overnight, athletic events and other unique trips, still require parent/ guardian permission, such as trips where a student will be riding in a personal car or driving themself to the trip location.  Please see policy and procedure 2320 for additional field trip details.

Special education forms and any required policies, procedures, evaluations, plans and reports are available to parents and other members of the public through the district’s special education office. Policies can also be found on the Board Policy section of our website.

Federal law, state law and school district policy protect students through the following rights afforded to the parents or guardians of minors, and students over age 18.

The requirements for ensuring educational stability for children in foster care under section 1111 (g)(1)(E) apply to all children in foster care enrolled in public schools.  Consistent with the Fostering Connections Act, “foster care” means 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents, but is not limited to placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions, and preadoptive homes.  A child is in foster care in accordance with this definition regardless of whether the foster care facility is licensed and payments are made by the state, tribal or local agencies for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made prior to the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is federal matching of any payments that are made.  (45 C.F.R.  1355.20 (a)).

Foster Care students have the right to:

• Attend school in the area they are currently living.
• When in the best interest of the child, attend the school of origin (the school they attended at the time they entered care), or the school in which they were last enrolled.
• Immediate enrollment and support from district foster care liaison in obtaining school records and coordinating services.
• Transportation to their school, if necessary.
• Free school meals.
• Services for English Language Learners, Special Education, and/or Highly Capable Education.
• Tutoring services focusing on academic assistance.
• Support with on-time grade progression and graduation of students.

To get more information, call your child’s school or the Health & Social Services Department at 206-631-3011. Visit our Foster Student Support webpage for additional resources.

Washington State law (Chapter 4.96 RCW) requires a standard Tort Claim form be submitted when filing a tort claim against Highline Public Schools. Standard Tort Claim forms must be mailed or delivered to the address noted in the forms packet. They cannot be submitted electronically (via email or fax). Please read all the information in the packet before completing and presenting the claim form to Highline Public Schools.

For questions, please contact Jessica Kido at 206-631-3076. 

Translations of pages on the Highline website are performed by Google Translate. The results of software-based translation do not approach the fluency of a native speaker or possess the skill of a professional translator. The translation should not be considered exact.  Highline does not warrant the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information translated by this system. Some files or items cannot be translated, including graphs, photos, and other file formats. We hope you find the translations useful, if not completely accurate. If you have any questions about Google Translate, please visit Google Translate FAQs.