Frequently Asked Questions

1. Our volunteer-led Capital Facilities Advisory Committee recommended the bond to the Highline School Board. Read May 20, 2022 news article.
    
2. The architectural designs for new schools at Evergreen, Tyee and Pacific already were funded by the 2016 bond.
    
3. Previous bonds replaced comprehensive high schools in two Highline neighborhoods; this bond would rebuild the two remaining aging comprehensive high schools so all students have access to safe, modern learning facilities.
    
4. This funding measure will pay for the construction costs of replacing these aging schools built in the 1950s and 60s and making critical repairs districtwide without raising the current tax rate due to expiring taxes.
    
5. The three schools built with the 2016 bond were completed on time and under budget—the savings is being applied to the costs of future projects.
    

6. With approval of this bond, it triggers $34 million in additional funding. The funds would come from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port of Seattle for noise mitigation, and from the state School Construction Assistance Program.

7. While building costs have increased since the previous bond in 2016, postponing school construction is unlikely to result in cost savings. The cost of building materials and supply chain challenges are increasing construction costs. Waiting longer to build may result in increased construction costs and design changes.

Construction costs are increasing. For every month we delay construction, we would have to add an estimated $2 million dollars to the total cost of this bond. If the bond is not approved and we have to run it in a future election, the cost to taxpayers will be higher, and all of our other older schools will wait that much longer for their turn to be rebuilt.

Because the architectural designs for Tyee, Evergreen and Pacific were funded by the 2016 bond, these projects are shovel-ready. Being able to begin construction as soon as a bond passes saves taxpayer dollars.

*School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) - state funding

The 2022 bond is not expected to raise the dollar amount paid by most property owners, due to expiring school taxes, regardless of fluctuations in property values. Because voters approve an amount, not a tax rate, the tax rate must decline as property values rise. This adjustment in tax rates is necessary to limit taxes to the amount approved by voters. 

The bond is not expected to increase the current tax rate. Because voters approve an amount, not a tax rate, the tax rate decreases as property values rise. This adjustment in tax rates is necessary to limit taxes to the amount approved by voters. 

See 2022 Bond cost details by visiting our Cost Information webpage.

Exemptions from taxes may be available to certain homeowners. For more information, please call the King County Department of Assessments at (206) 296-3920.

The bond would raise $518,397,000. The estimated cost to property owners is 66 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. At the end of 2022, an equivalent amount ($0.66/$1000) is coming off the tax rolls due to expiring bonds and levies. As a result, the dollar amount paid by most homeowners is expected to stay stable.

The $17 million fund for critical capital needs and improvements in the 2022 bond package includes projects such as:

• Emergency repairs
• Roof restoration and remedial repairs
• Exterior and interior finish improvements (e.g. painting)
• Replacing the Sylvester Middle School dirt field with synthetic turf
• Replacing Transportation Building L
• Providing space for Highline Virtual Academy
• Maritime High School - Highline Public Schools contribution

Highline has a 20-year track record of on-time, on-budget construction. The three new schools built with funding from the last bond were completed on time and more than $10 million under budget. We have a backlog of older schools from the 1950s and 60s. We are committed to continuing this positive momentum until all students are learning in modern facilities with limited entry points and efficient building systems. 

Evergreen, Tyee and Pacific were built quickly during a period of spiking enrollment.

Renovation of older buildings is expensive and often results in unforeseen costs.

New facilities offer modern safety features such as limited entry points. 

New school buildings offer access to built-in technology and state-of-the-art learning spaces for science, the arts, and career and technical education. They offer comfortable and efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems and the opportunity to install new plumbing and foundations.

The Capital Projects Oversight Committee are community members and industry experts who ensure accountability on school construction projects. They have been meeting at least quarterly since 2017, shortly after the 2016 bond projects began.

To learn more please visit our School Funding web page.

Q: Why were these three schools selected to be rebuilt?

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) studied a variety of data, including building condition scores provided by certified inspectors from an architecture firm, projected enrollment data, in-person tours, and discussion about what amount and type of bond measures our voters would support. Then they developed a prioritized list of projects to be funded by bonds. 

In planning for the 2016 bond, CFAC determined that Evergreen and Tyee high schools and Pacific Middle School should be next in line for replacement. CFAC included funding for the design for these three schools in the 2016 bond. This paved the way for these  schools to be funded for construction in the 2022 bond.

During the 2022-23 school year, CFA will work to prioritize 10 additional aging school buildings for the next bond.

Our Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) is charged with prioritizing our older buildings for replacement. CFAC determines the sequence for rebuilding schools based on several factors, including building condition, enrollment trends and other data. While we still have several schools that will need to be replaced in the future, we will not get to them until after we rebuild the schools that CFAC put ahead of them on the priority list.