Committee on Allocating Resources Equitably (CARE)

The primary recommendation from CARE was that Highline invests in ways that would increase school support for students’ mental and socio-emotional health and meet their basic needs.

Building on the district’s current investments in our team of Family and Community Engagement Specialists and existing professional development for all staff on restorative practices, de-escalation techniques, and culturally responsive practices, CARE recommended the district deepen services to better meet the needs of students from traditionally underserved communities. The district anticipates investing over $1 Million in strategies like mental health partnerships, increased support for teen parents, the implementation of school based wellness centers, and strengthening our SEL and counseling practices.

The second priority for CARE was that Highline invest CARE funds in ways that increase support for families of special education students to participate and understand the IEP process. In consideration of long-term sustainability, these strategies are designed to help build institutional memory around strong family and community engagement practices. The district anticipates investing over $390,000 in hiring two Special Education Family Liaisons, as well as developing district-wide training and translation frameworks to reduce linguistic barriers to the IEP process.

In alignment with all recommendations, it was increasingly apparent that the district also needed to consider internal resources and tools to support students in improving their socio-emotional and mental health. The third recommendation was that Highline invest in infrastructure improvements to support all students in building relationships, strengthening their socio-emotional skills, and developing life-long habits around mindfulness and play. The district anticipates investing over $2 Million in replacing and upgrading playground equipment and implementing additional staffing and community partnerships that will support students in strengthening their social-emotional skills through play.

The final recommendation from CARE was that Highline invest CARE funds in ways that incorporate the voices of all students and provide opportunities for students to share experiences that can drive school decision making and policy. Specifically, CARE recommended that the district resource for the development of a pilot program to support the implementation of a student leadership committee at each school. The district anticipates investing over $100,000 to pay certificated staff who are taking on additional responsibility by chairing their site-based committees and co-leading with both school administration and students. Additionally, this investment provides the resources that will make this leadership opportunity accessible to all students; including but not limited to interpretation support or additional staff time to ensure a student’s accommodations are observed during the committee meetings.

• 1 family representative nominated by Highline Special Needs PTA 
• 1 family representative nominated by Highline Council PTSA 
• 1 family representative nominated by Para Los Ninos
• 1 family representative nominated by Southwest Youth & Family Services
• 1 family representative nominated by the African Community Housing & Development

• 1 teamsters representative
• 1 HEA representative
• 1 elementary principal representative
• 1 secondary principal representative
• 1 alternative/school of choice principal 

4 student representatives in grades 9-11

We sought representation on this committee from many areas of the community. Community representatives must be a parent, guardian, and/or family member of a current Highline student. To ensure the committee reflects the diverse population of Highline Public Schools, we recruited family members who represent those who traditionally have been less involved in schools, including diversity in:

• Ethnicity, language and race
• Gender and sexual orientation
• Socio-economic status
• Type of family (single parent, foster care, kinship)
• Geographic locations (at least one rep from each high school service area)

The committee is supported by the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Budget. The committee is also supported by the following Highline staff members:

• Chief Academic Officer or Designee
• Chief Talent Officer or Designee 
• Chief Engagement & Partnership Officer or Designee
• Director, Covid Recovery

These staff members support the committee members, but will not be able to vote on how to spend funds.