Highline Public Schools bond update: ‘Trending upward’ but not enough
King County Elections announced another round of results this evening, but it didn’t change the fact that the Highline Public Schools bond hasn’t hit the 60 percent approval needed, and isn’t at this point expected to. Here’s where it stands after the Saturday night results release:
On Friday, the district sent this news release:
It appears that the Highline capital improvement bond — now at 58.03 percent approval — will not reach the 60 percent needed for passage. Though yes votes have been trending upward, it is unlikely the ballots yet to be counted will push the final count above the 60 percent threshold.
School Board President Michael Spear acknowledged that a majority of voters did vote to approve the measure. “We are grateful for the support of the many, many citizens in our community who expressed their support for our schools by voting yes,” said Spear.
With failure of the bond, the district has limited options for meeting the challenges of overcrowding and aging, deteriorating schools.
This fall enrollment is up 400 students over last year, causing crowding in elementary schools. Enrollment is expected to grow by over 2,000 in the next eight to ten years.
Bond failure also means replacement and major repairs to the district’s aging and outdated schools will have to wait.
“We will do our best to serve our students, knowing there are physical and financial limitations to what we can do to improve the learning environment in our oldest buildings,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “We will work with our community to determine a plan for moving forward.”
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