White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Highline Public Schools are out all week for spring break. Middle- and high-school students will start hybrid learning the following week.

Thursday is a big day for public-school students in our area. Here’s the announcement from Highline Public Schools:

This Thursday, March 11 will be the first day in a school building ever for some of Highline Public Schools’ PreK and kindergarten students!

The next phase of hybrid instruction was assured last evening with teachers voting to ratify an agreement between Highline Education Association (HEA) and Highline Public Schools.

The start dates for the next phase of in-person instruction are:
March 11: PreK, kindergarten, grade 1, and K-12 Intensive Academic Center (IAC).
March 22: Grades 2 and 3
April 1: Grades 4 and 5

The transition back to school buildings began in November 2020 when students served in Integrated Learning Center (ILC) and Community Based Services (CBS) programs had the option to return in the hybrid model. In hybrid, morning and afternoon groups attend on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Elementary students will be on a similar half-day, four-day-per-week schedule. Students served by the K-12 Intensive Academic Center (IAC) program will be in school buildings longer days due to the structure of the program, which is integrated with general education Zoom classes.

“I am grateful to the district and HEA bargaining committees who worked tirelessly to arrive at a plan that prioritizes the safety of our students and staff and provides our students with the in-person learning that they need and deserve,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield.

“I value our students and staff, and I take very seriously my responsibility for their health and safety,” she said. “We can all be confident in the safety plans and protocols developed in collaboration with our labor partners and approved by our teachers.”
Now that education employees are eligible to be vaccinated, Highline staff have an added layer of protection. On Sunday, all Highline staff who are working or scheduled to work with students in person had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Thanks to a partnership with St. Anne Hospital, almost 1,000 people received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Nearly every Highline employee on the list to get a vaccination was able to get one. Staff are working with anyone who was missed to make sure they are vaccinated. There were enough doses on Sunday to vaccinate many other staff members, as well.
For more information about hybrid learning, please visit our website at: highlineschools.org/return-to-learn/hybrid-learning.

Additional back-to-school resources about transportation, safety expectations, school safety plan, health screening form, masks and more can be found at highlineschools.org/backtoschool.

Tonight and tomorrow, Highline Public Schools is presenting informational sessions about a new – permanently – online option. Here’s the announcement:

The Highline Virtual Academy launches for students in 6th through 12th grades in Fall 2021. Students who thrive in independent and online learning are good candidates for Highline Virtual Academy.

“We’ve learned that despite all of the challenges of remote learning, some of our students thrive in this environment–they like learning online, and some of our staff like teaching online,” Superintendent Susan Enfield said. “We’re excited that online learning will become a permanent option for students here in Highline.”

Students will attend classes from home rather than coming into a school building. Flexibility and self-pacing are two components of the academy’s learning model. The staff at the academy will provide face-to-face experiences in an online environment and build relationships with students and families to deliver on Highline’s promise to know every student by name, strength and need. The school will accept a limited number of students in 6th through 12th grade.

Highline students can engage in athletics through their neighborhood school.

Students and families can apply for the academy now. If interest exceeds enrollment capacity, students will be selected by lottery. Students living in the Highline service area will be prioritized over students from other districts.

Learn More About the New Virtual Academy
Information sessions will include a 30-minute presentation and 15 minutes of Q&A.

Thursday, January 28
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Zoom Link

Friday, January 29
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Zoom Link

Regardless of how it ends, the 2020-2021 school year’s start for Highline Public Schools made history, with thousands of students and teachers connecting online. The district made this video featuring dozens of scenes from Day 1.

Highline Public Schools has announced that the 2020-2021 school year will start without in-person classes:

Highline Superintendent Susan Enfield announced today that Highline schools would begin the school year with distance learning, where students in all grades will learn from home. The district had been planning for in-person instruction on alternating days to allow for social distancing.

“I have been fiercely hoping to have our students back in our schools this fall,” said Superintendent Enfield. “But after reviewing all the data and feedback, and as the person who ultimately bears responsibility for the health and safety of our students and staff in our schools, I cannot in good conscience open schools for in-person instruction in September,”

In a survey of all employees, over 35 percent of staff reported they are in a high-risk group for COVID infection, and nearly 29 percent of teachers say they live with or care for someone who is at high risk.

This announcement comes on the same day as five other south King County districts announced similar plans.

Countries that have successfully reopened schools in-person have done so with declining infection rates. COVID-19 cases are rising in King County, and over half of all new cases are among people ages 20-39 according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.

When infection rates decrease, the district plans to move into a hybrid model. Families will have the option to continue distance learning, with students remaining with their teachers and classmates while learning from home, or choose in-person instruction two to four days a week, depending on grade level and special needs.

For more information, visit highlineschools.org/coronavirus.

Neighboring Seattle Public Schools made the same announcement today.

This Wednesday, Highline school-board members will decide whether to ask you to vote on a technology levy this November. Here’s a preview from the district:

The Highline Public Schools Board of Directors is considering placing a levy on the November 2020 ballot to fund technology for students and teachers. Board members introduced a resolution at the June 24 school board meeting. They will vote at the July 8 board meeting on whether to place the proposed tech levy on the ballot for Highline voters.

The emergency transition to distance learning demonstrated an urgent need for technology funding—for devices, connection, security, support and training. It revealed more starkly the digital divide that already existed in homes and classrooms throughout Highline.

Staff placed more than 13,000 devices and 1,000 hotspots with students this spring. Many of these devices are aging, as are many classroom computers. Hotspots are a necessity for students for distance learning, which will continue next school year due to the pandemic.

The district faces a period when state education funding is likely to shrink due to the economic downturn. The levy would fund purchase of devices that will be needed next year and beyond.

Would a Technology Levy Raise Tax Rates?

A two-year $32.5-million levy would not increase taxes beyond the current rate. It would expire in two years. If passed, taxpayers will see a reduction of $0.12 per $1,000 assessed value in 2021. This aligns with the counsel of Highline’s community-led Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) to keep tax rates steady.

What Would A Proposed Technology Levy Fund?

Replace aging computers for teachers and students.
Provide training and coaching to help teachers personalize student learning using digital tools.
Provide technology to ensure all students have internet access for learning at home
Update cybersecurity to protect confidential student and district data.
Update classrooms with interactive screens to allow teachers to deliver instruction in the classroom and/or to students at home.

You can “attend” Wednesday’s meeting online – here’s the info.

Today’s the first day that Highline Public Schools students will be able to pick up lunches. Times and locations are listed here.

Now that Gov. Jay Inslee has announced all K-12 schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties must close no later than Tuesday, Highline Public Schools are closing too. Here’s the announcement:

We have kept our schools open as long as possible, as recommended by state and local public health authorities. We know that in addition to education, schools provide vital support to our communities and that closure will have a major impact on our families.

At 2:00 p.m. today, Governor Inslee issued an executive order closing all schools in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties until at least April 24. All Highline schools will close to students, effective Monday, March 16.

Today, Thursday, March 12 is the last day of school, including athletics, activities and clubs. Friday, March 13 is a non-student day as normally scheduled. School offices will remain open through Friday, March 20 so families can pick up their student’s medication and other personal items.

We understand that extended school closure will create hardship for many families. The school day is the centerpiece of the lives of many people. Children count on the reliable routine that a school day offers, from the classroom setting to the many people at school who know them, care for them and provide recognition of them five days a week.

Families, too, count on that routine and the knowledge that their children are cared for during the day. It allows them to tend to their workday or focus on the other pieces of life that need to be taken care of–and there are many.

Contemplating weeks without that structure and care may seem overwhelming. Please know that we are doing our very best to make decisions that will help care for all of us through this time.

Meals for Students

Meals will be available to all students under the age of 18 starting this Monday. Locations for Monday are as follows:

Glacier Middle School | 12:00-12:30 p.m. | 2450 South 142nd Street, SeaTac
Central Office | 12:00-12:30 p.m. | 15676 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien
White Center Heights Elementary | 12:30-1:00 p.m. | 10015 6th Ave SW, Seattle

More locations will be added

No forms or registration are required. Students can drop by to pick up a meal.

Over the next few days, we will communicate additional meal locations, as well as our plan to support families in the following ways:

Providing learning support materials online, via email and hard copy. These are not meant to be a substitute for classroom instruction but will help students practice their skills and learn independently during the closure.

Providing child care for our families who need to continue working during our closure.

Providing support to our 12th-grade students to ensure they complete graduation requirements.

We will be sending frequent updates with information and resources via email, text messages, the website and social media channels.

We are so grateful for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through this difficult situation. We will get through this challenge together. We are Highline.

Now that Seattle Public Schools has decided to close for at least two weeks, you might be wondering if Highline Public Schools will do the same. No decision yet, according to the district website:

This is the first of several communications over the coming days based on the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation.

This morning, Governor Inslee and Public Health Seattle & King County asked school districts in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties to prepare for potential school closures that could last weeks or months. We are anticipating an order to close in the coming days.

We know this raises all kinds of questions and implications including childcare needs for our staff and families, school meals, graduation, and much more. We are working on plans to address a range of impacts, and we will be in constant communication as we work through these issues.

Superintendent Susan Enfield says, “The coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented regional crisis. It will take all of us working together to get through it–and we will get through it.”

Thanks to the White Center Heights Elementary community member who forwarded this:

We have learned that a staff member who has been out ill this week has symptoms that may be related to Coronavirus. The individual is staying home and being monitored by a doctor. The doctor has not recommended a COVID-19 test at this time.

We are treating this with an abundance of caution. White Center Heights will get a deep cleaning this evening. School will be open tomorrow. We will continue to monitor this situation.

For more information about Coronavirus, please visit our website or call the district Health Services office at 206-631-3011.

At right in that photo provided by Highline Public Schools is Aaron Garcia, elected in November to represent White Center and vicinity on the School Board. He took office Wednesday. Also announced by the district:

The Highline School Board has a new leader. During the December 4 board meeting, the board elected Angelica Alvarez as the new board president.

Alvarez has was first elected to the board in November 2009, representing neighborhoods in Burien.

“I am excited and honored to serve the Highline community in this leadership role,” said Alvarez. “In this role, I will continue to advocate for all our students, schools and families.”

Bernie Dorsey was elected to serve as the board vice president. He has served on the board for more than a decade and was most recently the board president. Dorsey represents neighborhoods in the Normandy Park and Des Moines communities.

Garcia won the District 1 seat with 53 percent of the vote.

It’s a statewide in-service day for teachers so Highline Public Schools have no classes today (Friday, October 11th).

The New Start High School Summer Garden Program wrapped up Thursday with an open house. Thanks to Gill Loring for the photos! Highline Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield visited to check out the gardens. They grew many things, from flowers …

… to lettuce …

… to pumpkins!

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Art too, as shown by this student:

First day of school is September 4th.

Summer vacation finally starts Tuesday afternoon for Highline Public Schools students. Tomorrow is a half day.

School reopens today! The announcement from Highline Public Schools:

Due to weather and road conditions, all schools are on a two-hour delay on Thursday, February 14. Buses will stop at their alternate bus stops–two hours later than normal.

There will be no breakfast, no morning or afternoon classes for preschool and ECEAP, and no morning classes for PSSC. Afternoon classes for PSSC will be on time. All before school programs are canceled, including clubs, activities and in-school daycare. No transportation will be provided to schools outside of our district.

Find the alternate stops by going here.

No waiting until the early-early-morning hours this time – as the next wave of snow arrives, Highline Public Schools has just joined the list of local districts that have already announced they’ll be closed tomorrow.

As announced tonight:

It’s a teacher in-service day, so students have the day off in Highline Public Schools and those who follow its calendar. Just to the north in Seattle Public Schools, too.

Highline Public Schools is recruiting for its Capital Facilities Advisory Committee and today’s the last day to throw your name in for consideration. Just go here!

Just a reminder: Wednesday is the first day of school for Highline Public Schools, for students in grades 1 through 12. Kindergarteners start on Monday, September 10th. Good luck this year to students, teachers, and staffers!