Highline continues to develop a balanced budget for the 2026–27 school year. As shared earlier this fall, we must reduce spending by $8 million to maintain long-term financial stability as state funding continues to fall short of the actual cost of running schools.
Rising costs for insurance, utilities, transportation and daily operations continue to outpace state funding. While Highline’s local levy helps cover some of these gaps, supporting about 15% of our operating budget, it cannot fully offset ongoing underfunding at the state level.
As part of this process, we have identified an initial round of budget reductions totaling more than $1.83 million. These steps focus first on central-level reductions and operational efficiencies, with the goal of minimizing impact on students and schools as much as possible.
Initial Central Office Reductions
Leadership Cost Reductions
To help close the budget gap, district leadership will take the following steps in the 2026–27 school year:
- Superintendent and Cabinet furlough days: The superintendent and cabinet members plan to each take four unpaid furlough days during the 2026–27 school year. Furlough days are scheduled non-work days without pay and reduce overall compensation costs.
- No cost-of-living increase (IPD) for Superintendent and Cabinet: The superintendent and cabinet members will not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in 2026–27, also known as IPD. Cost-of-living increases are typically provided to help salaries keep pace with inflation.
Operational Efficiencies & Reductions
In addition to leadership actions, we’ve identified some reductions of spending across central office departments. These reductions include:
- Travel budget reduction: A reduction of $200,000 in district travel expenses, including conferences registration and travel costs.
- Department-level budget reductions and efficiencies: Central office departments have been asked to reduce their budgets and identify efficiencies. Identified reductions include more than $1.4 million. Examples include:
- Scaling back or pausing select funds and contracts that are not essential to daily operations
- Reducing spending on supplies and other operating expenses where efficiencies can be made
- Adjusting investments in curriculum materials and digital tools, focusing on what is most essential for teaching and learning
- Reducing contracted services and other non-personnel costs where possible
- Making targeted reductions to technology tools and operational services to streamline systems and reduce duplication
These decisions were made by reviewing where reductions could occur first at the central level, recognizing that many departments’ work is interconnected and requires careful coordination.
More Reductions Ahead
This initial set of actions represents only the first step toward meeting the $8 million reduction needed for 2026–27. Additional decisions will be required in the weeks and months ahead.
Department leaders continue to review their budgets to identify additional central office cuts. We are also reviewing broader, districtwide efficiencies.
More information and updates will be shared as next steps are identified.
Budget Development Process
We will share clear updates throughout the year to keep staff, families, and our community informed. Here are the articles we have shared so far:
- May 2025: We outlined the impacts of the new state budget and the underfunding in special education, transportation and basic operations.
- July 2025: The School Board voted to place a levy renewal on the November ballot to help fill the gap in state funding.
- September 2025: We shared more detail about what the levy could support, including programs, services and staff not funded by the state.
- October: Superintendent Ivan Duran shared we must reduce our 2026-27 budget by $8 million to maintain long-term stability.
- November: Department leaders began reviewing budgets to identify potential reductions and efficiencies.
- December: We shared our 2026 legislative agenda, a fully funding K-12 education in Washington state.