Projections Used for Budget Planning & Development
Highline expects student enrollment to remain steady for the 2026-27 school year, with growth projected later in the decade as new housing developments within Highline boundaries are completed and occupied.
Each year, Highline partners with an independent demographer to develop enrollment projections. These projections are an important part of our long-term financial planning and help guide staffing decisions at each school. For the 2026-27 school year, we anticipate enrolling approximately 17,322 students, about 30 fewer than this year.
Why Enrollment Numbers Matter
State funding is directly tied to student enrollment. These projections play an important role in our annual budget development. Highline typically uses the “medium” projection scenario for planning, but we also review both lower and higher growth estimates to understand the full range of possible outcomes and remain prepared for shifts.
Understanding Past Trends
While enrollment has remained steady in recent years, earlier post-pandemic declines reflect broader regional trends, including slower population growth and smaller birth cohorts, not a move away from public schools.
Private school enrollment declined between 2023 and 2024, and home-based instruction is below pandemic levels.
Looking Ahead, Growth Expected
Looking ahead, enrollment is expected to grow steadily over the next decade, driven by the development and occupancy of new multi-family housing across our community.
We will continue to monitor enrollment closely and use this data to make informed, strategic decisions that support our students, staff, and schools.
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.
- January: We asked our community to give feedback on budget priorities as we align limited resources with our goals.