What does a YES vote on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 mean?

Highline School District would levy $12,000,000 a year in property taxes for 2027-2030 (an estimated $0.36 down to $0.32 per $1,000 of assessed value) for technology, cybersecurity and other capital improvements.

What does a NO vote on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 mean?

Highline School District would not levy this technology and capital tax.

How much would it raise?

$12 million in each of the years 2027 through 2030.

Where can I get more details?

The District points voters to highlineschools.org/bondandlevy, and questions to its Controller, Andrew Burgess, at (206) 631-3201.

How many votes does Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 — Educational Technology and Capital Improvements Levy (King County)

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 3:09 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Highline School District school district voters

What it does: The Board of Directors of Highline School District No. 401 adopted Resolution No. 12-26, concerning educational technology and capital improvements to maintain student learning. This proposition would fund districtwide technology, programs and staff and other capital improvements not funded by the State, including cybersecurity protections, reliable internet, technology operations and infrastructure, and student/staff technology access, and authorize the District to levy the following excess taxes on all taxable property within the District: Collection Year Estimated Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value Levy Amount 2027 $0.36 $12,000,000 2028 $0.35 $12,000,000 2029 $0.34 $12,000,000 2030 $0.32 $12,000,000 all as provided in Resolution No. 12-26. Should this proposition be approved?
A YES vote means: Highline School District would levy $12,000,000 a year in property taxes for 2027-2030 (an estimated $0.36 down to $0.32 per $1,000 of assessed value) for technology, cybersecurity and other capital improvements.
A NO vote means: Highline School District would not levy this technology and capital tax.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

Highline School District No. 401 (King County) says the technology, programs, staff and capital improvements in this levy are not funded by the State, and describes its current technology equipment, systems and some school facilities as aging or outdated.
Proposition 2 appears on the same ballot as a separate Highline proposition (Proposition 1).

If it passes

The District could levy $12 million a year in property taxes for four years, 2027 through 2030 ($48 million total), for educational technology and capital improvements.
The money would fund cybersecurity, reliable internet and wireless networks, technology infrastructure, student and staff devices, classroom technology and software, staff training on technology, and other districtwide technology upgrades.
It would also fund districtwide capital improvements for building, modernizing and remodeling schools and facilities.

Example

The District estimates the levy rate at $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2027, falling to $0.32 in 2030. On a home assessed at $500,000, that is about $180 in 2027 ($0.36 x 500) and $160 in 2030. Exact rates depend on actual assessed values. (source)

Who would notice

Owners of taxable property in the Highline School District, and Highline students and staff. Some homeowners may qualify for exemptions through the King County Department of Assessments.

How it got here

The District's Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 12-26 placing the levy on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

Written by SpectrumVote from 2 linked sources (1, 2). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

The Highline School Board voted unanimously on July 1, 2026 to place this capital technology levy and a separate $595.4 million school construction bond on the November 3 ballot, according to the district.

The district says Highline voters approved a two-year technology levy in 2020 and that this levy would resume that local funding, because state funding does not fully cover school technology costs such as internet, cybersecurity, devices, infrastructure and technical support.

The levy would collect $12 million a year for four years, 2027 through 2030, for a total of $48 million; the district projects the total local school tax rate at $4.89 per $1,000 of assessed value if both measures pass, compared with $4.47 now.

Put on the ballot by Highline School District Board of Directors, unanimous, July 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 12-26).

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 mean?: Highline School District would levy $12,000,000 a year in property taxes for 2027-2030 (an estimated $0.36 down to $0.32 per $1,000 of assessed value) for technology, cybersecurity and other capital improvements.
What does a NO vote on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 mean?: Highline School District would not levy this technology and capital tax.
How much would it raise?: $12 million in each of the years 2027 through 2030.
Where can I get more details?: The District points voters to highlineschools.org/bondandlevy, and questions to its Controller, Andrew Burgess, at (206) 631-3201.
How many votes does Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the King County ballot.

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