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Public school district · Suburb: Large
Washington · King County

Highline School District

18,072 students · 43 schools · 17.9:1 ratio · grades PreK–12 · #19 of 324 in Washington

Students
18,072
Schools
43
Teachers (FTE)
1,011
Student–Teacher
17.9:1
County
King
Grades
PreK–12
OverviewEnrollmentDemographicsStaffingFundingPerformanceAccreditationCompareFull data
Overview

About Highline School District

Highline School District is a public school system serving King County, Washington, based in Burien. It serves 18,072 students across 43 schools spanning PreK–12, and is classified as a suburb: large district. By enrollment it is the #19 largest of Washington’s 324 school systems.

Phone2066313000
Address15675 Ambaum Blvd Sw, Burien, WA 98166
CountyKing County
Enrollment & schools

Size and structure

Highline School District enrolls 18,072 students in 43 schools — an average of about 420 students per school. It serves grades PreK–12 and ranks #19 of 324 statewide by enrollment.

Students
18,072
#19 of 324 in Washington
Schools
43
~420 students each
Grade span
PreK–12
Suburb: Large
Students & demographics

Who the district serves

Student race and ethnicity in Highline School District, from the NCES Common Core of Data (18,072 students reported):

White
17%
Black
14%
Hispanic
42%
Asian
15%
Two or more
9%
Amer. Indian
1%
Pacific Isl.
3%

For economically-disadvantaged, English-learner, and special-education shares, plus school-by-school detail, see the federal sources in the full-data section.

Staffing & support

Teachers & staff

Highline School District employs about 1,011 full-time-equivalent teachers for a student–teacher ratio of 17.9:1 — below the Washington average of about 17.9:1, meaning comparatively smaller classes. Total district staff is roughly 2,305.

Student–teacher ratio
17.9:1
state avg ~17.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
1,011
classroom teachers
Total staff
2,305
all district employees

Counselor and librarian/media counts are not published at the district level in the current NCES release; see the federal full-data links for staffing detail.

Funding

How Washington funds schools

Washington funds basic education — its constitutional “paramount duty” — through the Prototypical School Funding Model, which estimates the staff, materials and resources a hypothetical school of a given size needs, then allocates to each district by its actual enrollment against those funded ratios. Rebuilt after the McCleary ruling, the model is topped up by a capped local enrichment levy and by state Local Effort Assistance for property-poor districts.

District-level per-pupil spending and the local/state/federal revenue split for Highline School District are published in the federal school-finance files — see the full-data links below for the current figures.

Accountability

Report card & state results

Washington publishes the Washington State Report Card, reporting assessment results, graduation, growth, discipline and per-pupil finances, with schools identified for support through the Washington School Improvement Framework. Look up Highline School District on the Washington State Report Card.

Accreditation

Accreditation status

Washington does not require accreditation of its public districts; the State Board of Education approves schools against basic-education standards, while accreditation is voluntary through Cognia or an Educational Service District. Look up Highline School District in the free Cognia registry.

How it compares

Highline School District vs. Washington

Enrollment rank
#19
of 324 districts
Ratio
17.9:1
state avg ~17.9:1
Locale
Suburb: Large
King County

See every Washington district side by side in the Washington directory.

Go deeper

Look up Highline School District’s full data

These official sources carry the district-level detail — finances, discipline, equity, test scores, boundaries. Direct links for this district (via its NCES ID):

Data & sources

About this data

Enrollment, demographics, staffing, locale and contact details reflect the NCES Common Core of Data (2024–25); funding context from the Washington Legislature (the Prototypical School Funding Model) and NEA Rankings & Estimates 2026. Figures are the latest available and may lag the current school year. This page is informational, not an official district record, and not affiliated with or endorsed by Highline School District. NCES District ID (LEAID): 5303540. Confirm current details with the district and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.