Evolution of Highline High School
The original Highline High School building consisted of but 14 classrooms constructed during 1923 at a cost of but $150,000. Over the next 42 years, seven different additions of from four to twelve classrooms each shaped the school as it now appears. More recently there has also been a major modernization that retained the exterior integrity and appearance of the original design. In 1956 the enrollment at the school reached an all time high of 2,219 students in the upper three grades. This far exceeded the capacity and resulted in such expediencies as very large study halls, staggered schedules with some students arriving earlier and early dismissals arranged of many students. As other district high schools were constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, enrollment at Highline High School was able to be contained at a more reasonable level
Highline High School Invites the Community and Students to Tour the Halls One Last Time in Advance of Demolition
Last year Highline High School had a final open house. It was the last opportunity to walk the halls of the our high school and share great times and stories with ex students, teachers, and community leaders. HHS was originally opened in 1924 and has now been demolished and is under reconstruction.For the next few years all HHS students will be relocated to a temporary school while they wait for the new Highline High school to open in 2021.
Demolition Completed - Away With the Timbers!
Historical Relics From the Demolition
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The Highline School District approached the Alumni Foundation with an opportunity to help salvage bricks from the original HS facade so that Highline alumni would have the ability to retain a piece of their history. The sale of the bricks would include the cost of recovery and inscription with a portion of the proceeds used to offset the new HS constuction budget. Most unfortunately, aftercompleting an environmental test the product was deemed unusable. Another resourceful Highline Alum produced this historic HHS pirate pen which was hand crafted from salvaged wood from the HHS gym floor and adorned with pirate sword and logo. A rare and priceless historic relic of epic proportions given the limited quantities available! With any luck one of these pens may make it into a display case at the Burien Historical Society sometime in the future!
Planning for the Future
New HHS Construction Preserves Past, Looks Ahead
Strong community support, including alumni, community members, families, staff and students, for Highline High School’s new construction assures that the chosen design will be reminiscent of the past, yet look to the future. The rebuilt north entry will use existing materials salvaged from the original main entrance, either existing brick or new brick matching the existing red brick veneer as closely as possible. The project team has been exploring possibilities for including historical pieces and honoring history in the new school. Hopefully the ornamental busts of significant figures and Pirate stained-glass window will be preserved to welcome future generations of students.
The Olympic Interim School has been housing students for the past two years (2019-2020) during the construction process with the opening of the new and improved Highline High School slated for the fall of 2021. You can find additional construction information on the Highline High School & Highline District websites with periodic updates and photographs on the B-town blog
Strong community support, including alumni, community members, families, staff and students, for Highline High School’s new construction assures that the chosen design will be reminiscent of the past, yet look to the future. The rebuilt north entry will use existing materials salvaged from the original main entrance, either existing brick or new brick matching the existing red brick veneer as closely as possible. The project team has been exploring possibilities for including historical pieces and honoring history in the new school. Hopefully the ornamental busts of significant figures and Pirate stained-glass window will be preserved to welcome future generations of students.
The Olympic Interim School has been housing students for the past two years (2019-2020) during the construction process with the opening of the new and improved Highline High School slated for the fall of 2021. You can find additional construction information on the Highline High School & Highline District websites with periodic updates and photographs on the B-town blog
New Highline High School Anticipated to be Completed for 2021 (Photo From B-Town Blog)
