The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy
Highline Public Schools Virtual Academy is a fully online public school within the Highline School District, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. In practice, enrollment data shows that the school serves grades six through twelve, with no students in the earlier grades. It is a regular public school, not a charter, and it sits within the district’s growing portfolio of choice schools, which now includes several specialized secondary pathways. The Virtual Academy, as its name suggests, delivers instruction remotely, offering a flexible alternative for families who want an at-home or distance-learning model.
The school is physically based in Burien, a city that the Puget Sound Regional Council has designated as a Regional Growth Center. Burien is a mix of residential neighborhoods and a compact downtown with boutique retail, a large number of restaurants, and a weekly farmers market. It is notably walkable, and its civic anchors include a transit center, a library-civic center in Town Square, and a performing arts venue. The community is diverse: a substantial share of residents identify as Latino or Hispanic, and more than fifty languages are spoken in homes of students in the district. Housing in Burien ranges from starter homes to high-end properties, with a mix of condominiums and apartments; the area has seen steady growth, including a major annexation in the past that added many residents.
The Virtual Academy itself is small. Its student body reflects the district’s diversity: the largest group of students is Hispanic, followed by White students, Black students, students of two or more races, Asian students, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a high level of economic need. Data on English learner status and special education enrollment were not available.
On state assessments in math, English language arts, and science, the school’s results are modest. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math and ELA varied by grade, with some grades showing around one-fifth to one-third of students meeting the standard, and one grade reporting a higher rate. Science results for the tested grade were similarly modest. Overall across tested subjects and grades, the school’s proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in King County. The school has only a single year of testing data, so there is no trend to examine. A four-year graduation rate was not reported for this school, and chronic absenteeism data was also absent. That gap may reflect the school’s virtual nature or the fact that it may not yet have a full graduating cohort, but the data does not specify.
The parent district, Highline Public Schools, has been actively modernizing its facilities and expanding choice options. In addition to the Virtual Academy, families can consider other district choice schools such as Innovation Heights Academy, Maritime High School, Big Picture, and Choice Academy. This means that Highline families have a range of specialized programs to weigh, and the Virtual Academy is one of several non-traditional paths within the district.
For a family considering this school, the core question is whether a fully virtual, self-paced learning environment fits their student’s needs. The school serves a small, diverse population with high economic need, and its test results are below typical performance in the county. A parent would want to ask how the school supports students who are struggling academically, what resources for English learners and special education look like, and what the path to graduation and postsecondary readiness looks like in a remote setting. The Burien housing market, while varied, is part of a region that has seen growth and rising costs, and the district’s ongoing modernization signals investment in facilities even as the virtual option remains distinct from the brick-and-mortar schools.
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