SEATAC, Wash. — The buildings at Tyee High School are rundown and outdated, according to Assistant Principal Don Miller.
"What takes priority, right, like power and heat so our students can learn or a hole in the ceiling?" Miller asked.
This building is where 15-year-old Jurnee Robinson is every school day.
"Tyee kind of feels forgotten by the district and Evergreen, too. We feel like we were like, the last on the list intentionally. And we don't know if that was the truth or not, but that's how we tend to feel," Robinson said.
Robinson said she feels that way because in the district, Highline High is brand new and Mount Rainier High was built in 2007, but Evergreen and Tyee high schools, which were built about six decades ago, are in need of repairs.
At Tyee High, the campus has narrow hallways and is made up of nine buildings.
"Some of my peers are also worried about their safety being on the school because most of the walls on our portables are just glass. And it's also not convenient for us to evacuate in case of emergencies like earthquakes or fires and the sad cases and possible school shootings," said Robinson.
Building three new schools and making repairs districtwide is on the ballot, with voters being asked to approve a $518 million bond measure. The school district said due to expiring bonds and levies, the local school tax should stay stable. A cost breakdown of the project is on the district's website.
"It is going to vary a little bit from property to property, but for most homeowners, it will be about the same," said Catherine Carbone Rogers, Chief Communication Officer for Highline Schools.
It's an investment Robinson is hoping for because she sees the disrepair taking a toll.
"What happens is most of the students here don't see those opportunities because they have already given up over the fact that they're going to Tyee and not one of the choice schools or one of the new schools," said Robinson.
Miller said he thinks students at Highline and Mount Rainier have different opportunities with the modern buildings and technology.
"I don't want to diminish the fact that our staff show up and show out every day for students, and are working as hard as they can to ensure that the learning opportunities are there," said Miller.
That's why on the campus at Tyee High, they are calling for improvements.
"I would love to just see the school reflect the amazingness that is here already," said Robinson.
The bond needs 60% approval in order for it to pass.