by Ralph Nichols

Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed $1.7 billion in state budget cuts Nov. 21 – including a 10 percent reduction in the sales tax credit that help Burien and six other cities pay for annexation of neighboring unincorporated areas.

This credit allows cities that annexed an area with a population of at least 10,000 to retain 0.2 percent of the state’s sales tax generated in the city to fund the cost of extending city services to the annexed area.

Late last month, Gregoire released a detailed list of Budget Reduction Alternatives to offset the $2 billion shortfall in anticipated revenues for the current fiscal biennium, including elimination of the state annexation sales tax credit.

But mayors from 115 cities statewide – including Burien Mayor Joan McGilton – responded with a letter to Gregoire, stating they were “extremely disappointed with the depth and breadth of your ‘preliminary choice’ budget cuts targeting cities and towns.

“These deep cuts are intolerable and, we feel, do not reflect our longstanding partnership…. Given our partnership, we want to work with you to help the state meet its economic goals. Instead of firing salvos at one another, we should be working together to stimulate economic recovery.”

“One major concern raised in the letter relates to the Governor’s proposal to eliminate the state sales tax credit that is helping several cities such as Burien that have recently done annexations,” Burien City Manager Mike Martin said earlier.

“For example, for the first North Highline annexation the city has received a total of $584,000 to date to help the city provide services in the North Burien annexed area,” Martin noted. “This funding was anticipated to last 10 years following annexation, but would be eliminated under the Governor’s [initial] proposed cuts.”

The mayors also noted that the responsibility for implementing and enforcing many laws enacted by the Legislature falls on local governments.

Neither McGilton nor Martin were immediately available for comment about what is now a proposal by Gregoire to cut by only 10 percent the state annexation sales tax credit to the seven cities in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

The governor’s new budget cutting proposals would also reduce by $43.8 million liquor profits sharing by 39 counties and 281 cities and towns, eliminate state liquor excise tax revenue sharing ($26.4 million), and reduce by 10 percent ($2.2 million) streamlined sales tax mitigation to two counties including King, 51 cities and seven transit districts.

The Legislature will convene in special session Nov. 28 to offset the $2 billion revenue shortfall to balance the budget through June 2013.

Burien, which has taken the first two steps toward annexing the remaining North Highline unincorporated area, anticipates receiving $5 million a year from this sales tax credit for 10 years to offset the costs of a second annexation.

If this proposal of Gregoire’s is approved during the special session, Burien would get only $4.5 million a year for the costs of annexing unincorporated North Highline.

The state’s Growth Management Act requires the annexation or incorporation of all currently unincorporated urban communities.

After Gregoire initially proposed eliminating the sales tax credit, opponents of this annexation intensified their objections to the move, saying there was no way the city Burien then could afford it.

In early October, the Burien City Council adopted by a vote of 5-2 a resolution to proceed with annexation of the remaining unincorporated area. A notice of intent to annex then was submitted to the King County Boundary Review Board, as required by state law.

The Boundary Review Board will hold a hearing on Burien’s proposal Jan. 9 (read more about that here).

In proposing her budget reductions Monday, Gregoire said, “No governor in modern times has had to weigh cuts of the magnitude I am proposing. But I have no choice…. Over the past three years, we have had to reduce existing and projected spending by nearly $10.5 billion. And now we must cut even deeper.”

In addition to $1.7 billion in state budget cuts, Gregoire is proposing some fund transfers – and asking state voters to approve a temporary half-cent increase in the state sales tax, which would generate an estimated $494 million through 2013. The tax increase would expire in 2015.

If the Legislature approves that request, she wants a special election for a public vote on the tax hike in March.

Gregoire said the majority of the money it raises would go to K-12 and higher education and restore public safety funding.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien’s proposal to annex the remaining North Highline Unincorporated Area took a major body blow Thursday (Oct. 27).

Only time – and anticipated negotiations between city council members and state legislators and King County officials – will tell if this hit proves fatal.

That blow is included in Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed Budget Reduction Alternatives to offset another $2 billion shortfall in anticipated revenues for the current fiscal biennium.

Gregoire’s budget-cutting plan was submitted to legislators this morning. A special session of the Legislature to deal with the state’s latest budget crisis will be held in late November.

Under “Local Government Revenue Sharing,” the governor proposes elimination of the state annexation sales tax credit, which her budget office projects would save $17.8 million, effective Feb. 1.

This would terminate “a tax credit that benefits seven cities in King, Pierce or Snohomish counties,” Gregoire reminded the Legislature.

“Under the credit, cities that annexed an area with a population of at least 10,000 are allowed to retain 0.2 percent of the state’s sales tax generated in the city to fund the cost of extending city services to the annexed area.”

For Burien, the sales tax credit, if it remains on the books, would bring the city an additional $5 million a year for 10 years to offset the costs of annexing North Highline.

Without a guaranteed sales tax credit for the full 10 years, even some ardent supporters of annexation on the city council have questioned whether it would pencil out.

In her message to legislators, Gregoire said, “These budget alternatives will impact real people. They’re all around us. They’re in our neighborhoods, on our streets, in our schools – and they have needs the state will no longer be able to meet….

“This is a beginning,” she continued. “I expect additional feedback from communities and various stakeholder groups that I will certainly consider before I present a more complete budget next month. This list will likely hange before then. But not much – our options are limited.

“We’ve already cut $10 billion from state government over the last three years, which leaves very few options moving forward. I said the work of slashing our budget by another $2 billion would be dreadful, and that’s what it is. Washingtonians are going to get a lot less of what they need.”

More details will be posted on The B-Town Blog later.

This last Saturday, I and a number of my friends and neighbors received a call from the Affordable Housing Council asking us to vote for Gordon Shaw. Wondering who this group was and where there funding came from, I went on line to find out who they were and what they stood for. This organization is a political action group (PAC) sponsored by the largest and weathiest group of right wing developers in the State of Washington-the BIAW(Building Industry Association of Washington). Each election cycle they funnel millions of dollars into Washington State elections to influence the outcome of the elections in the State of Washington to favor large corporations and commercial builders.

The BIAW has been involved in some very extreme political positions. They have opposed legislation to protect environment, critical areas, the salmon, Orca whales. They have opposed solar energy in the building industry and at one point in time, provided funding for the development of a para military group in Snohomish County. The BIAW has referred to people seeking to protect the environment are Nazis and terrorists. They oppose the fact that climate change is occurring on the planet. The BIAW has fought hard against union workers and disabled workers in the State of Washington. The State of Washington sued them for election fraud and failing to follow public disclosure rules-file of $584,000, Sept. 2010.

According to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the BIAW is Washington state’s biggest lobby against climate change, open space, and other environmental legislation. According to the same source, the group’s newsletter has gone so far to equate environmentalists with terrorists.The BIAW is unlike other business groups in Olympia according to environmental lobbyist Clifford Traisman. “They are to the far right of most business in Washington state,” Traisman says.

So what is the BIAW doing in the elections of a small city like Burien? Gordon Shaw stated at the Gregory Heights forum that Burien was too small of a city to have neighborhood plans and too small to have neighborhoods give input about what should be happening in the city. However, I guess it is not too small for the biggest and weathiest right wing development group in the State of Washington to finance his campaign and make phone calls to have him elected to the Burien City Council. Gordon Shaw has taken monies from this group in every election he has run in. The real question for every Burien citizen is should this kind of money be buying Burien City Council positions?

I find it very interesting to see who is funding the candidates and issues in elections – http://www.pdc.wa.gov/MvcQuerySystem/Candidate/loc_candidates then go to page 14 until you reach “City of Burien”

What is even more interesting to see who is funding Greg Duff. He has taken a great deal of campaign money from the unions but then has also taken monies from the BIAW-which is opposed to unions. Additionally, Duff has been spending portions of his funds at or for non- union products and services. So what does Greg Duff really stand for? Who does he really represent?

When you look at the Public Disclosure Site for candidates, those candidates that show $0 are candidates that are running campaign that have $5,000 or less in funding and are typically collecting monies from local citizens for small amounts. These are not the campaigns that big corporations and big political action lobby groups are involved in or trying to buy political positions for. They are the campaigns that really represent what the local voice in politics is.

I encourage every citizen in Burien to visit the link provided so they can see for themselves where the funding for the candidates for city council are coming from.

This will help clarify which candidates are representing the citizens of Burien and who is beholden to outside special interests.

Sincerely,
John Poitras

[Have something you'd like to share with our Readers? Please send us your Letter to the Editor via email. Include your full name, and, pending our review, we'll most likely publish it.]

by Ralph Nichols

If Burien is prohibited from using a 10-year state sales tax credit to help pay for capital costs, the city might not annex the North Highline unincorporated area.

“This seems like a deal breaker for me,” opined Councilman Gordon Shaw during a lengthy discussion on annexation at the Aug. 15 Burien City Council meeting.

“For years King County and the state have been telling us that it’s best for cities to provide services to unincorporated urban areas. It just seems to me that if they’re going to tie our hands on this, maybe we should just sit and wait.”

This, Shaw added, is “pretty serious. I always thought they wanted us to take over the area and manage it the way Burien does it.”

But, offered Councilman Gerald Robison, “I don’t see this as a deal breaker myself. This is a planning issue. It’s not an expense issue…. This is something that would be part of our capital planning, not something we would spend $46 million on in the next five years.”

The Berk Consulting study on annexation (download a PDF here) – the platform for the council discussion – estimates that North Highline needs $46 million in capital improvements, primarily streets and sidewalks.

Robison suggested these projects would be included in the city’s six-year list of capital improvement programs, which is updated and re-prioritized annually.

City Manager Mike Martin said while the sales tax credit of $5 million a year for 10 years “covers only operating expenses, not capital costs, it is possible that funding maintenance infrastructure with the sales tax credit “may be allowed.”

Martin told council members he is exploring this possibility, including seeking an Attorney General’s opinion.

Robison also cautioned that failure to annex North Highline could have unintended consequences for Burien.

“The King County Housing Authority has burdened this area for far too long,” he said. “This concentration of poverty influences the [wider] area, and also influences some [Burien] residents about annexation of the [unincorporated] area.”

At that point, Councilwoman Rose Clark interjected that “for every dollar in South King County that is paid to King County, only part of that dollar comes back to this area.”

Calling it an “issue of fairness,” Clark said the city needs to talk to the county about providing Burien with funds to help pay for capital improvement costs if it annexes North Highline.

Jack Block Jr. said he is concerned that an area about 25 percent the size of Burien has 80 percent of the city’s existing capital needs.

“We no longer can go to the federal government or the state to pay for these projects. We have to look internally to pay for these things … I have some real concerns.

“King County walked away from North Highline and has not met its needs,” Block continued. “So where is the money [for capital improvements] going to come from? I think King County should pay up and cover a portion of the capital costs. They have a debt to North Highline.”

Earlier, Morgan Shook with Berk Consulting told the council, “We believe that even after the expiration of the sales tax credit, [annexation is] a fiscally neutral situation for the city….

“Annexation does have new costs and it does have new revenue. Once the credit expires, the city is in no better or worse situation.”

The firm’s Jay Rogers said North Highline annexation pencils out for Burien but not Seattle because “it is more expensive to extend city of Seattle services than for Burien to extend its services.”

This, Rogers noted, is largely due to the fact that services already in place in the unincorporated area – fire protection, water, sewer, and libraries – would continue to be provided by special service districts after a Burien annexation.

Seattle voters also have voted to tax themselves more to provide more human services, “which is something we do a lot less of,” Martin added.

An updated Berk presentation to the council said unincorporated North Highline has a population of about 17,400, with 6,600 housing units. The assessed property value of $1.4 billion.

“Annexation does not make balancing the [city’s] budget more difficult,” the report said. “Future City Councils will not have to make choices between higher taxes and reduced levels of service to expressly accommodate the annexation area.”

The council will next hold a special meeting on annexation issues on Aug. 22. Since it is a study session, there will be no comments from the public. However, lawmakers agreed that, after a public discussion in the first hour, they will take questions from the public.

The City of Burien announced Wednesday (June 29) that it has around $25,000 available for its 2012 Arts & Culture grants funding, and with a Aug. 19th deadline for applications.

Arts & Culture grant funding is available to individuals, groups or organizations that ” provide arts and/or cultural enrichment to the Burien community.” This includes non-profits.

Proposed program and/or event must be held in Burien, or serve a majority of Burien residents. Only one application per individual or organization will be accepted per year.

Applications are available on the city’s website here.

The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m., Friday, August 19th to:

Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
14700 6th Ave SW
Burien, WA 98166

According to the city’s website:

Arts & Culture funding is on an annual application cycle and is available to individuals, groups and organizations that provide arts and cultural enrichment to the residents of Burien.

The City is looking for Arts & Culture programs and events:

• Applicants may be individuals or non-profit organizations. Evidence of non-profit status for organizations will be required.
• The proposed program and /or event must be held in Burien or serve a majority of Burien residents.
• Only one application per individual or organization will be accepted per year.

For more information, contact Gina Kallman, City of Burien Cultural Arts Supervisor at ginak@burienwa.gov or 206-391-6605.

We’re proud to be Sponsors of Burien’s annual Arts-A-Glow Lantern Festival (BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer will again serve as MC), this year to be held Saturday, Sept. 10th, and we’re pleased to announce that there’s funding available for Artists and Community Groups to create lanterns!

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10th at Burien’s Town Square Park.

If you’ve never been to this great event, see our previous coverage for 2010 here, and for 2009 here. To see a full gallery of great photos shot by Michael Brunk, click here.

The deadline to apply for funding is 5 p.m. on June 27th, and to apply, or learn more, click here (PDF file)

Here are a few details:

• Individual artists and community groups are encouraged to apply.
• Granting can be for lantern installation, a lantern to be carried in the procession or entertain the community at the event, or to do a project for the event with a community group. Grant can also be for a lantern creation station that will involve the community at the event, or???  Ideas are endless!
• Location of event may change…please ask for an update!
• All lanterns must be weatherproof.
• Artist fee’s of $100-700 will be awarded.
• Applications are due June 27th.

Here’s more info from the application doc:

Arts-A-Glow is an exhibition of temporary, outdoor illuminated artworks on the evening of September 10, 2011. This is the fifth year of the Arts-A-Glow Celebration and Community Lantern Procession, a collaboration with the City of Burien and 4Culture.

Our goal this year is to enhance the festival’s sustainability by:

• Drawing together local and regional lantern artists to lead community groups in creating temporary, illuminated artworks.
• Supporting the presentation of artworks at the Arts-A-Glow Festival this year and again.

The strength of this event was demonstrated last year when nearly 500 people participated in the pouring rain. That community devotion has led to the idea of creating more opportunities for Burien residents to work side-by-side with artists to create inspirational, illuminated art that can be enjoyed this year and in the future. By involving community members more deeply in the process, we are simultaneously sowing the seeds for future lantern art by nurturing future local lantern artists.

Here’s a video produced by Scott Schaefer of last year’s event, which was a huge success despite the rain:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Download the application here (PDF file), and for more information, please email Gina Kallman at ginak@burienwa.gov.

The King County Council announced Monday (March 7) that it had approved legislation detailing the county’s contribution to replace the South Park Bridge with a brand new one, with a projected starting date “sometime in May.”

The bridge was officially closed on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 (see our sister site’s Photo Story here), after structural damage and issues with electrical and mechanical systems led officials to deem it unrepairable. State and local politicians continued to beat the bushes looking for funding, but when the bridge closed, they remained some $50 million shy of the projected cost of a replacement.

The 79-year-old bridge, which crossed the Duwamish River and connected the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods in south Seattle, was a vital link to transportation needs in South Park, with more than 20,000 vehicles using it daily.

According to a press release:

The residents and businesses dependent on the disabled South Park Bridge are a step closer to a replacement with today’s unanimous adoption by the Metropolitan King County Council of agreements to fund construction of a new structure.

“Our region failed when the South Park Bridge closed last June. Today’s votes take a significant step towards righting that wrong for South Park residents and our region’s businesses,” said Councilmember Joe McDermott, whose district includes the South Park Bridge. “Replacing the bridge will create jobs in the present and support a regional economic hub into the future.”

“The Council wants to assure tax payers that we can afford this project,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “Now that the Port and the city of Seattle have firmed up their commitments to help pay for the project, we have the money we need to go forward with the construction of the new bridge.”

“South Park Bridge construction will mean new jobs and restoration of a transportation corridor that is critical to the regional economy,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee Chair. “I’m pleased King County was able to partner with Seattle, the Port of Seattle, and the State and Federal governments to secure funding to rebuild the South Park Bridge.”

Last June, because of the deteriorating condition of the span, the 79-year-old bridge, which crossed the Duwamish Waterway and connected the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods in south Seattle, was closed. Rebuilding the span is a priority for the region: more than 20,000 vehicles used the bridge every day and it was an important freight corridor that linked the manufacturing and industrial centers of Seattle with the rest of the region.

“We have seen the impact the loss of the bridge has had on the people who live and work in the South Park neighborhood,” said Council Chair Larry Gossett. “Having the financing for a new bridge in place means the County is closer to restoring the economic vitality and quality of life to this community.”

“I want to thank all of our regional partners for working to together to secure funding for this important project,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague. “The South Park Bridge is a vital economic lifeline for the citizens of south Seattle and I look forward to finally breaking ground.”

Before the bridge closed, the Council adopted legislation that provided the County Executive with funding authority needed to assist in the construction of a new bridge. The Council today adopted three separate ordinances that:

• Approve interlocal agreements with the city of Seattle and the Port of Seattle that details their contributions toward the project.
• Removes an expenditure restriction on a portion of the project construction funds that had been imposed pending the negotiation of these interlocal agreements.

The cost of the construction phase of the bridge replacement project is estimated at $138 million. Federal grants, including $34 million in TIGER II grant funds, are guaranteed for the construction of the bridge. King County, the city of Seattle, Port of Seattle, the Puget Sound Regional Council and state funds will cover the remaining cost of construction.

“It took extraordinary cooperation by governments at all levels to build the partnership bridges that will fund construction of the new South Park Bridge,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, Vice Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. “This effort serves as an important reminder that we must conduct regular monitoring and maintenance of all the county’s aging bridges to avoid any additional interruption in our transportation infrastructure that could hamper economic recovery.”

“Today’s legislation cements the funding needed to start construction on the new South Park Bridge, which is critical for businesses and residents,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson. “Working with local governments to secure funding for a new bridge was one of the Council’s key priorities last year.”

With all of the funding now in place, construction of the new South Park Bridge is slated to begin in May.

“With today’s Council vote, another important milestone has been met, so that we can open bids tomorrow and award the contract later this month,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “I thank the Council for keeping this project moving forward. The bridge will allow us to reconnect our historic industrial heartland and the vital, affordable family neighborhoods of the Duwamish valley, and support thousands of good jobs for decades to come.”

“I commend the City, Port, State, Federal and County governments for working together to arrive at today. In particular, I commend the South Park community for their tenacity,” said McDermott.

Ballots for the Highline Public Schools educational programs levy are landing in local mailboxes this week, with a Feb. 8th return deadline.

The only “local” issue on the Feb. 8th Special Election, the levy makes up a quarter of Highline’s operating budget.

The new levy would replace one that expires this year.

Here’s the official ballot text from the King County Elections website (to download the entire ballot text as a PDF file, click here):

Proposition No. 1
Replacement of Expiring Educational Programs and Operation Levy

The Board of Directors of Highline School District No. 401 adopted Resolution No. 2444, concerning a proposition for a replacement levy for education. This proposition would authorize the District to meet the educational needs of students by levying the following excess taxes, in place of an expiring levy, on all taxable property within the District, for support of educational programs and operation expenses, including instruction, safety, materials and facility maintenance and operations:

Collection Year	Approximate Levy Rate/$1,000 Assessed Value	Levy Amount
2012	$3.44	$46,000,000
2013	$3.44	$46,000,000
2014	$3.44	$47,000,000
2015	$3.52	$49,000,000

all as provided in Resolution No. 2444. Should this proposition be approved?

YES

NO

The Highline Public School District did not provide an “Explanatory Statement” to the county for the ballot, but here’s a statement from supporters:

“Unless we pass the levy, local funding for schools will end” says Lois Schipper, president of Highline Citizens for Schools. “That would be a devastating blow to our schools and our whole community. Neighborhoods with good schools are safer, and property values stay strong.”

About 80 percent of the levy dollars pay for teachers and other staff positions, according to the school district. The levy funds about 250 staff positions.

“The levy covers basics that the state doesn’t fully fund. In addition to personnel, it funds things like textbooks, bus transportation, and maintaining facilities,” says district spokesperson Catherine Carbone Rogers.

If the levy fails staff lay-offs could not be avoided, says Carbone Rogers. The district would be forced to eliminate courses and consider shortening the school day. Athletic programs and other “extras” would be on the chopping block.

“Levy failure will mean lost jobs, students receiving only the most basic education, larger class sizes, and much more,” says Highline School Board Member Michael Spear. “To ensure the continuing success of our students this Levy is critical.”

State funding reductions have forced Highline to cut $14.5 million from its operating expenses over the past 3 years. The district anticipates additional mid-year cuts of up to $2.1 million this year. State cuts of about $7 million are expected next year.

“Our schools simply can’t sustain cuts of that level without the levy,” says Schipper. “Our children will not get the education they need to compete for jobs.”

While the new levy replaces an expiring tax, there will be a slight increase in the levy amount to help cushion the impact of state cuts. The average Highline homeowner with a home valued at about $300,000 would pay about $14 more per month.

“That’s not a lot to pay for a good education and a healthy community,” says Schipper.

We couldn’t find any “opposition” website to this measure, but there is a Facebook Page for a supporter’s group called “Highline Citizens for Schools” here.

So…how will YOU vote? Please take our Poll below, or leave a Comment…

by Jack Mayne

Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin says financing for a new South Park Bridge is 75 percent complete thanks to money promised from the Seattle City Council and other public resources.

“In mid-June all nine members of the (Seattle) City Council have signed a letter to King County Executive Dow Constantine pledging $15 million towards replacing the South Park Bridge,” Conlin wrote in his newsletter. “This was the first concrete pledge towards meeting . . . Constantine’s goal of funding the replacement. The King County Council quickly added $30 million in county funds, and the State, Port, and Puget Sound Regional Council have added another $52 million in pledges.

“Together, these pledges make up almost 75 percent of the $130.8 million estimated cost of the project,” he said. “Given the favorable contracting environment, it is quite possible that the county will be able to go out to bid if the federal government can be persuaded to add $20 to $30 million.”

The bridge was closed on June 30 because the 80-year old bridge was damaged beyond repair during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Because the bridge spans a navigable waterway, it must be left open until it is removed so that shipping from upstream on the Duwamish River can move to and from Elliott Bay. Drivers from Burien and White Center and beyond must either use First Avenue South or another route into Seattle.

Attempts to get money from federal financial stimulus programs have so far failed.

Conlin says he is proud the Seattle City Council was the first to make a “concrete commitment” for money to replace the bridge. In addition, the councilmember says Seattle has “sponsored action” by the Puget Sound Regional Council for an additional $9 million “from out share of a possible future federal jobs bill, and the City has spent nearly $1 million in support of King County’s environmental review and design of the replacement bridge.”

He said the Council is “also promising to not submit or support any competing applications” future federal stimulus grants.

The Seattle City Council President says the City does not have an identifiable source for the $15 million it has pledged, and he suggests it could come from a voter approved bond issue known as Bridging The Gap, a fund used for special project including filling Seattle’s plethora of potholes, a fund already used by a mayor and Council grasping for money to fill a huge budget gap.

“There will always be competing priorities, but we are making this commitment because the South Park community needs our help and support,” Conlin says. “The South Park Bridge also plays a critical role in freight mobility and economic vitality for the city and region. The Council believes that Seattle must not only ensure the economic health of Seattle and our neighborhoods, but play a positive role in ensuring regional prosperity.”

The bridge is on a County island and is County property. The City has indicated an interest in annexing the unincorporated area, but only after the County replaces the bridge.

by Rachel M. Lusby

Highline High School graduate, Lucas Green, says he did not believe he would get the opportunity to pursue a higher education when he graduated in 2009, that is until teacher Katie Taylor, who has known Green since he was in kindergarten, showed him how to get started.

Taylor had set up a trust fund within the Highline School District back in 1996 to help students like Green reach their goals after high school. Taylor won the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Education that year and used her award money to start the fund.

“College should never be limited to whether or not you can afford it,” Taylor says. “It’s an opportunity to give kids a future.”

Green is the first recipient of this opportunity.

The money from the “Taylor Made Educational Fund” paid for Green’s first quarter of school at South Seattle Community College. Now, he looking into possible scholarships he could get to help pay for his remaining years in school, and job opportunities for this summer to save money to also help cover school expenses.

Green says he has always been “the poor kid” and did not foresee being able to go to college. He worked hard in high school, even creating a senior project so good that it is now used for an example for students at Highline High School now.

Currently, Green works part time at the Magic Lanes bowling alley in White Center; but he says it is slow and he will need to pick up something else to keep his dream going.

“I’m just your average poor boy trying to go to school,” says Green.

This summer, Green says he plans to try and take some online courses and work more to pay for all the expenses.

Green has great plans for his future, now that he can foresee one that he desires.

“My central focus is on psychology,” he says. He also wants to pursue a minor in English and someday go for a Masters degree and eventually a PhD.

To other kids in his position, he has this to say: “There is always a way. Sometimes it (money) will find you, but other times you have to go find it.”

The Taylor Made Educational Fund accepts donations, according to Katie Taylor. They are tax deductible and information about donating can be found by contacting the Highline School District at 206.433.0111.