There will be no “Kids and Cops” Initiative on the Burien ballot this November.

Without a formal vote, Burien City Council members decided June 18 to not move forward on the proposal.

As introduced by City Manager Mike Martin the six-year initiative would have funded a surge in Burien police officers and provide grants to some Burien elementary schools.

The initiative would have been funded by an increase in utility taxes and would have needed voter approval.

The city council’s decision came after three influential school leaders roasted the proposal at a June 5 Highline School Board meeting.

The three leaders said the initiative would make it harder to pass school district levies and bonds because Burien voters would think they already had voted on funding the schools.

They also noted the school board is elected to decide funding priorities. Providing direct funding at the discretion of school principals would circumvent the process, they argued.

The three noted that the Highline district also encompasses SeaTac, Des Moines, Normandy Park and North Highline. Just funding Burien schools would be a conflict of interest, according to the leaders.

Speaking at the school board meeting were Lois Schipper, president of the citizens group that runs district levy and bond elections, Stacie Hawkins, president of the Highline teachers union and Tom Slattery, former school board president. Hawkins also spoke at the June 18 Burien council meeting.

At the council meeting, Mayor Brian Bennett reminded lawmakers no district administrators or current board members had expressed opposition to the initiative.

However, Bennett noted that a new school superintendent will take over next month. Former Seattle Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield will start in Highline on July 9.

Bennett said he wants to make sure the vision of Burien lawmakers matches Enfield’s vision on education.

The mayor also noted that North Highline voters will decide on annexing into Burien in November. He said North Highline residents should be given the opportunity to vote on a tax they would also have to pay.

Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, who also attended the school board meeting, said the comments at the meeting were not reflective of what Burien was planning.

She also declared, “A grant from the city is no more objectionable than a grant from a nonprofit.”

Clark said she is worried that Burien is not going to progress as a city as long as the Highline School District is perceived as having low-test scores and Burien is perceived to have a high crime rate.

“As long as we fail to address (those issues) we won’t be able to attract business, Clark said.

“Our tax base has to increase. That will either be on our backs or through new business.”

But Clark said that the city needs more time to work with the district to help school leaders understand what Burien wants to do.

Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak said the city should concentrate on public safety and allow the school board to handle education.

Councilman Jack Block Jr. declared, “This is not the right time to go ahead,”

He said that because of declining home values, Burien will very likely have to raise taxes to maintain the same level of services.

Block added that the city is also pursuing North Highline annexation.

He also talked about low rates of pre-kindergarten readiness for education and high school graduation rates in the Highline district.

Block also said he has “a real fear” that Highline is moving to a situation where “the haves” attend private schools while “the have-nots” attend public schools.

Councilman Bob Edgar suggested the Kids and Cops parts of the proposed initiative be separated.