001code and have the agenda in front of you. Um if not, that's okay. I'm going to explain how um this is going to go. We're going to do our normal call to order and then um we're going to swear in our new student reps and then right from there we're going to go into our presentation from OSPI and after the presentation, it'll be about 15 20 minute presentation. We're going to have about 15 minutes of questions particularly on uh the information that's being shared by OSPI and then after that we'll move into our regular agenda and take care of the rest of our business. So I just wanted to make sure that you know that there are some formal pieces to this that we have to tend to but um the presentation in the beginning
002uh will be followed by um some time of questions. So be thinking about if you might have a question um from the information that's going to be shared. I'll bring around a microphone and ask you to share that question. Also, we do have this live streaming. So we would ask that um you just be uh respectful of that as far as noise so they can hear. We're doing the very best we can to make sure that it's clear and that they can follow along. And when I come around with the microphone for your question, we're going to need you to state that um clearly in the mic so they can hear that as well. After the meeting is over, we will post the presentation that's going to be shared tonight and uh put it in
003a format that's much easier to see um once we post the whole board meeting. So with that, I'm going to hand the mic over to our board president and we will formally uh start the board meeting. All right. I now call the September 25th, 2025 Yelm Community School Board meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. All right, welcome everyone. My name is Denise Hendrickson and I'm the school board president. Before we begin, I want to remind everyone that the agenda and meeting packet are made available on our district website at least 24 hours prior to the start of each meeting. Please note that while we strive to provide all relevant materials in advance, modifications to the agenda are permissible. And with that, we're going to swear in our student reps. All right.
004Uh, normally they don't have to do this in front of a crowd. So, um, bear with us. Uh, we're going to go through this, uh, one at a time for each one. We'll do it over here. We won't make you stand out in the middle in front of everybody. So, Cali, come on up. So, our uh juniors that were selected go through a process um to be a student representative on the board. um they go through a process at the school and it gets narrowed down to um I believe we did a handful of of interviews um in front of the board at a board meeting where we got to ask questions and they responded and then from there um the board selected representatives every year this is harder and harder because they're all great
005and we want to have them all. Um however uh it makes it pretty challenging if we have uh 20 up here um on the board. But uh these students have done quite a bit of work to to be selected and it's a big deal. Um not only a time commitment um but also says a lot about their character and um who they are as people to u to want to do this and make this commitment. So ready? You're ready. Okay. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me and we'll go slow. I, Cali Stein, >> do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington that I will faithfully and impartially will perform the duties school board student representative or the Yam community
006to the best of my ability. >> Great job. >> All right, Rebecca. Aiden, you're paying attention, right? Okay. I Rebecca Rankin do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington that will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of award student representative for the Young Community Schools to the best of my [Applause] >> All right, Aiden, come on up. I, Aiden Williams, do you solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and law of the state of Washington, and that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of schoolboard student representative for the Young Community Schools for the best of my Nice job. >> Let's give uh all three of them a big round of
007applause, please. All right. Uh we are going to move into the uh presentation from uh TJ Kelly. He is the chief financial officer for the Office of Student of Public Instruction. um he's going to do a presentation about binding conditions and the financial situation uh that we are currently in, but also he's going to talk about the process and the procedures. This is something we've shared uh quite a bit at board meetings and talked quite a bit at um our study sessions, but we thought it would be best for the state to come and do the presentation. As I said earlier, uh be thinking about if you might have some questions. We're going to take a little bit of time right after the presentation. I'll come around with a microphone. If you have u any
008questions uh pertaining to his presentation, we'll give you an opportunity to ask those. And I'd just like to say thanks to TJ. Also, Flip H. Hearnden is sitting right here behind him. He's a superintendent of the Educational School District uh 113. He represents 44 school districts in the Puet Sound area. he is also here this evening um to support in this process. So with that I'll call TJ up to uh present. All right, fantastic. Um so first thanks, excuse me, thank you to the school board and uh the superintendent for having me out tonight. It's good to see um such a large crowd here. Uh and thank you again to Flip for joining me because the ESD does play a critical role in the state oversight process for districts in uh financial distress. Um so
009we are going to kind of go over very high level overview of of the state's process and what our role is uh and what the legislature expects OSPI to do with uh districts that are in financial distress. Um, well, why don't we just head to the first slide since I'm kind of diving right? Oh, that's me. So, if you want to email me later, you can you can email me. Uh, but here are the main questions that we're going to answer. So, what is the state's process in working with districts experiencing financial difficulty? We're going to talk about how many districts are in formal state oversight and at what level of the oversight process they're currently in. uh what factors are impacting the school district's financial performance in recent years as I stated earlier where
010is Yelm in that process uh and then we'll talk about what does success look like what what ultimately what do we as the state hope to get out of this over formal oversight process for for you the district and the community go ahead uh so here's some background information uh that's important to note as we talk about the overall process process. So, school districts are required to report to OSPI their financial plans or the status of the district multiple times throughout the year. So, the first time would be the budget submission and the budgets for the upcoming school year are due to our office at OSPI. They go through the ESD first and then they come to the state and those are due in August of each year. And then there's a budget extension that
011may be required. And this is what districts need to do if a district says, "I'm going to spend a million dollars in my general fund," and they get halfway through the school year and they realize they're actually going to need to spend a million half dollars in their general fund, they have to come to OSPI through the ESD and formally request permission to spend more than what was authorized in their original budget. And that's essentially what a budget extension. And then finally at the end of the school year and again the school fiscal year runs September 1 to August 31. So in the middle of November after all the fiscal year close happens they report their financial statements to our office again through the ESD. So the financial activities in the reports must result in
012a positive fund balance for the period reported. So if any of those three reports as submitted by the district result in a negative fund balance position, then the state has to start their oversight process and the district is required to petition the state to start that oversight process because of that negative fund balance. So that's essentially the background of when the state becomes involved in in a formal process. So the state's process for financial oversight has three formal stages and the three formal stages are binding conditions which is where Yelm currently sits along with Shelton, Mton, Tquila, Mount Baker and Belleview. Uh after that comes financial oversight and there are currently no districts at the financial oversight stage of the process and then there's enhanced financial oversight and currently we have two districts in enhanced
013financial oversight and those would be Mary'sville and Prescott and we're going to talk about what each level of this oversight process looks like and what OSPI's role is what the district limitations are and how we manage through this. Uh each of these three steps are jointly administered by the local educational service district and by OSPI. So the first of those three is binding conditions. So if you want to roll forward for me. Thank you. So binding conditions are a set of financial performance goals that the district must achieve through local decisionmaking and a district must request binding conditions if any of the three financial reports I previously mentioned come to OSPI representing a negative fund balance and being placed on binding conditions does not automatically nullify or otherwise impact existing collective bargaining. So, that's one
014of the number one questions we get. If my district goes on binding conditions, does it void my labor? No, it does not. The analogy I use for binding conditions, um, and I keep using it and I hope it works. Nobody tells me that it doesn't make sense. So, here it goes again. But binding conditions is if if I tell you that you're in financial difficulty and geographically that is Yelm, Washington and financial health is Chicago, Illinois. Right? So I'm going to tell you that you have to be in Bosezeman, Montana by Friday. I don't care if you choose to get there on a scooter, if you want to hopcotch to Bosezeman, if you want to take a car, or if you want to fly there. As long as you're in Bosezeman by Tuesday, we're good
015to go. And that's basically the type of parameter that the state establishes. If your fund balance is X now by some point in time in the future, it needs to be a different number. But the methods and the decisions that you make in order to improve the the district's financial position to get to that goal are still entirely up to the local process. And that's what this stage of the process is. And that's currently where Yelm School District sits. The state establishes that high level goal and the district decides what decisions they can make in order to achieve that goal at a certain time in the future. Go ahead. So at the next stage of the financial oversight process is if a district is unable to construct a viable financial plan that meets the positive
016fund balance goal that's established through the binding conditions process by OSPI and the ESD within a two-year period. Then the district the OSPI can convene a financial oversight committee and the oversight committee can construct an alternate financial plan for the district to consider to get to that financial goal. And the financial oversight committee consists of people from OSPI, the local ESD and another ESD in another area of the state. And again, at this stage of the process, what we're beginning to look at is if the district is unable to give us a plan that meets the parameters of successful financial performance, this is when the state steps in and says, "Okay, here are some options for decision making that will allow you to achieve those financial goals." Again, it's not authoritative. It's not directive, but
017it's a little bit more than saying we don't care how you get to Bosezeman. Now, we're saying you have to get to Bosezeman by Tuesday, and we highly encourage you to take a bus or a plane. Some of these other options are no longer off the table, but the district still gets to choose about how they want to go about meeting that goal. Okay? And then, if necessary, the state can proceed to enhanced financial oversight. And again, we have two districts currently in the state on enhanced financial oversight now. And what this requires, it requires the continuence of the formal committee. It requires OSPI to appoint a special administrator. And at this point, OSPI can begin to require approval of certain financial transactions before the district can actually take them. So, for example, for some
018districts that have been on enhanced financial oversight before, what we've said is whether they're budgeted or not, you need to submit all expenditures above 25,000 to the financial oversight committee for review and approval. So what we're doing there is we're again putting down another level of authority to ensure that the district is operating within the financial constructs of their budget that has been approved by the ESD and OSPI to ensure that we're moving towards a successful financial trajectory. If the financial oversight committee can is unable to construct a plan that can put the district in positive financial position within two school years and the district is also unable to construct a plan that can put the district in a positive financial position within two school years, then it is feasible that the OSPI and the
019finan the financial oversight committee can make a recommendation to superintendent Doll to essentially dissolve the district. We've only had one dissolution of a school district in the state in the last 25 years. It was Vader in the 20067 time frame. And that situation wasn't because of uh I mean it w it wasn't solely financially related. We'll just leave it at that. I have a fascinating three- ring binder on my desk that details every nook and cranny of that process, but essentially it had to do with condemned instructional space and then that led to their inability to meet the state required 180 days of minimal instruction and then ultimately they were dissolved into the Castle Rock School District in what amounted to essentially a two to threeyear process. So if dissolution happens, which I there's nothing
020indicating that that is a likely outcome. Again, possible, but not likely for the Yelm district and the Yelm community. But if that were to happen, it's a it's a complex two to threeyear process that involves a lot of lot of different um roles with the ESD and with OSPI. I will say that Mary'sville School District spent the better half of a year, 18 months in enhanced financial oversight and pending review of their current enrollment and their financial statement that comes into the OSPI in November, they are likely to move from enhanced financial oversight back to binding conditions. So again, just because you're on enhanced financial oversight doesn't mean that the state is looking to or likely to recommend dissolution. We don't want dissolution. We are not here to put pressure on the district to go
021away. We have a lot of work to do in Olympia. We're here to make sure that your district can thrive and become financially successful and your community can get back to discussing other things at this board meeting and not having OSPI involved in local decision-m next. So, here are some factors. I've been at OSPI for almost 16 years. Uh my son was starting kindergarten when I was there and now he's a sophomore in college. So um it's been a while. We've never had this many districts on binding conditions at one time. Like I think at most in the my tenure at OSPI before this little push here, uh we've had two districts on binding conditions at one time. uh but it has been usually one at a time and we have gone multiple years in
022succession with no districts on binding conditions. So that might lead to the question what's going on? Well, here are some factors that a help answer that question of what's going on. So many districts are still experiencing declining or stagnant enrollment after the p pandemic. So we know the pandemic happened. we went to remote learning, a lot of um students left the state. There was a decline in enrollment. And while if you look at the trajectory of enrollment growth, the the slope of that line over the last couple of years is on par with the slope of the enrollment growth line pre- pandemic, but but it's not yet catching up to where we were before the pandemic hit. And in fact, there was a significant dip in births during the pandemic. And those kids would be
023in kindergarten and first grade right now. And those kids don't exist because birth rates were down during the pandemic because people were going not wanting to go to the hospital for birthing or for a lot of other reasons. The other factor is inflation is exceeding the state formulas. So there's been a lot of talk about insurance and utility costs for school districts recently and how over the last 3 to 5 years the insurance and utility actual costs of school districts which are two things that are not within district's control have far exceeded what the state funds through the legislatively approved budget to keep pace with those costs. So, I don't have the data in front of me, so these are hypothetical numbers, but I they're pretty close to real. You know, the the the state
024funding formula has increased the allocation to pay for insurance and utilities by anywhere between two and 3% over the last couple school years, where the actual increase of those costs, again, 15 to 20% increase over the last couple of school years. And again, that's not anything that's in the district's control. There's very few places they can go to market to purchase insurance, and the utility bills are the utility bills. Another thing that we're seeing districts do, and this is something districts do to prolong state oversight process or kind of push it down the road, um they're relying on one-time cash or revenue sources to cover ongoing cash or expenditure needs. So, you can borrow money. The state law allows you to borrow money from certain other funds within your district to meet general fund expenditures.
025So you can borrow from your capital projects fund as long as you don't have an active capital project that meets that needs those dollars. Move those dollars over to general fund to meet general fund expenditures as long as you transfer them back later. And what we're seeing is districts are utilizing this tactic uh as well as taking out aortionment money early, which also is allowable under law. But, you know, you you can't rely on one-time increases or one-time shifts of dollars to fund ongoing expenditures of the district. So again, you can't buy groceries from your savings account forever. Ultimate somebody's going to go hungry. Uh and then another thing, loss of significant revenue, either state, local, or federal. Lot of focus on what's going on back in DC right now. Um we think we're okay
026for the federal fisc year $25. There could still be. Again, it's unlikely for your formula money, your title one, title two, title six money, but there are some other areas where they could actually stop the funding, go to Congress for the recision process, and then take federal money away from schools that would impact this current school year. If that would happen, a lot of districts would be challenged in what their budgets might look like for the rest of the school year. I would say including Yelm. So if that were to happen, we might see an uptick on districts on binding conditions. And then of course the other one is is local levy proceeds. And then finally, some districts just they they have a lack of a plan to address imminent financial challenges. I will say
027very definitively that's not what we're seeing in Yelm, but we have seen it in other areas of the state where they experience a double levy failure. They don't react in time. They think they can sustain the same level of services and then they realize that they're in trouble. And I will say that that was a big factor with what happened in Mary'sville. Double levy failure. didn't have a good plan and they experienced financial difficulty. Again, situation up north is very different now. As I stated earlier, they're about to come off of enhanced financial oversight, but that was a big reason why they ended up where they were. Double levy failure, no plan. Okay. Financial health checklist. So, if you go to this link, and it is a live link, so if they post the presentation
028later, uh, and if it doesn't work or it takes you somewhere weird or you need help, email me. But there is a financial health checklist that we point that we've published online now that has seven questions. And examples of those questions that you should be asking your district and your school board routinely or you can be asking them routinely are here. So, does the district's 12-month general fund cash flow projection contain three or four month or three or more months of a negative position? So, if the cash flow projection of your district is negative for six months in a row in a middle of the school year, that's a red flag. Now, in and of itself, that might not mean the district is in financial difficulty. But if you go down this list of seven
029questions and you you're beginning to say yes to four or more of these questions, that's not a good sign. Does the district's general fund contain cash borrowed from another fund within the district? Again, in and of itself, not necessarily something to be concerned with, but as you go down this list of questions, if you if you're continuously saying yes to four or more of these questions, then I would say that that's pause for concern with where the financial trajectory of the district is headed. So Yelm School District the current status is it was placed on binding conditions September 3rd 2024 and at that time the district submitted a budget for the 2425 school year which reflected a negative general fund balance of 1.3 million. So again, as I stated up front, if a district submits
030a budget, a budget extension or a financial statement with a negative fund balance, then they are required to go on binding conditions. And then the fund balance goals that we placed, we collectively, and it was primarily the ESD and OSPI, but we do solicit some feedback from the district in establishing these fund balance targets. are a negative 1.3 million for the 2425 school year. So, initially we just said meet your budget. You have to either meet or outperform your budget in year one. In year two, you have to be at a positive $900,000. And in year three, you have to be at $2.7 million or better. I will say that the budget and the four-year financial plan submitted by Yelm does not meet these targets and part of that was is because they chose not
031to include the revenue from a levy that had not yet been approved by the voters in their financial plan. So what that means is if these values are not going to be met that the state will convene the financial oversight committee and then begin to think through what the next two years will look like with Yelm and whether or not we need to be more uh aggressive or attentive with the types of um oversight that we choose to implement within the the parameters of the state statute. Go ahead. Next one, Chris, please. So, again, what does success look like? Um, success in any of these situations, whether a district is on binding conditions, financial oversight, or enhanced financial oversight, we we want to come in, we want to help, we want to monitor. We prefer
032that we don't go past binding conditions. There have been two districts that have been on binding conditions, never progressed to financial oversight or enhanced financial oversight and have been released from binding conditions within the last two to three years. So since the pandemic, we've had two examples where we've gone to binding conditions and then no further. The key to this is communication, accurate data and accurate communication of that data from the district to the ESD to OSPI. Again, we have had no communication challenges within that trio. We have gotten timely data from Yelm School District. When we have had questions about that data, it's not questioning the integrity or accuracy of the data. It might be questioning some of the assumptions or hey did you think of this or can you explain this to me
033those types of questions only just to ensure that we're all have a common understanding of the data the district is giving us and where they see the district going over the next year or two. And again I want to be really clear about this. The objective of the state oversight is not to eliminate districts to force consolidation to negate collective bargaining agreements. That's not why we're here. And I don't say this for sympathy, but the overstate the or not but and the overstate process is a lot of work for OSPI and our team. and we would love nothing more to give the lightest touch possible in the state oversight process and go back to Olympia and send you guys on your way. And at the same time, it's critically important that we keep a close
034eye on districts that are experiencing financial difficulty because we owe that responsibility to the communities and we owe that responsibility to the legislature. And I think that is the end of my slides. So, Flip, I'll put you on the spot. Do you have anything you want to add or No, thank you. I I'll pay you later. Okay. I owe him a coffee for saying that. So, with that, I'll turn it back over to the superintendent here. I'll hang out up here if you guys have questions for me that you'd like to ask in this format. be happy to answer them. If you want to reach out to me in the next couple days or so, I will note I'm out of the office next week. So, if you email me next week and you don't
035get a response, it's not because I'm ignoring you, but we do have a wizard in our office. Her name is Carrie Herd and she might be fac she might be able to facilitate your question over to my um counterpart who can get your response faster than I will be able to because I will be gone for a little bit. So, thank you for having me. I hope this was helpful and happy to answer any questions at this. >> TJ, two quick things of clarification. Um, do you want to explain what our process is right now as far as meeting and communication with you and ESD? Um, what are we currently doing as far as that communication? >> So, right now we're we're doing monthly exchange of data. YM is giving us their monthly financial statements
036as they are required to disclose locally to the board. All 295 districts in normal circumstances aren't required to give that information to the to OSPI. In this instance for Yelm, they are required to give that information to us. We review that information monthly and then we have meetings with the Yelm School Board, the superintendent and the business office on a quarterly basis to do a check-in to see if we have any questions and to confirm what we think the decision making and the trajectory of the district actually is. Of course, if there are concerns, if we don't see eye to eye on some of the decision- making or if we're confused by the data, we reach out immediately and we try to hash that out over email. So, formally, we meet quarterly to have these
037discussions. We can meet as often as necessary. And again, the district has been responsive, receptive to our requests. We have no communication issues or challenges amongst the three parties that are administering this process right now. >> Uh, and one other question before I go around and see if there are any questions. How many districts on binding conditions currently have levy dollars? >> Uh, all of the districts right now that are on binding conditions have benefited from levies. Mary'sville did not have levy dollars for a period of time, which was what led them to binding conditions and ultimately enhanced financial oversight. It wasn't the only factor that led them there. Uh, and there are also districts that have experienced a double levy failure and have not led to binding conditions. But right now, the only district
038that has a d that is on binding conditions and has a double levy failure is Young. >> All right. I want to uh give us about 15 minutes for questions. So, if you just raise your hand, I'm going to try to run around and come to you and um if you just uh ask your question and we'll keep moving on. >> Uh Frank, thanks for coming. And the presentation was pretty clear and concise. I don't like it, but it was very good. Uh, this is a question that's a little bit outside, but it is gerine. When a new high school is built, >> is that built based on a projected population of students? And the reason I asked that question is YM as a city has monotonically increased its population for probably 40 years now.
039But it seems to me like as soon as we were done building this new high school at the time we're already starting to build portables. What is the state policy on that? Is there a point where they cut and say we're only going to build it to this population which exists right now or it's projected to be here by the time we have the high school done or even smarter 10 years after the high school's done? So, you should email me that question because that is a great question for um Randy Newman. What I will tell you is that enrollment is a factor in the the the the state funding laws fund square footage and that square footage is based upon the student needs. So there's a student enrollment factor that goes into the state
040formulas for the SCAP, the school construction assistance program. And so enrollment is a factor and that enrollment leads to square footage. Uh what I what I can't definitively say here now is whether or not that is a 10-year look or a positional of where this where the enrollment seems to be at the point in time of the um school building being completed. I will also say that there's a lot of school construction programs right now that even if they were based on projected enrollment because they're taking longer than anticipated to build because of construction costs, there are certain scenarios where the financial commitment of the state and the communities don't meet the the ultimate cost of what it is to to build that school for the projected enrollment. So there are uh many factors. Enrollment
041is one of them. And if you want to email me your information, I will get you a better answer with specifically related to what happens as enrollment fluctuates within that time. >> Yeah, Ryan Juel here. I got a couple questions. I'll just start with one. If there's time, you can come back, I guess. But um the first one being there, so there's am I correct? There's eight districts that are in this process right now. >> Yes. >> Are you aware? Are there additional that are approaching this process or near this process? >> Yes, I would uh it would not surprise me if we had uh two or three more added before the end of the calendar year. I do not anticipate like we would double the amount. >> Okay. >> So it it there are
042more that will likely be added. Yes. So with with this number of schools entering binding agreements or or the process, is this a school budget uh problem or is it a greater problem of state budget um in terms of the funds getting to the appropriate places? >> Uh I would say that it it's a little bit of both. Uh I would say that part of it is and again in the example that I gave which is very real. I think one of the one of the significant factors of school districts being challenged right now financially is insurance and utility costs. And it is a true statement that those are not solely within the control or I would argue almost zero control over school districts. And the fact that those costs are increasing at a factor
043significantly higher than what the state funding formulas assume is is a problem for all districts right now. Um and and then there's just you know other many other factors in play that that are impacting that. So I I would say it's both. It's partially it's partially related to how the state is providing the funding and then it's partially to how the districts are using those dollars at a local level. >> Hello. Uh just a random concerned citizen. Um for an enhanced oversight, what are the common programs you guys recommend a school cutting? Are they sports? Are they what are the things that get cut first when you guys take control? >> So again, we still don't we still don't dictate at that level. What I will say is um some districts have uh elected to
044not fund athletics uh and instead they do community fundraising. So, I know of one district example where they chose not they said, "We're not doing athletics." And the community stepped in. They found some local donors and they said, "We will absolutely help you fund athletics." Um, again, wasn't the state oversight process saying you can't do that. Um, but it was something that was uh locally determined. Um what the state will likely do is look at some you know we we can't we can't come in and say that you need to cut to the extent that you can't provide the provisions of basic education which are 180 days of instruction, 127 hours of annual instruction. Um so it would more be what what's around the edges. So again, athletics would be one. We have not yet
045mandated in a community that athletics need to go. Um but it would be athletics, other extracurriculars. Um if there was staffing levels that were significantly above what the prototypical school model provides, that would be an area that could be cut because it would not be basic education. Um but again, we We haven't come across a scenario a scenario yet where the state had has had to look at something and say that activity must go and and had to come at it with that type of aggressiveness. >> My my question um we talked a lot about mandates and when you get involved in this process. >> Yes. >> Um it's also been man mandated by the state legislature that we fully fund public education. Right. I believe that school districts are spending dollars on stuff that
046they are being mandated to spend dollars on that aren't being fully funded. They're having to spend levy dollars to cover education that is not being fully funded. Is that true or not? Special education, >> classroom sizes. I mean, >> so I will say it is a fact that the the state supreme court has allowed the legislature to define basic education through a funding model. So the de state definition of basic education is what is funded through the prototypical school model. Uh it is also true that the state requires districts to meet a class size in K3 of 17 to1 and that the state does not fund dollar for dollar what it actually costs a school district to hire a teacher to meet that mandate. So that is an example in a silo where the state
047is saying you must provide and it's requiring either higher class sizes in grades 4 through 12 so they can use those state dollars to help backfill to meet that state mandate or it's requiring local levy dollars in communities that have those available to them to k to kick in to help fund that delta. So it is true that the state is defining basic education through a funding model and it is also true in areas specifically that I just mentioned K3 class size compliance and special education where the costs are exceeding what the state has provided which requires the district specifically in special education to provide FAPE the free and appropriate public education as defined in the students IEP. Hi, quick question. >> Uh, so kind of on his question, uh, schools that cut, um, sports,
048do you find that, um, schools that have cut sports that their enrollment actually drops some um, affecting funding as well? >> Um, again, I I haven't seen a community where high school sports have been eliminated. I've seen it in this example I cited where the district said we can't fund that, the community said we certainly will. Uh I will also say that through publicly available information, we've all seen areas in the state, and I'm going to go back to the pandemic where our state at the governor level said sports are not allowed. And we can all site and read examples and probably know families that have that chose to either move out of state or send their high school kids to relatives out of state where sports were allowed. So again, I haven't seen it
049specifically as it relates to binding conditions, but I think we all would would be naive to say that that wasn't something that was occurring during the pandemic when our state prohibited athletics. and we know that other states did. >> Um, are there any other districts facing a triple or quadruple levy failure? And if so, with what you know, what cuts or decisions have they made that Yelm hasn't to stay out of binding conditions? >> So, I I only know of one and again I'll and it was that area. So, the district experienced a local a double levy failure. They knew their levy money was going away. They said we cannot fund continue to fund athletics for the next school year. And then the local community stepped up through fundraising and said we will help cover
050that for a year. So that that is that is the one example. Again, double double levy failures aren't that common. So to say where where where are some examples of real life impact it it's hard for me to come up with but I know that for certain is is one that we've seen in the last couple of years. >> Yes sir. So you get a double whammy here. I'm uh visually challenged and also uh mathematically challenged. >> Okay. >> So but it was a great presentation. Understood. Thanks for helping me out there. I just want some clarification on a couple things to make sure I understand what what you were saying. >> Sure. um without a pie chart, what what is the estimated percentage? Uh you said CBAs will be covered uh regardless. So what
051is the estimated percentage of a pie chart that is covered out of that? The CBAs. >> CBAs. >> Yes. >> Uh I would say on average 80% of what districts spend is salary and benefits. >> 80%. Okay. >> Yes. 75 to 80% of school district expenditures are >> the cuts reductions and cuts have to come from somewhere one area is protected. >> So the next qu follow follow-on question is I I believe if I'm tracking right one of your one of the slides had 1.9 million negative right now >> I think it was 1.3 >> 1.3 million negative. >> Yeah. >> And then the goal set is to get be at 2.7 or some more million in the positive. Mhm. >> So that's not 2.7 deposit. That's a basically a $4.6 million shift. >> Am
052I tragging that right? >> Roughly. Yes. >> With 80% protected. >> Well, again, >> again the so the so that so that 80% is all salaries and benefits, not just those that are collectively bargained, right? And that doesn't necessarily mean that the so a a district could request a bargain just like a union could request a bargain. And it also doesn't mean that collective bargaining or rebargaining is the only way that you can whittle down on that 80%. Right? There there is a reduction and force process. So you could you could you could reduce classified staff. You could reduce staff at the district admin building or you could go through the RIFF process in May 15th to reduce certificated instructional staff. So there are ways that you could reduce that 80% number through reduction of
053staff units rather than going through a full collective bargaining process. But I'm not going to tell you that it's easy either. I think if your point is this, if 80% of what you're telling me is salary and benefits and that's one of the most difficult areas to either manage or cut, this is a this is a very challenging situation and the answer to that question is yes. My question is um with how there's a chance of another lovey fa failure, how would classes that are considered both classes and a clubs like choir and band be affected? So again, we have seen double levy failures result in districts on enhanced financial oversight. And at no point has the state said in order to balance your your budget, you have to eliminate noncore electives. So it would
054be hardressed for the state to come in or for the ESD to come in and look say show us your high school curriculum offering. Show us your high school scheduling and those three classes have to go primarily because that should be and rightfully is a local community decision. And in the big scale of things, eliminating single courses like that in and of them of itself is isn't going to move the needle enough to see the impact that we need in order to make make progress. What we're what we're primarily primarily looking at is is is larger scale things. And just like athletics, choir is critically important. CTE is critically important. If if we have to reduce course offerings to the extent where Yelm High School and the Yelm community isn't attractive for students and families
055anymore, then we we too as a collective ESD, OSPI, Yelm School Board, we've missed the mark. >> Yes. >> Hi. Um so I was uh under the assumption if you can clarify that the school board had approved administrative raises and I want to know if if that's above the state u allowance how is that impacting the school cuts and staffing like how is that being paid for and what are the impacts to um the students in the school? So I I can answer from the state perspective. Right now there there are no state caps on administrative pay and there are no state caps on the number of staff that can be or must be at an administrative building as it relates to staff to student ratios. So, should the legislature ever pass a bill or
056a law that says superintendent pay is capped at X or staff to admin ratio must not exceed a certain ratio, then it would be OSPI's obligation and and our role to make sure those caps are adhered to. But at this point in time, there's no statutory limits or law that says administrative pay cannot exceed X or administrative staff to student ratio cannot exceed a certain threshold. So right now that's all subject to local local decision making through through the process of the school board. >> Thanks TJ JW here. Um, so the big question then is we have the board has decided to put the levy back on the ballot in November at a much reduced rate. Uh, looking into your fiscal crystal ball and communication with the the board and the superintendent, will that be
057sufficient to move us in the right direction to get out of binding conditions? >> So again, I I think let me say this. I I would say without that we're going to have to move to financial oversight. With that and a series of other decisions that might have to come, the district would be in much better shape and is likely to meet those binding conditions goals. The reason why I can't stand here and say definitively yes is because the binding conditions goals are over multiple years and we don't know what the state budget outcomes are going to be and we don't know what the enrollment of Yelm is going to be next year. So it's one of several factors I I would say right now without that we move towards financial oversight with with that
058we are much likely to be able to meet those targets down the road. >> Uh I am a active senior here at the high school. >> Yes. >> I would like to know how did we lose$ 1.3 billion or million dollars last year? So again, it's not that that you that they lost it. I think again and and this is a question I can answer in more detail, not on the spot. I will tell you that the loss of levy revenue did impact the district. And because 80% to get back to this gentleman's point, 80 or question, 80% of the district's um expenditures are related to salary and benefits. And you only get to really impact those at certain points during the school year. that it's really really challenging for a district to react in
059in real time to some of the factors that lead to ultimately what ends up in a negative fund balance position. So I can get you a much more specific answer in writing if you would like one. I'd be happy to respond to an email, but ultimately it is the lev the loss of the levy money, the increased cost of things like insurance and utilities that are really non-negotiables with the district, and the inability of the district because of the way that system is structured to react in real time to some of those impacts are ultimately what led to a $1.3 million negative funding. Sure. >> I have two quick questions. >> Okay. >> Um, one of them you spoke on the fact that the uh the state is um underfunding programs. What is the state
060doing to improve that? >> That would be a great question for your legislators. So, we at OSPI petition, not petition, we put decision packages in front of the legislature for consideration every year. We have one we have released some for this upcoming budget that address the the material supplies and operating cost impact that is very significant to districts. We we think that number is at least $und00 million more per school year for every district in the state. We've gone back to the legislature repeatedly and talked about what the special education funding deficit is. So we have a role in that. It's it's financial it's it's financial budget requests, but I don't feel like me and my role at OSPI should should be answering that question. I think that's a great question for your legislative members
061that you might want to consider having out here board session. >> That's great. The second one is um when we talk about basic education, is any element of athletics considered part of basic education? >> No. From a from a legal and financial perspective, no. However, we all know from a student experience perspective, yes. We all know that the value of of those programs, even though they're not basic education and what they bring to a student's physical and mental health that allows them to be more engaged in the classroom setting, they're invaluable. I have kids. They both participated in extracurricular activities, but from a state financial perspective, they're not basic education, therefore not quote unquote essential. >> Um, so this one should be just a quick confirmation. the way that in Washington state um budgeting for
062school districts is laid out and I don't know if that's the same in every state but can you confirm that in Washington state our funding for school districts comes generally if they are balanced comes from federal funding, state funding and local funding which would mean all three are required no matter what which one is spent on but there are all three required to have a balanced budget. >> So, I would say that yes, there's state, federal, and local funding that contribute to building the budget of school districts in the state. Um the le the levy funding by law can be used for enrichment purposes only and enrichment as defined by the legislature is basically educational expenses not funded by the state and those extracurricular programs. There are different states do it different ways like like
063in Massachusetts if you're in a high property value area then it's primarily up to the locals to fund their educational system and then the state just contributes a tiny little bit on top of that. So because we have the paramount duty clause and we have the mccclary outcomes of the Supreme Court, whether those are ample or equitable is very much in debate and very well should be and will always be. But because we have that ample provision and that constitutional language that says it's the paramount duty, our state will always rely on the majority of the that funding from those three sources to come from the state. >> Okay. I I have two questions. Um one is if the levy were to fail again, do you offer any type of assistance on how to possibly
064get it to pass? Um, so no, getting levies approved is a local issue. What we at OSPI can do is show kind of financial impacts of what it might look like just in terms of total revenue with or without levies. And we implement the law and run the funding formulas as approved by the legislature. So if if your levy were to fail again and the district would be in need, then it would be important for the the the community to define that need and then communicate with the legislature. There have been examples and it's not there have been examples and again Mary'sville was one where there was a double levy failure. They worked with their members and they said, "We're not going to ask for an entire dollar fordoll replacement of our levy money from
065the state. However, it would be helpful if the state would step in and help us with this small piece. And in that case, what they were able to do is get a proviso that helped them cover their insurance costs for one school year. So there are there are examples where you can if the levy should fail again, there would be an opportunity to communicate with the legislature and say, "Hey, again, our levy failed. We would really benefit from assistance with this small piece of our deficit and there's recent history as of two years ago where where that was successful." >> Okay. My second question is um you know hearing most of the talk around with the levy failing is really about the increase of taxes. Um so is there any way to put out a
066projection so like say that that we were dissolved the projection would be much higher if we were brought on into another district in that area because we'd be paying those taxes not our current taxes at a much lower rate than a school district much larger. Is that correct? So, can we can we do projections like that? The answer is no. Because we don't really know who would who ultimately would where what would happen to Yelm. Like, would Yelm become part of North Thirsten? Would it become part of Bethl? Thank you. I had to remember where geographically where I was. Um, so we do have information that would allow you as a Yelm taxpayer to go out and look at the tax rates that were approved by the Bethl and North Thirstston voters and think about
067what that might mean for you locally. But I I believe it's also true and again this is dissolution law which we're kind of reintroducing again like you would not be automatically subject to the levies that were voted on by those other voters. Like that would have to be something that if you were dissolved and moved into North Thirsten, they would have to reissue a levy that then you would get to vote on before you were subject to paying those taxes. So, a lot of this is thinking four steps down the road to a place where we hope and we don't think we will ever go. But there's a lot of legal things that we'd have to sort out with the attorney general's office in concert with the ESD regional committee to say, okay, if district
068A were dissolved into district B and district B had two more years left on their levy, does that automatically mean that the taxpayers in district A would have to pay that rate in the subsequent calendar year or would that only be for that subset of taxpayers until the next levy went to ballot. And those are questions that we have not had to answer in almost 25 years and that we're going to have to kind of come back to if if that would ultimately happen to any district in the state. >> Okay. Tim Bodin, um, head wrestling coach here at YM High School, been a part of it for 30 years. a lot of tradition in a month. We have a season coming up. >> I hear a lot of things that what could happen and
069where we could go. I have 70 wrestlers I have to face and their parents. >> So, I really want everybody here to understand that sports is a way of life for some of these guys. It is a culture and we really need to understand what we are we're pushing and voting for here. And when you guys make these big big decisions on whether you're cutting programs, you're cutting life livelihoods. Some of my kids have worked four solid years. I got 12 state places coming or coming back. And I I will I will get it done if we have to fund raise or do whatever we have to. But I really want everybody to understand the ramifications that we are throwing out there. And then even on the flip side, what's with whatever? And I know
070I'm not asking a question. I'm doing a statement. Right or wrong, pass the levy. Otherwise, you're going to be paying six or 7% anyway. So, I am I am here to speak for our athletes. I am here to speak for Yelm High School wrestling that's got 50 years of tradition and for all the kids that are dedicated to this program and I can guarantee I can tell you what's going to happen to your enrollment. I can tell you what's going to happen to our district if we don't get this done. And I hear the states the state needs to figure out a way to help out as well in this situation because I'm hearing more and more schools been in this binding situation. And locally, we got to make the decisions and make the cuts.
071So something's got to give. I think the question was, do you think athletics are important? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, I just want to say, uh, first of all, thank you to TJ. Um, I asked him if he would come do this because he can do this way better than anybody else in the state and I appreciate him taking the time. Um, again, this is not something that he they enjoy doing, but I also need to say how appreciative we are of the partnership, the conversations, the support, the help that not only TJ and his team have given us, but Flip and his team at the ESD. um they truly have been partners in helping us and they have the same goals as us as wanting us to get u back to a place of
072a healthy uh fund balance. So uh I'd like to give both of them a round of applause. Thank you, sir. All right, we're going to shift gears now. Uh before we um put the screen away and have the board come up um as you may have heard in the spring we were working on our strategic plan. We had over 30 participants come uh for a handful of meetings for a couple hours each. Really the goal was to chart our course forward. U typically strategic plans are used as your roadmap for making decisions. Um in times of plenty and uh when you are in times of a deficit and have to make cuts, you still go to that road map to make decisions about how you're going to move forward and what is most important. Well,
073as part of that, we came up with three specific areas. Uh learning, belonging, and community. with that um a lot of work around communicating. So what does that mean? Uh what does that mean to our community? And one of the videos that we are putting together um our staff has been working on. I want to show you a draft of that this evening. It's not finalized. We're not publishing it, but we are showing it and and we're close to um getting to the final stages. But I think it illustrates nicely um our goals and the things that we're going to be focusing on for the next five years. So give me a moment to pull that up. Hello everyone. Let's take a look into the future of Yum Community Schools. Now this isn't just some
074document we're looking at. Think of it as our road map for the next 5 years. A bold hopeful that we are all going to navigate together. So, let's dive in and see what that journey looks like. And you know, it really all starts with the single most important person in this entire plan, and that's you. Seriously, whether you're a student, a parent, a teacher, a staff member, or one of our community partners, this whole plan was built around one central idea that our schools are at their absolute strongest when every single one of us is involved. The why in Yelm is and always will be for you. So, what's the big goal here? What's our why? Well, it's right here in our mission. This is the promise we make every single day to empower every
075single student. And we get there through highquality instruction in the classroom and by building strong, meaningful relationships. This mission, well, it's the engine that drives everything we're about to talk about. To bring that mission to life, we've really focused our work on three simple yet, well, really profound core commitments. These are the pillars that hold up our entire plan. And those three pillars are learning, belonging, and community. Now, what's really important to see here is how these ideas work together. They aren't just a list. Each one is powerful on its own, for sure. But their true impact that comes when they operate as an interconnected system where each one makes the other. I mean, this is our core purpose, right? It's why we're all here. It means making sure that every student in every classroom
076gets to experience challenging and engaging instruction that pushes them to grow every single day. This is that incredible lifeanging work that happens inside our schools. But you know, powerful learning doesn't just happen in a vacuum. That's where belonging comes in. This is the environment that makes all that deep learning possible. When students feel safe, when they feel seen and truly valued for who they are, that's when they thrive. That's when they're free to take risks, to really dig in, and to push through challenges. Belonging is the foundation that all academic success is built on. And finally, there's community. This is the network that holds it all together. It's that partnership between our amazing families, our incredible staff, and all of our community partners, all working together for our kids. Community is the wraparound support that
077keeps both learning and belonging strong, and it makes saribility. Okay, so that's the what, but what does it actually look like daytoday? Let's take a look at how we turn these big ideas into focused action. This slide really lays it out perfectly. Our commitment to learning that translates directly into a priority of highquality tier one instruction. Now, tier one might sound a bit like jargon, but it just means the excellent teaching that happens in every classroom for every student every day. It's the foundation. Belonging becomes a focus on building meaningful relationships for all. And community drives us to truly authentic family partnerships. It's a straight line from our values to our daily work. And this is the crucial point. It all begins in the classroom. High quality instruction is the absolute heart of this plan.
078It's the single most important thing we do. Everything else, every system, every meeting, every decision. It's all designed to support the incredible lifeanging work our teachers do with our students each and every day. And supporting that vital work, well, that isn't just a job for a few people. It's a responsibility that every single one of us shares. You know, it's so important to understand that this strategic plan wasn't cooked up in some back room. No way. It was a deeply collaborative process built from the voices, the values, and the insights of our educators, our families, our students, and our community members. This is our shared vision because we all had a hand in creating it. And just like it was built by all of us, it's going to be brought to life by all of
079us. From the teacher in the classroom and the principal leading the school to the bus driver who's the first friendly face a student sees in the morning to the families supporting learning at home, every single role is absolutely essential. We are all on the same team. During the planning process, our community was loud and clear. Building trust through more transparency is a huge priority and we heard you. This quote right here, this is our promise. We are committed to sharing our progress openly, to listening, and actually acting on your feedback, and to making sure that what we do always lines up with what we say. That's how we build a real partnership. So, as we look ahead, we see such a hopeful future, a future that we're not just waiting for, but one that we
080are actively building right now, side by side. This is our vision captured in just a few powerful words. We're working toward a future where every student leaves our schools truly ready for whatever comes next and where our schools are the strong, vibrant heart of our entire community. And we know this is a journey, not a destination. This isn't a plan that happens overnight. It's a thoughtful multi-year commitment. As you can see, we start by launching and building the right systems. Then we'll carefully implement and monitor our progress, which lets us evaluate and refine our strategies based on what's actually working. This lets us deepen what's successful and scale it over time. It's a true cycle of always getting better. Together, we are building something that's well, it's more than just a school district. We're creating
081something truly special. A place where every single student feels inspired to grow, knowing they are completely surrounded and supported by a united community that absolutely believes in them. Which brings us right back to the beginning and to the most important letter in Yel. This plan is a framework. It's an invitation and it's an opportunity. The real work, the real magic that happens when we all get involved. So the final question is for you. How will you be a part of it? With that, I would love if you were a participant on the strategic planning process at any point, would you stand up for a moment and uh if we could recognize some of those folks who are here tonight [Applause] and we'll be pushing out uh more information. We have 11 goal areas and um
082we have data tied to every single goal area in this plan. So every piece of it um is going to be reported in the form of of data. Um with that we are going to transition up here to the rest of our uh agenda. Um we will not be offended if you walk out and we won't stare at you. But uh if you'd give us a moment, we're going to kind of transition here. There's okay. Yeah. Okay. Now, we're going to um have some community comments. Do we have I think we have a couple. >> Yes. Um we have Frank Hudik first uh on an agenda item. All right. Okay. I need to read this Frank on an agenda item. Community comments uh that are related to an agenda item uh will be given at
083the time the agenda item. You want to do it now? Okay. Okay. Please. test >> and thank you all for your service, including the students down there. My name is Frank Udict, pronouns grandparent and taxpayer. I have never been employed by Yelm community schools. My wife of 43 years and family of three children moved to Yelm in 2004. The title of this diet tribe is conundrum. Washington state constitution article one section one. All political power is inherent in the people and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the govern. Really? The parents bill of rights passed by people's initiative was conveniently neutered by state legislature house bill 1296 and governor Ferguson during 2025. Article one, section two. The legislature shall provide for a general and uniform system of public schools. The Elm Community
084Schools proposes a levy rate of a $130 per 10,000 assessed value. Bethl and Northerson's or more than three times that uniform amount. Article 9 section one. It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders without distinction or preference on account of race, color, cast, or sex. Washington State Supreme Court, McCclary versus State of Washington, 2012. State funding is not ample. It is not stable and it is not dependable, failing to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. We held that the state's paramount duty under article 9 section one is of first and highest priority requiring fulfillment before any other state program or operation. Owing to lack of sufficient legislation, legislative action to satisfy the McCclary case,
085from 2015 to 2018, the state was fined $100,000 per day, roughly $10 million. Governor candidate Ferguson's ruse of no new taxes. It's Guali Valley News September 2025. Mr. Auban Aarno, Representative Aarno, we have the largest tax increase in the state's history. We have the third highest gas taxes in the nation with additional future increases automatically built in. Update: Washington now has the highest gas prices in the country, including Hawaii. And remember, our school buses run on diesel fuel. Senator Brun, the sales tax increase will cost taxpayers $4 billion over four years. The new BNO tax increases of 5.6 billion billion over four years will affect 95,000 businesses. 50% increase in discovery pass fees this year. Teen driving course increased from $650 to $715. and took take a look at the increasing fees on your car
086registration. No new taxes. 2025 state K through2 superintendent Reichd Doll. This is a quote. It's not that we've necessarily lost ground. It's that the cost of everything has gone up and the legislator legislature in the past 5 years has said we have other priorities that are taking a bigger share of the budget. An example, why is our state spending an estimated $350 million on the Capitol Lake cesspool restoration project? Is it paramount importance greater than K through 12 education? Nquali Valley News 2025. Superintendent Woods and the YM Community School District staff. The average Yelm community school certified instructional staff salary is $109,000. The state pays 88 85,000. So some people were asking questions about that. Wish these two guys would be here. The state is not fully funding basic education. That includes salaries. If the
087levy does not pass, we will have a negative fund balance in exo in excess of $44 million at the end of four years. Operating without a levy is not sustainable. I challenge our state legislature and state judicial branch. Go to the state of Virginia or Ohio and find out how education is truly prioritized and how they run their schools both functionally and fiscally. Superintendent Reichdill. Number one, be our children's advocate, not our district offic's enemy. Your political mandates cause much constrnation among the teaching staff and our schoolboard members. Are these mandates part of basic education? Two, take our battle for paramount priorities to the legislature and to your governor. Remind them of the court's definition of paramount responsibility, visv their $350 million capital lake restoration project. Three, look at the avoidable tax support resources we
088have expended here tonight. Your system of levies and inefficient is inefficient, not uniform across the state and repeatedly detracts from our district staff and teachers focus on classroom education. In summary, I want my kids to have the grandkids to have the opportunities I had, every one of you had, and public school children had 10 years ago. Extracurricular activities serve a role in becoming a well-rounded adult, not a peepod junkie. If not basic education, why did the state recently help fund the exemplary middle and high school athletic fields? The envy of anyone traversing Main Street Yelm. If art is not basic education, why is there a statemandated big, beautiful tornado chandelier hanging just outside of this room? It's very nice, but very expensive. Grandparents conundrum. I will vote for the levy for my grandchildren and to
089buy time for the state legislature and the Supreme Court if necessary to get both sides of the aisle to reook the definition of basic education and to adequately fund same. For everyone here tonight, remember Bethl and North Thirsten levy rates are at least three times that of ours should Yelm community schools be consumed by those district and forced to pay those tax levies. Our state is not broken. Our state is not broke. It's broken. Been to plenty of states. So my last piece of advice is vote. Thank you. And I got a little good news. The alm dollars for scholars awarded $167,600 to 116 students this past year. Can I get a harump for that? >> You're supposed to say harump. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> All right, we have Heather.
090Do you want to come up >> or Okay. very much. Thank you for the work you do for all of us. My name is Heather Hadfield and I've been a teacher for 38 years. 90% of my time teaching has been as a contract teacher, not in the school system. I know parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's upbringing and I enjoy coming besides them them with my education and experience. Yelm Community Schools started last year at 125 students below their budget and this year with 200 students below their budget numbers. What planning did the Yelm School District do th this last year to hopefully increase the enrollment this year? I am new to the area and I started coming to the board meetings this summer. On July 17th was the first reading of the
091policy revision of genderinclusive schools. Um, excuse me. On August 14th, it was approved. There was no discussion. This policy speaks of an inclusive approach towards transgender and gender expansive students, correct names and pronouns, confidential health and educational information, accessibility to the restroom, locker room, and sports team that aligns with their gender identity. This policy is not what the majority of parents want. Why did you approve this policy? The parents bill of rights I2081 increased parent involvement in their child's education, access to materials and records, notification of medical concerns, and behavioral issues. Its goal was to restore parental trust in the education system. This bill became effective in June of 2024. The state wrote House Bill 1296. It was PA passed by the Democrats and went into effect May 2025. It took away all the rights
092parents had in I2081. I2081 is out again for signature and it includes blocking trans from girls sports and other constraints on gender, sexuality, and race. Parents need to trust Yelm community schools with their precious children. Will you restore that trust by including parents in all decision makingaking about their child? Lent school district chose to include parents in all communication about their children. They do not ask the students their pronouns. Their numbers this year increased and teachers are willing to take a pay cut to work there. Yelm Community Schools enrollment in the last two years is 325 students less than what they budgeted for. That is over $5 million in lost income from the state and federal governments. The school district is asking for 8.9 million in the November levy because of declining enrollment and disgruntled
093citizens. I am asking you to be the community schools that the parents need and know that the parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's education and the schools are there to help. Stop dwelling on pronouns and commit to improving the test scores. Thank you God for Le Center who simply included parents and stopped asking pronouns. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. All right. Um, board recognition. Could I have the Yum Rotary come up, please? Yes. All of you. Okay. This year, the Rotary Club of Yelm has once again demonstrated their unwavering dedication to supporting students, teachers, and families across the district. Through their programs and initiatives, they invested more than $22,600 back into our schools, directly impacting classrooms, supporting families in need, and recognizing the achievements of our students. Their contributions include teacher grants that enhance
094literacy and uh provide long-term classroom resources, school pantries, and the $40 for food programs that help meet um urgent need um just a second here. I turned the page too fast. Help meet urgent um student and family needs. the kindness week which is in February uh which has grown to reach every elementary school spreading compassion and positivity. They have also continued to recognize student excellent through student of the month program awarded scholarships to Yelm school seniors and provided additional grants to ensure no need goes unmet. Thanks to their generosity, hundreds of students have felt supported, valued, encouraged to succeed. Today, we honor the Rotary Club of Yelm, not just for the financial resources they've provided, but for the spirit of care and community they bring to Yelm schools. Their work reflects the very best of
095what it means to invest in our youth of our future. Congratulations, Yelm Rotary. All right. Uh, school board meeting minutes. Any discussion? All right. Those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Individual contracts. Any discussion? >> Uh you'll continue to see this uh particularly in the first couple months of school. We are still trying to fill positions particularly those that are uh hard to fill uh hard to find people. There are many positions that across the state districts are struggling to uh fill just because there isn't the uh the workforce particularly in special education, occupational therapists, uh speech pathologists, uh physical therapists, a number of areas that um a lot of districts are having to even contract services because you can't find anybody. But, uh, you'll continue to see this, um, probably on the next, uh, couple
096board meetings, you'll see more activity here on, uh, new business. Okay. Uh, those in favor, opposed? Motion carries. Acceptance of gifts. Any discussion? Yeah, I think once again uh it demonstrates the uh the giving spirit in the community and every uh board meeting there is some sort of donation. Um I I do want to call out a couple. The Capitol City Marathon um for the cross country team uh the 1500 and then also YHS Connects. um they're working very hard to try to restore uh C team sports uh that uh were cut uh as a result of lost revenue. And so they've made a donation to uh support C team football. And um so again, I'd like to recognize that group in particular for the work that they're doing. Um and I hear that there
097may be uh another one coming um on October 9th at our next board meeting. Okay. Those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. All right. Vouchers and payroll. Oh, out of district travel. Sorry. Any discussion? Uh I think this is one you see every year uh for FFA uh going to leadership camp. Okay. Those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. All right. Now vouchers and payroll. Any discussion? Okay. Those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Facilities report. Do you have any questions about the facilities items on there for small works? Uh you probably see some reader boards that we are just finishing we finished up over the summer. So those are still continuing. And uh we've had a lot of our alarms that were uh issues over the summer repaired. We've seen a drastic decrease in the number of
098alarms uh that are going off because of that. So, that's been great. Also, any other questions about facilities? Okay. Just two other things I wanted to kind of highlight for you. We are working on some energy efficiency grants that you'll hear more about. Uh we're working with a company who helps us right now with our automated controls for heating and lighting, uh ATS and also Capital Sheet Metal. They were working with us yesterday and we're working on a a grant with OSPI. They've put out 7.8 eight million dollars across the state and uh they are drafting the grant as we speak and it's due October 1st. So we're hoping uh some of those dollars can come our way and we were looking at the high school as one of the main areas. They also did
099look at uh Ridgeline and McKenna and then we're also working on commerce grants uh around uh lighting and heating and potentially solar. They're about 500 to a million dollar grants with a zero to 5% um or excuse me our portion with a return on investment for about um 12 to 18 months. So a very good financial uh gain there. And again these people are kind of donated their time for free to kind of help us pursue these and so we really appreciate them. And then next week all of our schools will be evaluated for those commerce grants as those become out. I did want to introduce one thing. Um, we have a lot of strategic planning going on underneath and uh, this actually happened last spring and one of our drivers came to us, Ariel,
100and said, "Hey, I really have some students who want to make something happen." And so, I'm going to have her tell you a little bit about the bus ambassador program. For those of you who stayed, thank you. Thank you. Uh, good evening. Uh, my name is Ariel Bennett. I'm just going to read it because I'm really, really nervous. Um, thank you for allowing me to share the school bus ambassadors program with you. This program was the brainchild of two incredible middle school students. Uh, at the time they were both middle school. Um, and I would like to acknowledge them at this time. This is Lucius. Jeremiah was here. He had to leave, but he he showed up. Driving a school bus can have its daily challenges. There was a period of time when I first
101started as a driver that at the end of every workday, I wanted to quit my position due to the challenges presented that day. The next morning, I woke up ready to be there for my students because they all showed up for me every day. Uh, these two middle schoolers offered out of nowhere to stay on the bus and help me with the elementary routes. It got me thinking. this can change my world as a new bus driver and it could give these two students leadership experience. And for many other students that feel they don't really have a reason to come to school, this gives them a way to create a partnership with those that believe in them. It will give some positive engagement with other students that allows them to also have pride in themselves.
102During the trial period last year, I noticed an immediate change on my bus. Um, my two fantastic middle schoolers mentoring my elementary students on safe bus riding practices and behaviors was incredible. It was outstanding, astronomical. Um, the growth and confidence that shined through Jeremiah and Lucius was infectious. They brought an aura of fun and excitement to not only the elementary students, but to me as the driver. Jeremiah and Lucius's interactions with the elementary students allowed me to focus on my driving while also providing additional enrichment for the elementary school kids. Um, there is a list of stipulations here and and expectations, but I believe those are listed and you gave them to them already. So, I'm not going to go over those right now because I'm kind of shaky. Um, currently this program will be
103piloted on just my bus, but with the hope of expanding to any drivers that want to give it a try throughout our school district. Do you have any questions? Was that one right there? This kid right here. That's the one. Well, thank you everybody for your time. Thank you everyone. >> I'd like to um I'd like to share um those expectations uh because I think it's it's a big deal. So the bus driver would provide an overview of expectations, review bus safety expectations, tour the bus identifying safety features, expectations of the student ambassadors. The following are the expectations for the school bus ambassadors. Allow the driver to handle all discipline disciplinary action that may be required. Model all existing bus safety expectations emphasizing. Keep their hands to themselves. Always be kind and use a kind,
104quiet voice. Encourage other students to follow safety expectations. Engage with other students to build positive relationships. Sit with students who may struggle to follow the rules and engage them in conversation. Assist driver with maintaining an orderly, safe bus. Apprise driver of any developing situations that may escalate if driver is not already aware. Redirect students with a quiet game or other quiet activity. Assist young students with their bus card. Keep track of their volunteer hours. Learn the bus stops to assist students in exiting correctly. Assist substitute bus driver with stops if they are new to the route. Pretty impressive. [Applause] Okay. Are there any other discussions? Okay. Those in favor opposed. Motion carries. Uh no financial report at this time. Uh student enrollment. >> Yeah. And beginning of October, October one, we'll give you an update
105uh at the October 9th board meeting. That's when we do our next count. Um I've already seen as we shared with you before um there's about 50 um uh students in the alternative program between the GED program and um our extension school and uh so those numbers were not reflected in the original enrollment. So some of those will be reflected in the October 9th count. So we'll give you an update at that board meeting. >> Okay. Board comments. >> Okay, that much trouble I can get myself in here. Um, I want to kind of address a little bit of what OSBI said and also I'm going to address some of the community comments as well. I'll kind of skirt what I'm allowed to do up here, but it needs to be done. So, I mean,
106those that have heard me talk, I've been a broken record for a year and a half. Um, I came in here hoping that I'd be able to make a difference, hoping that there was some level of local control, that we had authority to start jinking the armor of what was wrong with the state. Couple failed levies later and it's become pretty apparent that local control isn't all that it appears to be right at the state. The state dictates and mandates a lot of what we can and can't do and what we have to fund, including that 80% number of staff. and that 80% isn't as easy um to just make cuts on as we witnessed when we rift. So, long story short, when it comes to levies, leveies are needed. As much as I hate
107to say that because I hate paying taxes to a state that doesn't seem to manage my taxes properly, they are needed and it's become apparent we're cut down to the studs and further cuts will have to be made if we get there. What's going on right now is the broken nature of the system is being hidden by levies being approved. And nobody really realizes how broken the system really is because we keep getting levy funds to patch the holes. It just so happens that Yelm's the lucky district that gets to peak behind the curtain. The problem with that is is we're just Yelm and the state doesn't care about little old Yelm. Now that Belleview and some of these other districts are starting to get into the same position as us, there's hope that maybe
108the system can change, but right now we are somewhat on an island. I'm sick of making these cuts. There are minor cuts that can be made still. Each one's going to hurt worse than the last, but in the end, we're not going to be able to get there, and we will progress down the line of where the next step control is going to be. So, I am asking for the community to start asking these questions. Call me. My number is public. I've surprisingly got very few calls over the last couple years. I answer everyone I that have called me um to have these conversations rather than the cesspool of social media with halftruths being spurned into greater halftruths and the infighting and infighting that keeps occurring amongst amongst citizens here when the real issue is
109the state. And if we work together instead of apart, we can actually maybe make a difference and point our anger in the right direction. Um, as far as the second community comment goes, I mean, I am in agreement 100% with you on how you feel. I think there are some issues with understanding of when we're approving policies versus policy amendments that I do want to address because I had issues with that policy. That was the first time I read it as a board member, but the policy itself was not what we were accepting or approving. It was some minor red tweaks issued down from the state which had nothing to do with the bigger issue of the policy in general. And so we I am pushing and trying to work towards how do we address
110some of these policies that the state has mandated as laws without putting ourselves out there and getting into serious trouble. But that approval of that was some minor redline amendments and not that entire policy being brought in. So I want to address that, make sure that that is out there because these kind of partial truths, they get taken out of context and then we have a riot on our hands. And I do agree it's an issue, but it wasn't an issue that was created at that moment or I would have been more vocal about it. Um, I guess lastly, I just want to say this town is full of great people. I've been here my whole life and there's a reason I wanted to be on this board is because I wanted to help give
111back to this town that's given a lot to me. The last couple years it seems like social media has really disrupted that camaraderie that we've built. But I do believe the good people are still here. And if we spend more time communicating with each other, call me if you have an issue, let's talk through it. If it's something I haven't learned or I don't know about, I'll get you some information. But I have received very, very little calls over the last two years. And it's pretty alarming to me with what is going on when it comes to communication in this town when the information isn't being given from those that are getting it. So, if we can work together, maybe we can actually make changes. Yes. Thank you. And thanks everyone for being here tonight.
112It was great with OSPI and everything. And again, as Casey mentioned, our names, our phone numbers are in the book and we all will take your calls and we will listen. Um to piggyback what Casey said, um I completely agree with him. I completely agree with the speakers here. I do not want to pay more taxes than we have to. Every single one of us have seen our property taxes double in five years and then they're going to a state where our beliefs are not lining with what is being mandated. And that's the the problem out there is a lot of us have that reserve conservative feel to ourselves. state of Washington is pushing an agenda that we do not agree with and we feel that our taxpayer dollars are going to something that we
113don't believe in. But if we're not passing levies, then that local control is not here. Our kids are going to suffer. My kids are going to suffer. Your kids are going to suffer. Your neighbors kids are going to suffer. The teachers that you've known to love over the years are going to suffer. And that's just not right. Um, but I do appreciate TJ's not here of yielding the questions. I don't know if he knew what he was coming into tonight. Um, but I thought he did a great job doing that. I want to thank all of you for showing up, staying through this. Um, I'd love to see you guys at every board meeting. Most of the time it's five people and it's normally the same five people at every board meeting. I think it's
114important that we show up at every board meeting, that you guys talk at every board meeting, that you have your questions answered at every board meeting. And uh I just want to say thank you for the cell phone policy that the middle school's enacting. Um it's great. I'm going to get down there hopefully next week. Um but kids are actually talking at lunch again. They're not looking at their phones and they're actually engaging with their peers. >> Well, just like Casey and Frank, I'd like to thank everybody for coming tonight. I agree with Casey and Frank completely here on things, but I I think when we had the two student board members repeat their oath. That's the same old that we take. And if you notice in here, it was follow the state federal government
115laws. You know, much as we hate to do it sometimes, we have to. And excuse me. And again, I'd like to thank everybody for being here. do not know what to say. Um, but thank you for everyone for being here. Um, it's great to see like a bunch of people's faces, seeing like that you're coming to like learn more about what's going on, be like informed and everything. This hasn't been like addressed, but I really like the school bus ambassador program. I like that um like we're bringing like middle school high schoolers to give more volunteer opportunities and get like elementary schoolers like excited to faces like I lost my words. I have a couple shout outs I would to make. Firstly, our new student representatives. Thank you. Um when I was watching you guys
116do your oaths earlier, I was flashbacks to when I did my oath and it was just such a awesome feeling to see you guys do that. I'm so so very proud of you. I remember watching your interviews and you absolutely killed it. Um I'll tell Aiden the same thing. And also shout out to TJ Kelly for that presentation earlier. As a high school student and a student here at Elm High School, I've found myself feeling a bit lost the commotion surrounding our levy and its failures. But that presentation was very comprehensive and coherent and supplementary to my about that. So, I would thank him. He's not here right now, but I memorized his email, so I'll get him here. And also, shout out to our middle schoolers. Um, Lucius, was it? Yes. And Jeremiah, who
117is here in spirit. I don't know his email, so I thank him about that, but pass it on. Um, really, um, an amazing act of generosity from you guys. Seriously. Um, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Bus drivers are not appreciate it as much as I wish they were. They truly are the backbone of our students, their learning, and this school. So, I really wish I had something like this when I was in middle school. I mean, that's incredible. So, amazing job. >> Okay, thank you guys for all your comments. Um, and I would just like to say I echo everything that they said. And um, the other thing is, uh, we live in a great community and we're a stronger community when we're together rather than being divided. And I think
118we can also see that in our country. Um, so if we'd get together, we can do great things. And we can do great things for our kids and for our schools. And I think we need to remember that um because each one of us up here um loves our schools, loves our community. We love our kids and um we got a lot of kids about um uh let's see what was our last enrollment right here. 5,400. Yeah, we got 5,400 kids we're looking out for and we love each one of them. Uh I also just want to uh again thank TJ and Flip and the ESD and both OSPI um finance department specifically. Um they have have just been a tremendous help and a partner. Um I also want to thank the board um not
119because you're my boss but because I appreciate what you do. Um, you choose to show up. Um, you choose to volunteer your time. Um, you choose to keep coming back even when people are unfairly criticizing you on social media. Um, and you choose to fight for our kids. And many people have no idea how much uh the six of us fight for our kids. Um, there are many policies coming down the pike that are mandated by law. If you do not pass them, they will withhold funding from you. Those are coming. We have one on our plate right now. The fight is not with the people sitting up here tonight. That's not where the fight is because I can tell you every person sitting up here is fighting on behalf of our students and our
120staff to try to preserve what we have in Yelm and try to protect our kids. I will meet with anybody any time day or night and I have with anybody who has asked and we've put out invitation after invitation after invitation. Most recently, I've gotten zero responses. A little over two years ago, I had a job that I loved and I felt like we made a difference every single day. I left public education because I saw an ugly side of public education that uh I was disheartened and lost faith in public education until I was introduced to Yelm. Yelm is the only job that I applied for for one specific reason, because of this community and because of what I learned about this community. If people would spend more time seeking to understand and have
121conversation, we might not always agree, but I guarantee you, we will end with an understanding of where we stand and we'll find a path forward. As long as people are only willing to launch comments on social media and not have conversation, this community will continue to be divided and good people will leave. I guarantee that. including staff, including families, they will leave if this community continues to be divided and chooses not to sit down and have conversation. I think we've had enough examples in our world to show the value of coming together and having conversation. And we can still disagree. And you might be surprised at how close we are actually on many of the topics. So I would encourage each of you to encourage your family, your friends, anyone you know to have conversation,
122to put the phone down, to close the laptop and reach out and have conversation. When we can become people and not just a title, I think people get a chance to know our heart and they know why we show up every day. And that's the same thing with every staff member in our district. They are not a title. They are a human being and they care very deeply about our students. Every single one. Oddly enough, even the ones who make mistakes care very much about our children, including your superintendent. I want to say thank you for being here. Um, you don't know how much we appreciate you taking the time to be here for two hours and I can't say thank you enough. I hope that you will encourage your friends, your family, your neighbors
123to have conversation face to face. Um, let's sit down and work through these together because at the end of it, the ones who suffer are not the adults. Yeah, it hurts. Yeah, I don't like hearing things said about me, especially from people who don't know me, but it's our kids. Our kids are the ones who suffer. people in Olympia making decisions. They're not suffering over this. It's our kids. So, my hope is that you will take the fight up with the people and the place where the fight actually is and that we can come together as a community and work together to fight together. Thank you. [Applause] Okay, with that, the next board meeting is October 9th at 6 PM. It's a regular board meeting and we're going to be back here at the Yelm
124High School library. Let's pack the library. Okay, meetings adjourned.