In the midst of Yelm Community Schools pursuing a third education programs and operations levy in two years, another community group has formed to lend its support.
After two recent Yelm Community Schools (YCS) levy failures, Doug Jaquez and his wife, Kasandra Jaquez, along with seven other residents, created the Yelm Community Schools 1st Coalition to support the upcoming February ballot measure.
The YCS 1st Coalition members were spurred to action because they didn’t want a third consecutive levy to fail and the district to encounter even more impacts on programs, staffing and services.
“We have no criticisms of the efforts by other citizens groups on the prior two levies, but the stakes are too high. Our intention is to get back to the basics that are proven strategies for a campaign’s success,” Doug Jaquez said. “Our coalition has absolutely no political motivations and our only focus, period, is to get the levy passed.”
With Jaquez and his wife serving as president and co-president, the rest of the Yelm Community Schools 1st Coalition Board includes Michael McLaughlin as secretary, James McCracken as co-secretary, Tracie Choate as treasurer, Daria McCracken, Sharon Vallandingham, EJ Curry and Ralph Shultz.
From the launch of the coalition last month through the end of the holiday season, Jaquez said Yelm Community Schools 1st Coalition is focused on building up its volunteer base and providing education on the upcoming school levy in February. Jaquez said it’s a “marathon, not a sprint” and that it’s important to build up its base of volunteers now in order to strongly campaign in favor of the levy after the conclusion of the winter holidays.
He noted that, in the past month, the organization has been focusing on the fundamentals of establishing the group, including developing its 501c4 status, introducing bylaws and handling all legal aspects. Jaquez said whatever the coalition builds will be based on “stewardship and transparency,” adding that community trust is essential for success.
“We have members of the old community and new community that want to come together for a common cause. What we really want to focus on is getting back to the basics on running a campaign that have shown success,” Jaquez said. “The only purpose of our coalition, for now and in the future, is to support the schools with levy and bond measures. Right now, our only focus — without politics — is passing this levy.”
He added that the coalition plans to become involved in sign waving around the community after the turn of the new year, as well as placing more signs throughout the local community. It will participate in community events, such as the Christmas in the Park Parade, and hosting community auctions to raise money for the levy.
The YCS 1st Coalition will host its first event as an organization from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Yelm Community Center. Beverages and food will be available on site, and Yelm’s own auctioneer Larry Schorno will host a live auction beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Jaquez said the event is intended to bring community members together for an evening to support a common cause. He added that the funds Yelm Community Schools 1st Coalition raises will be used for campaign tools, such as pro-levy signs or levy information pamphlets that can be reused in the future.
“Our primary focus is to give back. This is about the community, and we have a huge group that has all of the same motivations that we do,” Jaquez said. “We did some outreach, through phone calls, to build our board, and everybody agreed that we couldn’t take the chance for a third levy failure. We knew we had to do something different. All we want is the best for our community, and our vision is to be the organization that’s built on trust and accurate information so people can understand the purpose of levies, why we need levies in school, and the impacts of when levies fail.”
To learn more about the coalition, visit its Facebook page by searching “Yelm Community Schools First Coalition.” The group already includes 385 different community members and will post updates and information regarding the levy and its intentions.
