Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
During a Yelm Community Schools (YCS) board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25, TJ Kelly, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) chief financial officer (CFO), highlighted the process of binding conditions, financial oversight and enhanced financial oversight to over 100 community members and YCS representatives.
The presentation centered on the impacts of three school levy failures, with a fourth vote on the November ballot.
Kelly, who has been with OSPI for well over a decade, now financially is insurance and utility cost. It’s a true statement that those are not solely with the control, or I can argue almost zero control over school districts. The fact those costs are increasing at a factor significantly higher than what the state’s funding formula has assumed is a problem for all districts right now.”
Cody Colt, City of Yelm public works director, asked Kelly what OSPI recommends the district cuts — and if that would include sports. He also sought out what would get cut first if OSPI takes over oversight.
“We still don’t dictate at that level. I will say that some districts have elected to not fund athletics, and instead they do community fundraising,” Kelly said. “I know of one district example where they said they’re not doing athletics, and the community stepped in. They found some local donors and said ‘we’ll absolutely help you fund athletics.’ It wasn’t the state oversight process saying ‘you can’t do that,’ but it was something that was locally determined.”
Kelly added that OSPI would not come into YCS and say they must cut to the extent where the district cannot provide the provisions of basic education — which includes 180 days of instruction and 1,027 hours of instruction.
“So again, athletics would be one. We have not yet mandated in a community that athletics need to go, but it would be athletics, other extracurriculars,” Kelly said. “If there were staffing levels that were significantly above what the prototypical school model proves, that would be an area that would be cut because it would not be basic education. But again, we haven’t come across a scenario yet where the state has had to look at something and say that activity must go.”
Additionally, YHS head boys wrestling coach Tim Beaudin provided a statement during the Q&A session of the OSPI presentation last week. With the YHS boys wrestling season approaching quickly, he said the program will do whatever it takes to ensure there’s an opportunity for his athletes to hit the mats in just over a month.
“In a month, we have a season coming up. I hear a lot of things and what could happen. I have 70 wrestlers I have to face. I really want everyone here to understand that sports are a way of life for some of these guys,” Beaudin said. “It is a culture, and we really need to understand what we are pushing and voting for here. When you guys make these big decisions on whether you’re cutting programs, you’re cutting livelihoods. My kids have worked four solid years. I have 12 state placers coming back. I will get it done. If we have to fundraise, whatever we have to do, we will get it done.
“I’m 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 and 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.”
