After Mark Rohwedder’s May departure from his District No. 1 seat on the Yelm Community Schools Board of Directors, the board voted unanimously to approve Frank King’s appointment to fill the vacancy during its Thursday, July 18 meeting.
King, a 2004 Yelm High School graduate, was one of two applicants to apply for the position, but he was the only applicant that lived within District No. 1. He answered questions from the board, and, following an executive session, he was appointed and sworn in. King will hold the seat until the November 2025 election, when he could run for a full four-year term.
King is a small business owner who said he has lived in the district for 30 years. When prompted by the board to explain why he decided to apply to be a director, he said he wanted to be engaged in his children’s education as he has multiple children in the school district.
“Yelm was so paramount in my community that I wanted to give back. Once Mark resigned, I knew that sometimes you just have to say yes to some things,” King said.
King described himself as a good team player that prides himself on honesty and integrity. He vowed to be active in the community and be a face for constituents and community members to recognize at athletic and school events.
Directors Casey Shaw and Bill Hauss commended King for wanting to help the school district in a director role amid its ongoing budget cuts due to the failed educational operations and programs levy.
“We get hundreds and thousands of social media comments about what we should be doing, and yet you are the only one who applied,” Shaw told King. “You are a blessing. Thank you for stepping up when no one else wanted to.”
