Numerous local organizations have stepped up and partnered with Yelm Community Schools (YCS) to support students and programs affected by budget cuts and the loss of levy funds heading into the 2024-25 school year.
Four groups — Yelm FFA Alumni, TwinStar Credit Union, Yelm High School Connects Booster Club and O Bee Credit Union — visited the YCS Board of Directors study session at YHS Thursday, Oct. 10, to explain why they donated to the district in its time of need. The previous three donations were voted on and approved at Thursday’s meeting, while O Bee’s will be voted on at the Oct. 24 meeting for approval.
Yelm FFA Alumni donated a $20,000 2018 Exhibitor livestock trailer to the Yelm FFA program thanks to successful fundraising events such as the car show and fireworks sale. Leslie Garvey, FFA Alumni board member, and Kim Muir, secretary and treasurer, told the board that the trailer students had been using was becoming a safety issue.
“The floor is falling out, and the door has had to be shut with a bungee cord the past few years,” Garvey said.
Muir said the new trailer is built to last and will be an immediate upgrade from what the students have been using. It also includes separate pens so that livestock not friendly to each other can be separated.
“We’ve been able to acquire this trailer that is in very great shape. It’s built to have it washed out well and not have wooden floors rotting out of it,” she said. “We’re really excited for the kids to be able to have something, and we’re excited to be able to donate that to them.”
YHS Connects raised enough money to fully fund the school’s band program for it to return to a full schedule. President Kait Toompas, band committee Treasurer Allie Carr and band committee President Alicia Hardt stepped up to form committees that the school’s booster club couldn’t support on its own.
“When we realized the levy was gonna fail, we ended up deciding we needed to do something for our band kids who are very dedicated to their music. Band is a family, and we know all of the students very well and have supported many students over many tumultuous times in their lives,” Toompas said. “We wanted to see what we could do to bring it back up to a typical season.”
Toompas said the fundraiser, which raised $4,279.17, really kicked off when the band was forced to sit out from the YHS football team’s season opener against Mount Tahoma on Sept. 5. Many community members noticed the difference.
“We decided to put it online and put out our estimate, and our very first donation was $500. We were completely blown away,” she said. “We knew it was going to be successful, and it was.”
The committee also decided to apply for a grant so that if the band program needs financial support again next year, the booster club can step in, Toompas said.
“Music is really important, and our kids can go to college on this. It’s not just for fun,” she said.
TwinStar Credit Union donated $5,000 to help support the middle school robotics club and fund stipends, travel and competitions, as well as absolve students and families of any fees. The district also received a donation from a parent as well as FIRST Washington, a nonprofit organization supporting STEM engagement groups in Washington state, YCS Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director Teri Melone said.
Jody Yeagley, Safeway TwinStar branch manager, and Amy Williams, Yelm TwinStar branch manager, explained why they pitched in to support Yelm schools.
“TwinStar Credit Union is really honored to be able to support Yelm Community Schools with the robotics program. We’ve really enjoyed our long partnership with Yelm Community Schools,” Yeagley said.
“We’re also members of the community, not just through TwinStar but as residents. I went through Yelm Community Schools as well, and I grew up here,” Williams added. “It’s a privilege to be able to play a role in supporting the work that you all do.”
O Bee Credit Union will donate $5,000 to the district to support the meal debt that has been incurred over the last year, Melone said.
Chloe Dardano, O Bee marketing and community outreach specialist, and Vanessa Meyer, Yelm branch manager, knew it was time for the credit union to step in once the levy failed in April.
“The lunch program is something that’s very important to kids, and it’s one of our core values to be able to support the community and be here for the kids and create an environment where they can learn and be welcome,” Dardano said.
Meyer emphasized that O Bee wants to support YCS regardless of the situation the district is in at any given time.
“It’s important for us to support Yelm Community Schools in times of happiness and in times that we really need it, and so it’s really important for us to step up and help them,” she said.
