Yelm superintendent talks potential fifth levy attempt, Blue Fern Development during board meeting

During the “superintendent report” portion of the Yelm Community Schools Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, June 25, Chris Woods, YCS superintendent, highlighted the potential for running a fifth levy attempt this fall and current conversations with Rainier School District about Blue Fern Development’s 640-acre project.

Woods kept the topic of running a fifth levy attempt short and sweet during the meeting. He noted in order for YCS to run another levy attempt this November, a decision must be made by the school board by Tuesday, Aug. 4.

“I’ll be continuing to provide more information to you,” Woods said. “We would have to, at the July 16 board meeting, or we’d have to schedule a special board meeting sometime before Aug. 4, in order to do that.”

Woods also told the board and attendees of the meeting that Rainier School District has met with the City of Yelm to discuss responsibilities in Blue Fern Development’s planned 640-acre community.

“I’m just going to continue to give you updates on where that is,” Woods said. “Just as a reminder, that development is in the Rainier School District, but in the City of Yelm. Not uncommon. If you think about McKenna Elementary and where that is, and that’s in the Yelm School District. The Blue Fern Development, as I’ve shared with you in the past, is four phases and about 560 homes per phase. They are working right now.

“There is nothing that Yelm Community Schools needs to do,” Woods continued. “We have no responsibility in this at this point. I will continue to keep you updated. I do know that the superintendent at that board meeting said he’d be reaching out to me for a meeting — even though we’ve been communicating and I’ve been reaching out periodically, just to see if he needs anything from us or any conversations they may want to have.”

Woods claimed that there’s no stipulation that would require YCS to take the designated property for a school in Blue Fern Development’s planned community — as that’s where the boundary is drawn for the school district. While the planned 640 acre development lies within the City of Yelm, it sits within RSD’s boundaries.

“It happens in a variety of ways,” Woods said. “But a lot of the property in a district might not be developed at the time those boundaries are drawn. Over time, that property might get developed and those homes that are in that area go to those schools.”

The superintendent pointed to a local instance of this happening when he was principal at Pioneer Elementary. He claimed there was a neighborhood in the area where some of your neighbors would attend Olympia schools, while others would attend Tumwater schools.

“It can’t be done to us,” Woods said. “It would have to be done with us.”

Board member Denise Hendrickson said the process and responsibilities need to be sorted out before homes are built and before families begin moving into the 640 acre community. Woods agreed, stating that families buying homes would like to know which schools their children will attend.

“As you’ve probably seen on videos, they are clearing and they’re moving already,” Woods said. “I would anticipate homes being done this summer. More to come on that.”