Yelm School District
 | This article needs more citations. (December 2016) |
| Yelm Community Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
107 1st Street N
United StatesPO Box 476, Yelm, WA 98597 | |
| District information | |
| Grades | PK–12 |
| Superintendent | Chris Woods |
| Enrollment | 5,524 (2025) [1] |
Yelm Community Schools, District No. 2 (YCS), is a public school district in Thurston County, Washington, United States, which serves the city of Yelm.
In the 2025-26 school year, Yelm School District had a student enrollment of 5,524.[1]
Location
[edit]Yelm Community Schools covers 193 square miles (499.9 km2) of land in southeastern Thurston County and part of southwestern Pierce County, including nearly all of the City of Yelm.[2][3][4]
History
[edit]Establishment
[edit]In February of 1951, voters approved the consolidation of Collins School District No. 12 and Yelm School District No. 400 at a special election, forming Yelm School District No. 2 on July 1, 1951.[5] Previous consolidations that composed the former Yelm School District No. 400 were as follows;
- In April of 1910, voters approved the consolidation of Yelm School District No. 13, Willow Lawn School District No. 40, Eureka School District No. 43, Pollard School District No. 66, and Lake Lawrence School District No. 69 at a special election, forming Yelm School District No. 301.[6][7]
- On May 16, 1921, voters approved the consolidation of School Lindstrom School District No. 70 and Yelm School District No. 301 at a special election, forming Yelm School District No. 309 on July 1, 1921.[7]
- In February of 1942, voters approved the consolidation of Lackamas School District No. 305 and Yelm School District No. 309 of Thurston County, and McKenna School District No. 341 of Pierce County at a special election, forming Yelm School District No. 400 on July 1, 1942, becoming the first joint (multi-county) school district within both counties.[7]
- Lackamas School District No. 305 was formed on July 1, 1917 following the voter-approved consolidation of Moorehead School District No. 28, Sherlock School District No. 34, and John Longmire School District No. 53 at a special election held on May 29, 1917.[7] Depending on the source, Bald Hills School District No. 72 may have been a component district that consolidated to form School District No. 305.[8]
Levy failures
[edit]In February and April of 2024, voters turned down two separate local school levy measures.[9][10] As a result, the district reduced staffing by more than 200 positions. Class sizes increased across schools, and some student programs became more reliant on fundraising.
In February of 2025, another school levy measure did not pass.[11] District officials cited ongoing funding constraints related to the failed levies. Some parents and community members raised concerns regarding academic performance, budget transparency, and curriculum content.
Schools
[edit]| Name | Grade Levels | Established | Enrollment (2025-26) | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Steven's | K–5 | 1990 | 444[1] | Eagles |
| Lackamas | K-5 | 1894[12] | 304[1] | - |
| McKenna | K-5 | 1890[13] | 379[1] | Mountain Lions |
| Mill Pond | K-5 | 1993 | 363[1] | Wolves |
| Southworth | K-5 | 1972[14] | 672[1] | Stars |
| Prairie | PK–5 | 1984[15] | 365[1] | Panthers |
| Name | Grade Levels | Established | Enrollment (2025-26) | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeline | 6-8 | 2006 | 583[1] | Storms |
| Yelm | 6-8 | - | 680[1] | Whirlwinds |
| Name | Grade Levels | Established | Enrollment (2025-26) | Mascot | WIAA Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm High School | 9-12 | 1920 | 1,622[1] | Tornados | 4A |
| Yelm Extension School | 9-12 | - | 109[1] | - | - |
Other facilities
[edit]- District headquarters located at 107 1st Street NE, Yelm, WA 98597.
- Transportation center at 202 Strevens Street NE, Yelm, WA 98597.
- Facility maintenance offices at 16525 100th Way SE, Yelm, WA 98597, adjacent to Fort Stevens Elementary.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Home - Washington State Report Card".
- ↑ Geittmann, Rick (January 27, 2026). "Washington School Districts". State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, Geospatial Products Branch (October 1, 2023). "TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2023, County, Thurston County, WA, Area Hydrography". Data.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, Geospatial Products Branch (October 1, 2023). "TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2023, County, Pierce County, WA, Area Hydrography". Data.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Collins". The Olympian. February 6, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved June 8, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Yelm". The Washington Standard. April 22, 1910. p. 3. Retrieved July 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Thurston County School Superintendent's Annual Report". June 30, 1943. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via Washington State Archives, Southwest Regional Branch.
- 1 2 "Thurston County School Superintendent's Annual Report". June 30, 1927. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via Washington State Archives, Southwest Regional Branch.
- ↑ Hall, Mary (February 23, 2024). "Official Returns of the Special Election held in Thurston County, State of Washington, February 13, 2024" (PDF). Thurston County Election Archive. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Hall, Mary (May 3, 2024). "Official Returns of the Special Election held in Thurston County, State of Washington, April 23, 2024" (PDF). Thurston County Election Archive. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Hall, Mary (February 21, 2025). "Official Returns of the Special Election held in Thurston County, State of Washington, February 11, 2025" (PDF). Thurston County Election Archive. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "School Performance Report". www.ycs.wednet.edu. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "School Performance Report". www.ycs.wednet.edu. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "School Performance Report". www.ycs.wednet.edu. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "School Performance Report". www.ycs.wednet.edu. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.