Over $2,341,000 recommended as cuts in Yelm Community Schools reduced education plan

During a Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, May 14, over $2.3 million in cuts were recommended as part of the district’s reduced education plan as ongoing financial struggles, stemming from four consecutive levy failures, continue to affect schools in Yelm.

Specifically, the YCS Board of Directors unanimously approved the adoption of resolution 08-25-26 as part of its reduced education plan. 30 positions were identified as cut recommendations, while a total of $2,341,393 will be saved in lieu of these notices.

The cuts include: one certified admin and two classified staff at the district office for savings of $353,319; 10 contracted services, 11 classified one-year only positions, 11 classified LPNs and 3.8 classified school nurses districtwide for savings of $1,483,339; athletics including middle school sports, high school C-Team and uniform rotation with savings of $399,536; and two campus security guards at Yelm High School for savings of $105,199.

This information can be viewed on the district’s website inside of the YCS Board of Directors agenda packet for the Thursday, May 14, meeting.

“As you recall, earlier in the spring we brought you the first resolution for the reduced education plan,” Chris Woods, YCS superintendent, said. “Our financial situation, as I’ve shared in my bi-weekly updates to all staff and families in the community, we were needing to cut, between the start of 2026 and the end of the 2026-27 school year, about $6 million. That number would’ve been much, much higher if we had not been able to transfer money from capital projects over to general fund — which is a one time transfer. It essentially bought us one more year. The additional cuts that we’re bringing to you tonight, about a little over $2 million overall so far, since the beginning of the school year, with the additional $3 million that we cut mid-year, we’re going to be up to another $3.2 million to bring us up to a total of $6.2 million that we will have cut.”

Woods also wanted to be clear that any position that is removed through the reduction in force and the reduced education plan, there will be an opportunity for staff to come back. He pointed to May of 2024, when YCS had to cut 200 positions, and around 100 of those people in reduced positions were able to return to work.

“If there is any way possible for us to recall our staff, we absolutely want to do that,” Woods said. “Any staff that are currently in a position that have been eliminated for next year, they go on a callback list for two years. If they don’t accept another job and we have the opportunity to recall them, then we call them and offer the position back.”

The superintendent added that nearly 100 positions within YCS have already been cut with no levy dollars to assist the district. He described these cuts as a continuation of notices, rather than new cuts.

“Were going to continue to find ways, if possible, to bring positions back,” Woods said. “Otherwise, we’re going to have to continue to find ways to reduce. There’s just no way around it. That’s our situation with four levy failures. That’s our reality. There’s no easy way to do this. That’s what you have in front of you tonight, is the updated resolution with specific reductions.”