Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Alan Burke

With Mayor Ron Harding’s announcement in his State of the City address last month that planning for a new City Hall and Yelm Community Recreation Center are underway during a major economic slowdown, this writer was wondering about other potential, upcoming projects that would be presented to the local property owner for funding purposes, in addition to levies. One that comes to mind is the Yelm Community Schools’ High School expansion that Superintendent Alan Burke explained on this blog in May, 2006.

I wrote Dr. Burke for an update and here is his unabridged reply:

“Yelm schools are just now finishing construction projects using monies from the $46 million 2003 construction bond. Lunchroom additions toPrairie and Ft. Stevens Elementary Schools should be completed by November of 2008. The Yelm High School, Ridgeline Middle School, McKenna Elementary and Lackamas Elementary projects are completed, with the exception of the Ridgeline track, which will be ready for use in September. With interest earnings and state-match monies, $74 million was spent on these projects over the past five years.

However, student growth continues at a high rate. Since 2000, we have added 1109 students to our rolls. Assuming that we add between 100 and 150 students per year for the foreseeable future, we will need to ask voters for another construction bond within five years. Right now, we are predicting that 2012 probably will be the year that a bond will be necessary. In the interim, we will continue to purchase portable classrooms to supply classroom space. We bought two double-classroom units for 2007-08 and will be ordering one double unit for Ft. Stevens in 2008-09.”

THANKS TO DR. BURKE FOR THIS INFORMATIVE UPDATE!