OSD4All would like to extend their love and support to the students and families of Yelm Community Schools. We sponsored the Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools campaign for their third Enrichment and Operations levy proposition in the last year. Losing that levy has had, and will continue to have, devastating consequences for families in Yelm.
All too often, districts across Washington are being forced to choose to use their levy funds to meet the basic needs of students, despite the state being constitutionally mandated to provide for those basic needs. Levies are for LEARNING and having basic needs met provides a strong foundation for the learning that should be supported by levies.
OSD4All was formed because Olympia refused to choose between the schools that define our community and rights of our citizens to a quality education. This should not have to be the case, and we are holding the community affected by this levy vote close to us.
Yelm is a close neighbor to Olympia, and has had a long intertwined history with our city. If OSD4All’s board presidents were not both paired up with YHS graduates, maybe this statement would be less sentimental, but we have heard long involved stories about the late Ed Bergh rekindling their love of learning. Having moved from upstate New York in 1974 to teach civics in Yelm Community Schools for nearly 40 years, he’d often say, ‘lucky me,’ about his chosen community and work. Most of his students would say the same.
We are struggling to think of what Mr. Bergh would say today. We are certain that he would have been proud of the effort of his community, many being former students. We think it’s likely that he would have a story about Yelm’s resilience from the early 20th century, and, obviously, he would have an easy
way of relating it to current world events. And we are certain that he would not want the hope of his community to end here.
Yelm, as you navigate an uncertain future, we’re thinking of you and we are here to fight for every kid in Washington to no longer be subject to propositions to fund their basic rights.
Sincerely,
Sheila Beadling, Co-President
Erika Lari, Co-President