What Yelm School District does

Yelm Community Schools (officially Yelm School District No. 10) is a public K-12 school district organized under Washington State law, serving approximately 5,403 students across ten school sites in Thurston and Pierce Counties: six elementary schools (Fort Stevens, Lackamas, McKenna, Mill Pond, Prairie, Southworth), two middle schools (Ridgeline and Yelm Middle), one high school (Yelm High School), and one alternative learning program (Yelm Extension School), plus a Developmental Preschool. The district employs 337 certificated teachers and roughly 724 total staff (501-1,000 range per firmographics data) and is governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors led by Superintendent Chris Woods. Educational offerings span advanced academics, Career & Technical Education with dual college credit, Special Education, Multilingual Education, the Learning Assistance Program, Title I, and Social Emotional Learning supported by the Second Step curriculum.

The district's technology backbone is a conventional K-12 ed-tech stack — Finalsite content management for the public website, Skyward as the student information system with Family Access portal (grades 6-12), ParentSquare for districtwide family communications, Lightspeed Parent Portal, MySchoolMenus (instance 720, district 587), InTouch Receipting for online fee and meal payments, PeachJar for e-flyer distribution, Guardian Conduct for incident reporting, and Google Sites for K-5 online resources — with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML systems or data flywheel.

The revenue model is fundamentally governmental: approximately 80% of the budget derives from Washington State basic education funding for teacher salaries, instruction, and operations; ~7% from federal grants (Title I, IDEA, etc.); and ~12-14% from voter-approved local levies. The current EP&O Replacement Levy, if approved in November 2025, would authorize $8,955,000 (2026) and $9,495,000 (2027) at $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed value, restoring the local funding stream after a prior levy failure triggered a Reduced Education Plan with $10M of implemented budget cuts and elimination of 90+ positions. Non-tax revenue sources include facility rentals and philanthropic grants such as a $250,000 foundry10 award for athletics, while user fees cover athletics (HS ASB $75, sports $200-$250) and meals (Breakfast $2.25, Lunch $3.60-$3.95). The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging parent organizations, volunteer programs, levy campaigns, and partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club, Dollars for Scholars, foundry10, Timberland Library, local businesses (CTE job shadowing and mentorship), and county governments across the district's two-county footprint.

Name

Yelm School District

Legal name

Yelm School District

Website

https://ycs.wednet.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Yelm Community Schools (Washington School District No. 10) is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 5,400 students across 10 schools (6 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high, 1 alternative) plus a developmental preschool in Thurston and Pierce Counties, Washington, funded primarily by state appropriations supplemented by local voter-approved levies and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ), Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Special education services
• Career technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynnwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Washington State provides approximately 80% of the district's total budget for basic education including teacher salaries, basic instructional programs, and operations.
2. Voter-Approved Education Programs & Operations Levy: Local enrichment levy at $1.30 per $1,000 assessed property value generating $8,955,000 in 2026 and $9,495,000 in 2027. Funds certificated classroom teachers, specialists (art, PE, music, drama, library, technology), office support, para-educators, supervision, special education, nurses, counselors, social workers, safety staff, graduation/career readiness, technology, athletics, extracurricular activities, curriculum materials, and staff training. Makes up approximately 12-14% of total budget.
3. Federal Grants and Programs: Federal dollars and grants contribute approximately 7% of total budget, including Title I, Special Education (IDEA), and other federal education programs.
4. Local Effort Assistance (LEA): State-provided local effort assistance based on district property values, part of the levy funding mechanism.
5. Other Local Funds: Other local non-tax revenue including facility rentals, grants from organizations like foundry10 ($250,000 for athletics), and other miscellaneous local sources contributing approximately 1% of budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Yelm Community Schools is a public K-12 school district operating ten schools (six elementary, two middle, one high school, and one alternative program) plus a Developmental Preschool. The district delivers standard K-12 education, Career & Technical Education with dual college credit, Special Education, Multilingual Education, Advanced Academics, athletics, transportation, and food services to approximately 5,400 students in Thurston and Pierce Counties, Washington. Standard enrollment is tuition-free for resident families, supported by state funding, federal grants, and voter-approved local levies.

Product overview

Yelm Community Schools is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 5,400 students across 10 schools: 6 elementary schools (Fort Stevens, Lackamas, McKenna, Mill Pond, Prairie, Southworth), 2 middle schools (Ridgeline, Yelm Middle), 1 high school (Yelm High), and 1 alternative learning program (Yelm Extension School). The district also operates a Developmental Preschool. The district's portfolio includes specialized academic programs (Advanced Academics for highly capable students, Career & Technical Education with dual college credit, Special Education, Multilingual Education), student support services (Learning Assistance Program, Title I, Social Emotional Learning, Health Services, Counseling), and operational services (Transportation with My Ride K-12 notifications, Food Services with free meals for elementary, Athletics). Family engagement is supported through digital platforms: Skyward Family Access for grades/attendance, ParentSquare for communications, and online payments via InTouch Receipting. The district is governed by a 5-member Board of Directors and operates under a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan focused on Learning, Belonging, and Community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YCS: District abbreviation used for portal access and communications

Products and services

• K-12 Education at Ten School Sites Direct delivery of free public K-12 education at ten school sites across Thurston and Pierce Counties, Washington, serving as the district's core offering and primary service to resident families.
• Developmental Preschool Early childhood education preschool program offered by the district for young children, including peer modeling opportunities to support inclusive early learning.
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Career and technical education program offering dual college credit, CTE graduation pathways, and career-focused courses for high school students across multiple industry sectors including Agriculture, Business, Manufacturing, and Technical Theater.
• Advanced Academics Program Highly capable student program identifying students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels, providing differentiated instruction in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
• Special Education Services Special education services providing individualized support, IEP services, and Section 504 accommodations for students with disabilities as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Multilingual Education Program Transitional bilingual instruction program supporting students who are learning English as a second language with heritage language support and English language development.
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Academic intervention program providing targeted support for students who need additional help to meet grade-level standards.
• Title I Program Federal Title I program providing supplemental academic support and resources to eligible schools and students from low-income backgrounds.
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program Social emotional learning program using the Second Step curriculum at the elementary level, supporting student mental health, emotional development, and behavioral wellness district-wide.
• Transportation Services School bus transportation service for students across the district, including the My Ride K-12 bus notification system providing real-time updates to families.
• Food Services School meal program offering breakfast ($2.25) and lunch ($3.60-$3.95) with state/federal funded free meals for elementary students and Yelm Extension School students. Menus available via MySchoolMenus platform.
• Interscholastic Athletics High school and middle school athletic programs with pay-to-play fees. Varsity and JV sports offered at the high school level; middle school sports include Varsity and JV in some exceptions. ASB cards ($50-75) and sport fees ($100-250) apply.
• Skyward Family Access Parent portal for monitoring student grades (6th-12th), attendance, food service balance, and registering for parent conferences. Operates via the Skyward Student Information System.
• ParentSquare Communication Platform District-wide parent communication platform enabling families to receive announcements, emergency alerts, and two-way messages from schools and the district via mobile app and email.

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boys & Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership providing before and after school child care services for Yelm students. Located at bgctc.org/yelm to support working families with child care options.
• Dollars for ScholarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChapter-based scholarship organization (yelm.dollarsforscholars.org) providing college access support and scholarship opportunities for Yelm students.
• Learners Without LimitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership through bountyforfamilies.org providing educational support resources for families.
• Thurston CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government providing ballot drop-off location at Lackamas Elementary, election certification services, and school district boundary coordination. District spans into Thurston County.
• Pierce CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government providing ballot drop-off location at Roy City Hall, election certification services, and school district boundary coordination. District spans into Pierce County.
• Nisqually Tribal BuildingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallot drop-off location for district voters in Thurston County at 4820 She Nah Num Dr. SE, Olympia, WA 98513.
• Timberland LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity library partnership providing literacy resources and services for students and families.
• Marcus Pavilion at St. Martin's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for graduation ceremony location. Class of 2027 graduation scheduled for June 16, 2027 at Marcus Pavilion.
• Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency providing funding, accountability frameworks, Continuous School Improvement Resources, and report card data for district and school performance monitoring.
• Local Businesses and EmployerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTE partnerships providing job shadowing, mentorship, internships, and industry connections for career and technical education students.
• Yelm City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint sessions held with Yelm City Council for community collaboration. Joint session held May 5, 2026 at Yelm Community Center.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rochester School District: Smaller neighboring Thurston County public K-12 district operating under identical Washington State funding rules, useful as a comparable for levy passage dynamics and rural-suburban district economics.
• Olympia School District: Capital-region Thurston County public K-12 district of comparable scale and structure that competes with Yelm for families and operates under the same Washington State funding and accountability framework.
• North Thurston Public Schools: Adjacent public K-12 district serving the Lacey/Tumwater area of Thurston County with comparable scale, grade-band structure, and reliance on Washington State funding formulas, making it the closest geographic and demographic peer.
• Tumwater School District: Neighboring Thurston County public K-12 district with similar enrollment size (roughly 6,500 students), operating model, and reliance on local levies alongside state funding, competing for the same family demographic.
• Bethel School District: Pierce County public K-12 district serving Spanaway/Graham communities adjacent to Yelm's Pierce County footprint, with similar enrollment scale and mix of military-connected and rural-suburban families.
• Clover Park School District: Pierce County public K-12 district with very high military-connected enrollment adjacent to JBLM, providing a strong comparable for managing transience, federal impact aid, and special education funding gaps.

Broad incumbents

• Puyallup School District: Larger Pierce County public K-12 district operating multiple comprehensive high schools and a similar CTE and dual-credit portfolio, providing a relevant scaled-up comparison for programming and levy dynamics.
• Tacoma Public Schools: Major urban Pierce County public K-12 district operating under the same state funding model with substantially larger scale, comparable CTE and alternative education pathways, and similar military-family demographics.

Regional players

• Centralia School District: Southwest Washington public K-12 district operating under the same state funding framework with similar enrollment scale, providing a relevant comparator for levy passage dynamics in mid-sized WA districts.
• Peninsula School District: Pierce County public K-12 district serving the Gig Harbor peninsula with comparable suburban-rural mix and reliance on EP&O levies, though located in a higher property-value region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIz9cwBTNlqqPqMQTA-zMkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ycsnews
• Instagraminstagram.com/yelmcommunityschools
• Xx.com/ycsnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edmonds-school-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yelm School District