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Sunwood Lakes residents petition to move to Tumwater School District; board to name negotiator
Summary
A petition from Sunwood Lakes residents asking to transfer a cluster of addresses from Yelm School District to Tumwater has been certified by the ESD; the board was asked to designate a negotiator to meet with Yelm and the ESD under the statutory process.
Residents of the Sunwood Lakes community filed a petition to move a cluster of addresses from the Yelm School District into the Tumwater School District, and the regional educational service district has certified the petition, Assistant Superintendent Ben Rarick told the board on Jan. 23.
Rarick said more than 50% of the addresses in the petition area had signed the request and the ESD had verified the signatures. Under statute, the two affected school districts must meet and negotiate whether to approve the boundary change; if the districts disagree, the matter may be referred to a regional committee for resolution.
Why it matters: A successful boundary change would transfer responsibility for K–12 education for that cluster of homes from Yelm to Tumwater. Petitioners cited transportation reliability and local levy outcomes among their reasons for requesting the change.
Board action and timeline Rarick said state law sets a 90-day negotiation window; either district can request a 30-day extension. The board was asked to designate a district negotiator to meet with a Yelm designee and the ESD. Director Ty Kiel volunteered to serve as a district designee, according to comments in the meeting.
Next steps District staff will coordinate with the ESD and with the Yelm School District to schedule negotiations, prepare information about transportation and fiscal implications, and determine whether a public forum for petitioners and residents should be included in the negotiation process. The item will return to the board for any required approvals or follow‑up action.
