Yelm site leaders say attendance and special-education support remain priorities as test scores wobble
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Summary
School staff told the school board the site serves about 376 students, highlighted strengths in student belonging and SEL supports, and flagged 31 students with chronic attendance problems and continuing work to align interventions with MTSS and IEP needs.
School staff presented a site report at the March 12 Yelm Community Schools board meeting, saying the school currently enrolls about 376 students and that staff are focusing on attendance, targeted instruction and social-emotional learning.
The presenter said roughly one-quarter of the school’s students receive special-education services and described a range of interventions — small-group instruction, one-on-one supports, career-education volunteers and targeted MTSS cycles — intended to reduce barriers to learning. "For students whose interventions aren’t working, we discuss whether an evaluation for special education is appropriate," the presenter said.
The presenter listed strengths including strong student belonging (reported at 86% on a school survey) and high attendance overall, while also noting challenges: test-score declines in recent years, discipline concerns and 31 students identified as chronically absent. The presenter said about half of chronically absent students are served on IEPs and that chronic absences accounted for several hundred missed days this school year.
Staff described ongoing work to align instruction with the district strategic plan and set a proficiency goal: "By June, 90% of all of our students are gonna make that target," the presenter said, while acknowledging the building currently sits far below that level and that progress will require continued intervention.
Board members and staff praised the school’s leadership and volunteers. The meeting also included a short student-produced video in which several students described leadership activities such as assemblies, fashion shows and peer mentoring; the board and staff said the leadership program has supported student confidence and community engagement.
The board encouraged staff to continue communicating with families and said staff are available during conferences to review data and strategies with parents. The presenter closed by inviting board members to meet with staff to review the school’s tracker and intervention data.
