‘Invest in our next generation’: Gee laments Yelm levy failure after 4th straight year

Several school districts across Washington had levies pass in this year’s general election, except for Yelm Community Schools’ Proposition 1, which failed for the fourth consecutive year.

After the Yelm Community Schools levy failed, Gee raised concerns for the systems in place that force schools to rely on funding through levies, and how the failure may be caused by former grievances with educators in general.

“It’s unfortunate. I think that we all can agree that investing in our next generation is very important, and investing in education is very important,” Gee said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “This is the problem when we have a system in the state of Washington that is designed where school levies depend on a yes to get funding.”

Following the failure to pass the levy in 2024, more than 100 teachers, paraeducators, and staff had to be laid off, and the district’s drama and choir departments were cut. Yelm’s superintendent, Chris Woods, previously stated that football and band could be next on the chopping block if the levy were to fail.

“When you have narratives and conversations, they have consequences,” Gee said. “There used to be a time when people framed teachers as the problem. What ends up happening is, it’s not just the geography or the area, it’s the mindset.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.