As residents, parents, and taxpayers who care deeply about our community, we are united in protecting the future of our schools and our town. The proposed 640-acre Blue Fern Development in Yelm will place a massive, unfair burden on our small district. We must stand together to keep Rainier rural, defend our treasured small-town, and protect the peaceful character of our community from unmanaged urban sprawl. Growth is inevitable but growth of this magnitude will have irreversible impacts on our community. 

1. Massive Unfair Costs for Taxpayers
This giant development will force Rainier to build a new K-8 school. The builder fees will not cover the full cost. If this land stays with Rainier, it will guarantee a multi-million dollar capital bond on our 2028 ballots. In Washington, school bonds need a tough 60% "yes" vote to pass. If it fails, our schools will face immediate overcrowding. 
Our community would be trapped financially because state law caps how much local tax money our district can collect. To survive, we would be forced to vote on a local levy lid lift. A levy lid lift is a special ballot measure that asks voters to bypass the legal limit and permanently or temporarily raise property tax rates. It is unjust to force Rainier taxpayers to lift our tax caps and pay higher rates to fund a school for an urban development that pays its city taxes, utility fees, and police levies exclusively to Yelm.
 
2. Dangerous Traffic and Bus Routes
Logistically, this plan makes no sense. The new homes are cut off from Rainier’s main roads. Our school buses would have to drive deep into Yelm's busy city streets just to pick up students. This is a nightmare during a major bus driver shortage.
Furthermore, the planned road connection to State Route 507 will not happen right away. This vital connection to SR 507 will only come after several hundred homes are built and many years have passed. In the meantime, our school buses and local families will be stuck driving through heavily congested, unsafe detours.
 
3. The Solution
We need to keep Rainier rural and protect our classrooms. By starting a Transfer of Territory request under RCW 28A.315, we can move this development into the Yelm School District where it belongs. This ensures the neighborhood uses Yelm infrastructure and Yelm schools. 
 
Our Collective Demand
We urge the Rainier School District Board of Directors to utilize their state statutory power and start a formal 90-day boundary negotiation immediately.
Please sign this petition to support transferring the Blue Fern Development to Yelm. Your signature protects our local tax dollars, keeps our classrooms safe, and defends responsible community planning.