Reps. Corry and Dufault push back on unwarranted efforts to close Yakima Valley School
CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director for Rep. Chris Corry | 360-786-7698
Kurt Hammond, Senior Public Information Officer for Rep. Jeremie Dufault | 360-786-7794
Reps. Corry and Dufault push back on unwarranted efforts to close Yakima Valley School
Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, and Rep. Jeremie Dufault, R-Selah, are pushing back against efforts to close the Yakima Valley School, a residential respite care facility for those with developmental disabilities run by the state’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The two lawmakers say the plan to close down this vital community resource is misguided and unnecessary.
“The families served by the Yakima Valley School were made a promise that is now being broken,” said Corry. “The care they’ve received, proximity to their family and loved ones, the staff and the relationships they have forged with residents are all about to go away.”
“We should not balance the budget by cutting services for disabled individuals,” said Dufault. “They are truly the definition of ‘the most vulnerable.'”
House Bill 1472 and Senate Bill 5393 are companion bills directing the school’s closure. If either bill passes during the 2025 legislative session, residents and their families will be left with few comparable care options, and staff who have served at the facility will lose their jobs.
The two legislators said we should expand services at the school, not cut them.
“Thank you to those who have contacted elected officials and the governor’s office. We need more people to raise their voices on this one,” said Corry.
“Please contact the governor’s office and the sponsors of these bills and ask them to save this important facility and protect the families it serves,” said Dufault.
The 2025 legislative session is 105 days, ending April 27.
