A Summer Experience and Summer Day Camp will be held at Wood Lane School this year.
Students will be given the opportunity to experience self-discovery activities, build self-advocacy skills or explore careers during the five different dates for the Summer Experience.
Phase I will be a one-week session running Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. starting June 13, June 27 or July 11. The cost is $80. This session is geared to those aged 14 and 15.
New this year are Phase II two-week sessions, which also will run Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Starting dates for this session are June 20 or July 11. The cost also is $80, and it is for youth aged 15-18.
In this phase, youngsters will get out in the community for volunteering and job exploration, said Amy Brinkman, director of Service and Support Administration.
Financial assistance is available for both phases.
Summer Day Camp will run for five weeks, from June 20-July 20 and will vary from three to four days each week.
The summer recreational camp program provides a safe and supportive environment in which students can explore educational, leisure, and social emotional goals with trained staff.
It is recommended the fee of $500 be charged for each camper, which is an increase of $20 per week per student from last year.
“There has not been a price increase for our families since before COVID,” said Lorraine Flick, director of Children’s Services and principal at the school.
“For families who can’t afford that, there are other options to explore to be able to help them,” she said. “We’ve never turned anyone away because they can’t pay.”
The estimated the cost of staffing is $40,000.
Both camps were approved at the Feb. 27 Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities meeting.
The board also is requesting bids for a building renovation project.
Board members gave Superintendent Brent Baer the authority to seek bids for the Community Supports Building interior renovation with a project estimate of $469,200.
“This is within the budget the board approved in the fall of $478,000,” said Scott McKeown, health and safety coordinator.
The project includes enclosing the main floor area of the mezzanine located in the wash bay and within that space adding a transportation department work room as well as a break room that will serve the 35-40 employees who work in the building, McKeown said.
The transportation department work room will allow space for up to 10 small workstations with power and data connections along with a work counter.
Upon completion of the break room, an existing conference room currently being used as a break room will be converted back to meeting space.
A single toilet unisex restroom also will be added, and HVAC work is included as the space doesn’t currently have hearing and cooling.
The new space will require a fob to gain entry.
Bids will be accepted in April, McKeown said.
The board is looking to recruit a school age coordinator/principal at Wood Lane School. Efforts to fill the position in 2021 and 2022 were unsuccessful.
The position is needed due to the growth of enrollment at the school, primarily for children under the age of 5, and the requests for expanded services, said Baer.
Flick said at the meeting it will be several years before she retires but the necessary skills needed to do the job require on-site training.
