
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 16, 1993                   TAG: 9307160213
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

YMCA OFFERS TO CARE FOR STUDENTS

The Pulaski County School Board will pursue an extended-day program for elementary students whose parents are tied to jobs or other situations where they would not be home before or after regular school hours.

The board had sought proposals from agencies that might be interested in running such a program. But Superintendent William Asbury reported Thursday night that the YMCA in Pulaski was the only applicant.

An update on setting up the program for the 1993-94 school year will be given Aug. 12.

School officials have had to tighten attendance districts and change some of them because of the closing last month of Jefferson Elementary School and the need to control how many students attend each school in the county.

Previously, parents were able to send children to whatever school was convenient, even if it was outside the attendance district where they lived. This often allowed a grandparent or other family member to keep a child at his or her home until the parent finished work.

Four families are appealing their attendance district restrictions to a committee set up to hear those appeals.

Shirley Cook, director of curriculum and instruction, told the board that the YMCA addressed every condition that the board had required for the extended-day program. It also added its own commitment to conducting parent-involvement activities as part of the program.

"We feel that there is such a need in the county for the program," Cook said, "so we feel really fortunate that one organization did bid. . . . We plan to have the YMCA representatives come by and talk with us before anything is finalized."

The program is supposed to pay for itself, with schools providing just the space for it. Tentative charges would be $20 a week for one child and $5 for each additional child from the same family, either coming before or staying after regular school hours.

Some parents wanted to know if they could use the program only two or three days instead of all five school days each week. More parents were interested in an after-school program than one before school. Teaching and recreational elements would also be built into the program.

The board re-elected Ron Chaffin as its chairman for the coming school year, and Dr. Nathan Tuck as vice chairman. Jean Cox will continue as board clerk.

by CNB