PERRY TOWNSHIP — A portion of Perry Township CARES Act funding was used to buy a new van for Dale-Roy School.
Donations from three community entities have allowed the Dale-Roy School, which serves students with disabilities in Ashland County, to follow safety precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly $39,000 in CARES Act funding from the Perry Township trustees funded the purchase of a new van. A $12,000 donation from Charles River Laboratories provided the set-up of a second independent living classroom; and thermometers from the Samaritan Hospital Foundation has allowed staff to screen students based on temperature.
“In-person learning is crucial for students at Dale-Roy School in order to receive hands-on therapy and educational supports,” Director of Community Relations and Medicaid Management Bruce Kramer said. “The generosity of our donors enabled us to create a safe learning environment so that all students have had the opportunity to attend in-person learning full-time.”
The Perry Township Board of Trustees opted to divvy up its COVID-19 relief funds between any school districts located within the township rather than return the money to be spent elsewhere. This included giving to four public districts and Dale-Roy School.
“Giving to Dale-Roy was the easiest one justify because their situation presented showed a clear need,” Township Trustee Brian Funk said.
The school received the largest portion of the trustees’ approximately $120,000 in funding.
“The goal was to be able to keep the kids being able to learn, whether it’s in school or not,” Trustee Kent McGovern said. “We were just glad to be able to help them out.”
Dale-Roy used the $38,969 to purchase a 2020 Ford Transit Van. The vehicle can hold up to nine passengers.
“Transportation can be particularly challenging to implement social distancing. We developed a plan to transport students by class and in some instances had to split the classes down farther due to distance as we transport students from all over Ashland County,”Kramer said. “The vans assist us in being able to utilize smaller routes for COVID-19 precautions.”
Further, the vans will continue to benefit the school into the future.
“They are efficient vehicles for transportation and can be a safer and more comfortable option for students with disabilities,” Kramer said.
With the donation from Charles River Labs, staff at Dale-Roy School was able to set up a second independent living classroom, complete with appliances to work on independent living skills. This allows access to all of the school’s transition age students even with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
“We are extremely grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support from the community to help us through this challenging time,” Kramer said.
