Danville Schools to establish onsite laundry facility for families in need
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — The Danville School District is aiding district families in need with a soon-to-be-established laundry facility at Mark Denman Elementary School.
The proposal was brought forward by Kelly Truex, Director of Educational Support Programs, at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting. The Danville School District received a McKinney-Vento grant to help support unhoused families and students. Truex said 267 students are currently experiencing homelessness within the district. However, the extra assistance is set to expire on September 30.
With the temporary funds ending soon, Mark Denman Principal Stacie Sollars wanted to make a long-lasting contribution. She had the idea to provide an onsite laundry facility for at-risk district families.
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“One of the district goals we have is to improve attendance, and[…]how many times do we hear that kids aren’t at school today because they didn’t have clean clothes?” said Brandie Kuchefski, Grants Coordinator and McKinney-Vento Liaison. “If we can help alleviate just one more barrier, then we want to be able to do that.”
The BOE unanimously voted to move the plans forward.
The laundry facility will be located on the northeast corner of Mark Denman. It will be equipped with three washers and dryers, several laundry chairs and tables, and various laundry items like detergent and dryer sheets.
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To use the service, families will need to make an appointment set during school hours and be monitored by a home liaison. Though the amenities will be located on school property, there will be no access to student areas from the facility.
Truex said transportation can be arranged through a home liaison or through the district’s “community van,” which she said has gotten ample use in assisting the homeless population and the Danville community as a whole.
The $45,000 project will be funded through the grant.
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