BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Belvidere schools will be checking attendance for the first nine weeks of school online. To help ease parents’ stressors of e-learning, the school district partnered with the Park District to provide in-person camps.

“We’re just trying to offer kids K through 8th grade somewhere to go during the day,” explained Rick Wulbecker, the superintendent of recreations for the Belvidere Park District.

“We are offering five different schools, Meehan, Lincoln, Caledonia, Seth Whitman, and Washington,” Wulbecker said. “Depending on the size of the school, it will be anywhere from 12 kids to like 38 kids.”

It will cost families $30 per child per day.

“What we ask is that they reserve their spot the Wednesday before the next week, just so that we can prepare for supplies and staff,” said Wulbecker.

Abi Gonzalez’s daughter is getting ready to start first grade. She says the camp doesn’t make sense.

“I’m just frustrated that the school thinks it’s okay for the kids to be in the school with the park district,” Gonzalez said.

“It’s the same school that you said wasn’t safe for our kids to go into and now you’re allowing them to go in, it just won’t be with their teacher. Their teacher will be in the next room over while someone from the park district cares for them and that I can’t wrap my mind with how you’d come up with that decision,” Gonzalez added.

“They’re not teachers, they’re there to provide child care while the kids are on a computer. So they’re not going to be teaching them and $30 a day it’s a lot.”

Gonzalez instead opted to enroll her daughter into Wonder Joy Academy Day Camp. She says it offers more than just someone watching the kids.

“Not every parent can afford to stay home or can work from home and also help their child with e-learning, so we had the room licensed for 15 students,” said Wonder Joy Academy’s Center Director Amy Pusakulich,

“I have two teachers in the room with the students that will be working with them through the e-learning with them,” she added.

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