Saturday, July 12, 2008

"Why can't we as parents have the help through special ed in providing this transportation?" asked Linda Woodward.

Her daughter Britney attends Mrs. Bee’s summer camp. Now lack of funding threatens to keep the camp's buses off the road.

"I work all day, my husband sleeps in the daytime," said Woodward.

And like many other working parents... It's essential to keep the camp open and the wheels on their busses turning.

"Some parents don't have cars and it's a difficult thing to get them here," said another parent Herman Stamper.

Along with a facility, the Chatham County School Board has provided transportation for the camp since 2004.

"This was the first year they said that they have no funding," said Mary Poncy from Ms. Bee's Therapeutic Services.

Yet the EOA (Equal Opportunity Association) provided busses and parents donated what they could. However it's still putting a financial strain on the camp.

"I met with parents because I have exhausted all my resources," said Poncy.

“If the busses are available and you have kids with special needs, they shouldn't be put on the back burner, just for such as thing as gas," said Herman Stamper.

Stamper is like many of these parents, feeling the pain of cutbacks in a slow economy.

"We're always the ones being cut because were last on the totem pole," said Mary Poncy.

And they're taking the problem straight to the Board of Education.

"We're going down to 208 Bull and meet with Mr. Lockamy or whoever we need to meet with to get this issue resolved," said Poncy.

They will fight until their children's needs are met with camp funding and transportation.

Related Stories:

Ms. Bee Misses Her Bus

Buses For Ms. Bee's

CLICK HERE to visit Miss Bee's Camp website.

Copyright 2008 WJCL 22/ABC, Fox28/WTGS, The Coastal Source