Through one continuing project, students work with mentally handicapped kids at another local school, Harper said. Elk Hill is expanding soon to provide another cottage for 10 more residents than the 40 they are now capable of housing. The new building's residents will train mostly for vocational jobs. With this addition, a new dining hall is also under construction to give more space to the students. Besides the 36 residents at Elk Hill, eighteen boys go to the school in the Day Treatment Program, through which they are bussed in from surrounding counties.
Counselors help students create academic and behavioral goals at the beginning of their stay.
Potential residents have a trial period of five to seven days, after which counselors and administrators decide if they could benefit from the program. When the counselors agree that the students have met their goals, the boys can leave the program. The average stay is 14 months long. Students can even receive a high school diploma from the school. For many of the kids, tuition comes from funds provided by the state's Comprehensive Services Act, which lets local community planning management teams decide if a student may receive funding.