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. Sometimes Elk Hill can offer students a scholarship from its own funds. In rare cases, the child may come from an affluent family and can pay for tuition itself. The school has seven full-time teachers, who teach math, science and other basics. The program also offers a few electives, like art and a class on general school maintenance.