Oklahoma lawmaker pledges to help private school obtain funding

“Our families are so focused on survival that the holidays take a back seat,” said Josh Beasley, director of development for Positive Tomorrows. “This is our chance to give them a fun holiday experience.”

At the same time, teachers are working during the interim to catch students up who may have fallen behind, he said.

The children will go ice skating at the rink in Myriad Gardens, on trips to the art museum and science museum and they will do some volunteer work.

“We make it really fun so the kids want to come,” he said “Our children are dealing with so much chaos in their lives, so much instability, they love to come to school where they know what to expect.”

The staff provide breakfast and lunch for the students who sometimes go without food at home. There is a closet full of donated clothes for the students and the classrooms are warm and safe.

“Any time they are in school we want to be uplifting, supportive and nurturing,” he said.

Dorman said he fell in love with the school when he first toured it.

“It's just an amazing service, and it's hard to say no,” he said. “They've been operating for years without that funding. They didn't know they could do that.”

The change in the law will be considered during the legislative session that begins in February, Dorman said.