MOUNT VERNON — Angel Araiza grinned wide as he hugged the lime-green basketball in his arms. He and several students bounced the ball back and forth under a cloudy sky in Little Mountain Elementary School’s playground.

The wheelchair-bound boy who can barely see said being included in playground activities brings him great joy.

Angel, who just finished fifth grade, is one of 44 other students at Little Mountain to participate in a month-long educational curriculum.

Not every student in special education can attend. The program, called Extended School Year, is to help students to retain skills — academic, social or physical — they would otherwise lose over the summer. A team of administrators, counselors and the child’s parent meets to determine the level of services the child needs to keep skills over the summer.

At the Mount Vernon School District, students attend ESY for about a month in the summer. Students can ask questions without fear, rule a playground without bullies and practice social skills they might otherwise bottle up.

Every district in the country runs ESY in some form or another as it is mandated by the federal government as part of a free and appropriate education.

And while all students lose some knowledge over the three-month break, some are more vulnerable to the long summer than others.

Angel Araiza loves science and computers, but seizures interrupt his thoughts, said his mother Marianne Araiza. Extended School Year has helped Angel keep reading and writing skills, she said. He’s at grade level with reading and math, but without the constant reinforcement of class in the summer, his skills can slide back to a kindergarten level.

Without ESY, “Mom has to work a lot more at home,” Marianne Araiza said.

During a trip to Mexico because of a family illness, Marianne Araiza did not have access to special materials she needed to teach Angel.

“He really slid back,” she said. “He was forgetting how to count, and his ABCs.”

Other students in the Mount Vernon School District attended ESY at Madison Elementary or at Mount Vernon High School, depending on their needs and age.

Pam Schutte administers the Extended School Year program for the district. She said that in addition to academic skills, the program helps students who are intimidated by a mainstream class gain more confidence.

With a four-to-one adult to child ratio, the costs can be substantial. Last summer, the district spent $59,600 on 64 students for the program, or roughly $930 per student. The figures do not include transportation to and from home or the cost of lunch, said Jean Champagne, director of special and support services for the district. This year, the program serves 66 students.

The Sedro-Woolley School District, on the other hand, has only 16 students in the program, said Irene Mullan, director of special programs. That district’s program is not as structured as Mount Vernon’s, she said. Students meet throughout the summer depending on their educational needs. Districts also plan for the costs every year, she said.

“It changes each year based on what the kids require in ESY individually,” Mullan said. “It’s something we’re mandated to provide if that’s something the student needs.”

• Kate Martin can be reached at 360-416-2145 or at .