| If you want to stir up a frenzy of controversy, just ask | | | | schools in the city’s attempt to improve education. |
| families in Salt Lake City Schools what they think | | | | Many representatives of Salt Lake City Schools |
| about educating the children of illegal immigrants. The | | | | interpret the audit to show that educating |
| answers will be diverse and impassioned. Based on | | | | undocumented students comes at the detriment of the |
| numbers provided by the Utah Office of Education | | | | rest of the population. |
| state schools, including Salt Lake City Schools, spend | | | | Others, like House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, |
| about $5,140 annually per pupil. A recent audit titled | | | | D-Salt Lake City, feel that the audit is giving an |
| “A Review of the Public Education Costs of | | | | unbalanced view of the big picture. Salt Lake City |
| Undocumented Children” recently threw some fuel | | | | Schools have residents who feel that undocumented |
| into the fire. The audit, performed by the Utah Office | | | | workers still pay taxes and contribute to the thriving |
| Legislative Auditor General, reports that the state | | | | economy of the region. The Salt Lake Tribune recently |
| spends over $63 million annually on undocumented | | | | issued an editorial that questioned the statistics used in |
| students. | | | | creating the audit. The editorial claims that that |
| Residents and state representatives of Salt Lake City | | | | estimates of the 75,000-100,000 undocumented |
| Schools are engaged in a heated dialogue regarding | | | | immigrants were used to make guesses as to the |
| the accuracy of that number. The study claims that | | | | number of K-12 students. The paper calls this bad |
| educating a Salt Lake City Schools’ students who | | | | reporting. |
| is undocumented costs $100-$400 more annually due | | | | What do the residents of Salt Lake City Schools need |
| to the need for special language and low-income | | | | to know? It seems to be undisputed that educating |
| programs. This matter is of special interest to the Salt | | | | Salt Lake City Schools’ undocumented immigrant |
| Lake City Schools because administrators have been | | | | population does require some special teaching skills to |
| trying to use available funds to meet rising standards in | | | | address language and economic barriers. But does it |
| cost-efficient and effective ways. A look at the recent | | | | necessarily follow that the end result will be to refuse |
| initiatives in Salt Lake City Schools reveals numerous | | | | to educate those Salt Lake City Schools’ |
| efforts like vouchers, school choice and charter | | | | students? And is that really want anybody wants? |