Education, guaranteed

BY TAMMY KRIKORIAN, SUN STAFF WRITER
May 19, 2006

Children in Yuma County and throughout the country are guaranteed a free public education regardless of their immigration status, making it impossible for educators to know if they have illegal residents in their classrooms.

A 1982 Supreme Court ruling, Plyler v. Doe, makes it illegal for schools to ask a student or their parents for their status.

"Undocumented children and young adults have the same right to attend public primary and secondary schools as do U.S. citizens and permanent residents," said Chris Weigel, director of communications for Crane School District, quoting the ruling. "Like other children, undocumented students are obliged under state law to attend school until they reach a mandated age."

Because of this ruling, local school officials say there is no way to know how many of their students are illegal immigrants, and no way to measure the impact illegal students might have on the local education system.

Mexican residents are able to legally attend public and private schools in Arizona. Students from Mexico who attend public schools do so by paying tuition in the amount that the schools receive per-pupil in local, state and federal monies for students that reside within the district.

Gerrick Monroe, assistant superintendent of finance in the Yuma Union High School District, said the district charged $5,300 per student for the 2005-06 school year. According to Monroe, there are currently six students who live in Mexico and are paying tuition to attend YUHSD.

Mary Lynn Coleman, principal of San Luis High School, said the Yuma Union High School District has a liaison at the border to ensure students coming across to attend schools in the district are paying tuition or are residents of the district.

She said to verify residency, the liaison calls parents and visits to their homes.

You mean to tell me that the dozens and dozens of students that I witnessed crossing back into Mexico are each paying $5,300 to attend school? If they only have a record of six students paying tuition then all those that I witnessed coming across the border are illegally attending school! -mm