Should schools start asking for proof of citizenship since the cost of educating illegal aliens is so high?

Question

Over 724 illegal students in one school, look at the cost of these students. How does this not affect the children of citizens at this cost?

How can our government explain all this unnecessary money being spent on educating children who are breaking the law along with their families?
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Illegal immigrants burden Portland-area schools 
By Guest Opinion 
October 03, 2009, 5:01PM 

By Richard F. LaMountain 


In 1982, in its Plyler v. Doe ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court obligated America's public elementary and secondary schools to educate children who are illegal immigrants. Since then, Americans have doled out untold billions to this end. 

With a new school year recently begun, let's look at what Plyler costs taxpayers in one Portland-area school district: No. 48 in Beaverton. As children from Latin America comprise the great majority of students here illegally, we'll start by examining some national statistics regarding Hispanics and work our way down to the local level. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, some 34 percent of the more than 45 million Hispanics residing in America are under 18. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that Mexico and its southern neighbors contribute four-fifths of our illegal immigrants (commonly believed to number 12 million to 20 million); the Federation for American Immigration Reform, that some 15 percent of illegal immigrants are school-aged children. However sensitive the fact may be, what all this means is that between 9.4 percent and 15.6 percent of Hispanic children in America are here illegally. 

From these figures, how many Hispanic illegal-immigrant students can we estimate are enrolled in the Beaverton School District? 

In the most-recently completed (2008-09) school year, according to the district's Website, student enrollment was 37,552; 7,702 of the students were Hispanic. Between 724 and 1,202 of those Hispanic students -- 9.4 percent to 15.6 percent of their total number -- likely were here illegally. 

What did they cost taxpayers? 

According to the district, in 2008-09 Beaverton schools' base per-student expenditure was some $8,400 (the general-fund operating budget of $315.6 million divided by student enrollment of 37,552). Each English-language learner -- which, by very conservative estimate, likely included half, or between 362 and 601, of the district's Hispanic illegal-immigrant students -- cost taxpayers another $3,000. 

More, each child participating in the free- and reduced-lunch program got a federal subsidy of some $260. Washington County's Hispanic children, according to the county's Commission on Children and Families, are four times more likely to live in poverty than its white children; possibly three-quarters of the district's Hispanic illegal-immigrant students, then, received taxpayer-subsidized lunches. 

So the total estimated cost of Beaverton School District's Hispanic illegal-immigrant students in the 2008-09 school year: between $7.3 million and $12.1 million. Add the estimated one-fifth of illegal-immigrant students who are other than Hispanic, and taxpayers likely spent between $9.1 million and $15.2 million educating and feeding all the district's illegal-immigrant students -- an amount equal to 2.8 percent to 4.8 percent of the general-fund operating budget. 

Now, to counter recession-induced budget shortfalls, in the past year Portland-area schools have reduced teaching staffs, increased classroom sizes, and slashed extracurricular activities. It must be asked: If not for illegal-immigrant students, how many new teachers could have been hired and existing ones retained? How much more attention could teachers devote to their other students? How many arts and athletic programs could be saved or expanded? 

The bottom line is this: Americans do not owe educations to illegal immigrants. Our first, foremost, and most sacred responsibility is to our own children. And we beggar our children's education -- and future -- when we spend scarce tax dollars on those who are in our nation illegally. 

Portland-area school boards should lobby Oregon's Congressional delegation to introduce legislation to overturn Plyler, and to allow America's school districts to require proof of U.S. citizenship or legal U.S. residence from their students. 

Richard F. LaMountain is a former assistant editor of Conservative Digest magazine. He lives in Cedar Mill. 

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/10/illegal_immigrants_burden_port.html
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tahitipooh · Accepted Answer

If it is up to me, then OF COURSE.
What really baffles me about U.S. government and its immigration policy is that  all the LEGAL aliens(meaning that they come here legally, following all the rules and regulations) have next to no rights or entitlements as far as getting education, medical care, and  welfare.  If a foreigner comes here to go to school(university, etc), not only does this person have to meet language and academic requirements, he/she has to show that they have financial backing from family or organization to pay for "OUT OF STATE" tuition.  And it is illegal for any foreign students to work off campus, so they can only do the minimum wage campus jobs if they need some money.  Now for some mysterious reasons, when it comes to the illegals, the U.S. government seems to feel morally obligated to cloth/feed/educate each and every illegal alien and their off-springs and should anyone raise an eyebrow or a question about this, watch out, the sympathizers of the law breaking illegals would cry Racism/Holocaust and they would press and press the politicians to twist and turn the laws until everything fits the illegals every single need.

?:
Anyone who buys anything here in the U.S pays sales tax but that does not entitle them or their children free education.  You and the rest of illegal sympathizers seem to fail understand that EVEN IF THE ILLEGALS MIGHT HAVE PAID SOME TAXES, THEY DID IT THROUGH ILLEGAL WAYS OF OBTAINING THE SS#, TWO WRONGS DON"T MAKE IT RIGHT, BOZO!!

Sasori · Answer

NO, they should not be educated in the US. Every child who registers for school should have to show certified copy of birth certificate.
In AZ we have over 140,000 English language learners.  Children who take money away for resources for native children. Children's parents who actually worked and contributed those funds. These parents are illegal, their children are illegal; neither deserves any benefit from being in the US.  
By the time the Feds get around to doing anything about illegal aliens they will all have anchor babies and the Feds won't send them home.

2 or 3 families sharing one home do not contribute their fair share of property tax sufficient to educated 6-10 children. The same with someone renting a 2 bdrm apt and sending 4-5 kids to school. The Feds match funds per student. Again these parents are working illegally, using fake or stolen ID to do it. There are 4-5M anchor babies currently in the US. Who knows how many illegal students there are.
'That is a lot of money paying for education for students who are not our responsibility.

Ruth S · Answer

There's a Catch 22 here! Suppose the child can prove he/she was born in the country. Legally they can't question the certificate, but what of the illegal parents of this child?? Do the schools follow the Don't ask, don't tell rules? Or do they have the authority to ask the child if his parents were also born in this country or not??  The only problem I can see about Birth Certificates, they CAN be forged! The schools should make sure each certificate has the States Seal on it. NOT a copy of one! The original!  If they can't produce such a document, and finding the parents can't explain because they don't speak English, I would turn the lot of them over to Immigration, and let them sort it out!  Same thing with college students! I understand it's not the kid's fault, but the parents should be aware of the implications of submitting false documentation.

Kettu · Answer

I have read similar articles about schools in Texas and New York. In Texas it is illegal to deny someone entrance into a public school based on immigration status. This is fine for people whose status is pending or the paperwork is being worked out...this should not allow illegals to participate, but that's the system. There is actually a problem in the boarder towns of people driving the kids over the boarder just for school, they are only denied when they can't show district residency. In New York City where classrooms are over crowded they want the illegals because the school gets money based on number of students. They will only stop people from enrolling if there is absolutely no room left for them, and then they start by denying illegals first. 

With systems like this it is no wonder the public school systems are crap in this country. With more money having to go to English as a second language programs.

EDIT: And I agree with the person who said English should be a pre-requirist for citizenship. It used to be once. When my great grandma came over from Finland she had to learn English, mainly because the test was only offered in English...but now my boyfriend's mom who moved to the US before my parents were even born and she barely knows English after more then 40 yrs here.

chmacqueen · Answer

I firmly believe immigration reform has to happen becomming much stricter on illegal immigrants. At no time should american tax payers have to pay for illegal aliens besides a fast deportation and in cases where possible US assets of illegal aliens should be able to be confiscated to offset loss's as illegal gains.

I also feel US birth laws need to be amended for the current times where US Citizenship is only granted through parentage and not from being born on American soil. It was a good law back when the US was a growing developing country but in the recent 30-50 years its become a problem. 

Along with all this cut back how easy it is for one to gain citizenship, keep work visa's and other visa's seperate from being used for citizenship and require a citizenship visa be seperate with stronger guidelines like knowing basic US History and being fluent in English.

cutter · Answer

Yes I agree with what your saying. Its too bad that the children would be a victim of the whole scenario. Maybe the parents need to be round up as well and send them all packing. Whats even more disturbing is they demand there rights.

niddlie diddle · Answer

Our elected officials are traitors, they should be revolted against, our voting system to replace them is to slow. US citizens are a nation of wimps and they sit and do nothing, while illegals march on our cities.

Metroguy · Answer

We should be doing a LOT of things D.C. won't allow to happen.  A Jordanian illegal was just arrested in Texas on terrorism charges for planning on blowing up a Dallas skyscraper.  It is just a matter of time before it happens again as everyone in Washington sits on their a**** looking the other way going LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

the crow · Answer

yes, they should not be in our schools. I do not want them in classes with my children. I do not care what anyone thinks about it.

Nikki · Answer

YEs. & if they're stupid enough to say they're illegal, deport them & charge the home country the cost of transport.

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Should schools start asking for proof of citizenship since the cost of educating illegal aliens is so high?

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