State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants Oklahoma school districts to measure the “cost and burden” of illegal immigration on their schools, but district leaders are pushing back.
Santa Fe South Superintendent Chris Brewster says his district doesn’t ask families about the immigration status of their students. And neither do any others.
“According to the 1982 Supreme Court ruling, Plyler vs. Doe, no public school may refuse to serve any student who applies, regardless of their immigration status,” Brewster said.
That means the immigration status of students can’t be a factor determining whether a child is eligible to enroll in a public school. Each enrolled student translates to an allocated dollar amount for their district.
Notwithstanding their immigration status, children who speak a language other than English at home, live in poverty, or have disabilities requiring an individualized education program, or IEP, come with extra federal and state dollars attached.
For districts like Santa Fe South, that can mean the difference between existing or not. “Around 96% of our student population are Hispanic, and about 76% of them are English Language Learners,” Brewster said. "And that’s determined very simply by whether or not they check a box that says a language other than English is most often spoken at home."
Brewster said such students often bring in more money than they cost to educate. While that difference can be marginal, depending on the student, any extra money can be used by schools in ways that benefit all students.
Brewster rejected any notion that students without legal immigration status are a burden to his school or any other district in Oklahoma.
“We're a public institution that serves our public, and our public is a very diverse, rich population of all kinds of kids coming from different backgrounds,” he said. “In no way would I characterize that as a burden.”
Other school districts in Oklahoma have made their opposition to Walter's directive known in the hours and days following his announcement.
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