VCT HOME
http://www.ocregister.com/education/board020w.shtml
Board votes for billing the U.S.
SCHOOLS: The attempt to win reimbursement for the cost of educating illegal immigrants draws a sharp protest.
August 20, 1999
By RICHARD MANFREDI
The Orange County RegisterANAHEIM - Anaheim Union High School District trustees Thursday approved a resolution to bill the federal government for the cost of educating illegal immigrants.
The resolution was expected to pass unanimously, but Trustee Slim Terrell voted against the plan.
"To come up with something so divisive was a little thoughtless on our part," he said.
The board broke for two 10-minute recesses during the debate because of the raucous crowd of 125 people that jammed the meeting room.
The audience repeatedly interrupted the board during the meeting. Calls for recalling the board were shouted several times.
The majority of the board was undeterred, citing the crowded conditions in district schools.
"When I took this office, I swore an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution and make sure every child receives the best education possible," said Trustee Alexandria Coronado. "We cannot do this if we continue to have these monetary problems."
About 60 members of the Coalition for Educational Rights, composed of several community-action groups, protested the plan before the meeting.
A small group of plan supporters, many of whom are immigration-reform activists who supported Proposition 187, also attended.
The resolution initially called for billing the Mexican government $50 million since that country is assumed to have the highest number of illegal immigrants attending district schools. The resolution was then broadened to include all countries and later changed to focus on the U.S. government.
The resolution says the Immigration and Naturalization Services has failed to secure the nation's borders. It calls on the government to not only reimburse the district for educating illegal immigrants but also to provide a count of how many illegal immigrants are in the district and to negotiate treaties with other countries to recover the costs.
Trustee Robert Stewart said the resolution is a purely financial matter, but opponents said it is a veiled form of racism.