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[L17]Lake City Elementary School

by Patricia Hawke, Pat

Utah Scholars is a federally funded program that was with the goal of encouraging academic rigor at the high school level. Several Salt Lake City Schools including the Granite, Jordan, Park City and Prove districts had participating students. Utah was one of 22 states to benefit with a grant of $300,000 to fund the program for two years.

Salt Lake City Schools require students to meet state guidelines of 4 years of English, and 3 of math and science to graduate. Those Salt Lake City Schools students in the Utah Scholars program are required to complete 4 years of English, 3 ? of social studies, 3 of science, 3 of math, and 2 of a foreign language. One main incentive is the possibility of grants and scholarships for successful graduates of the program.

The program was launched for two reasons. Educators in Salt Lake City Schools and around the nation have noticed a direct correlation between a demanding high school course load and success in both college and college entrance exams- like the SATs. There has also been national concern over the decreasing number of students enrolling in college programs and completing degrees on time.

Declining numbers of advanced degrees have been an ongoing concern for Salt Lake City Schools. In 2004 the Utah Foundation reported that the number of bachelor degrees among residents was steadily declining. Less young people were pursuing the degree and Utah schools were 31st in the nation with the 25-34 year old crowd. A 2006 report issued by the US Census Bureau confirmed concerns when it released figures that said only 27% of Utah residents hold bachelors degrees.

One reason that this may be a problem in the Salt Lake City Schools is it's large Mormon population. The famous founders of Brigham Young University encourage their members to marry young and to do missionary work for the (Mormon) Church of Latter Day Saints before beginning their education.

Salt Lake City Schools are trying to educate its students on the vast discrepancies in income between those with bachelor's degrees and those without. The Utah Scholars program is helping them to do that. This past school year the Salt Lake City Schools targeted eighth graders who will enroll in the program next year. These selected students at Salt Lake City Schools will work with mentors from local colleges and counselors in their own schools. Salt Lake City Schools are hopeful that they can graduate another crop of Utah Scholars and turn the trend around.

If you want to stir up a frenzy of controversy, just ask families in Salt Lake City Schools what they think about educating the children of illegal immigrants. The answers will be diverse and impassioned. Based on numbers provided by the Utah Office of Education state schools, including Salt Lake City Schools, spend about $5,140 annually per pupil. A recent audit titled “A Review of the Public Education Costs of Undocumented Children” recently threw some fuel into the fire. The audit, performed by the Utah Office Legislative Auditor General, reports that the state spends over $63 million annually on undocumented students.

Residents and state representatives of Salt Lake City Schools are engaged in a heated dialogue regarding the accuracy of that number. The study claims that educating a Salt Lake City Schools' students who is undocumented costs $100-$400 more annually due to the need for special language and low-income programs. This matter is of special interest to the Salt Lake City Schools because administrators have been trying to use available funds to meet rising standards in cost-efficient and effective ways. A look at the recent initiatives in Salt Lake City Schools reveals numerous efforts like vouchers, school choice and charter schools in the city's attempt to improve education. Many representatives of Salt Lake City Schools interpret the audit to show that educating undocumented students comes at the detriment of the rest of the population.

Others, like House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake City, feel that the audit is giving an unbalanced view of the big picture. Salt Lake City Schools have residents who feel that undocumented workers still pay taxes and contribute to the thriving economy of the region. The Salt Lake Tribune recently issued an editorial that questioned the statistics used in creating the audit. The editorial claims that that estimates of the 75,000-100,000 undocumented immigrants were used to make guesses as to the number of K-12 students. The paper calls this bad reporting.

What do the residents of Salt Lake City Schools need to know? It seems to be undisputed that educating Salt Lake City Schools' undocumented immigrant population does require some special teaching skills to address language and economic barriers. But does it necessarily follow that the end result will be to refuse to educate those Salt Lake City Schools' students? And is that really want anybody wants?

Senator Margaret Dayton, R-OremA, who originally requested the audit, has indicated that her main concern is that state and local governments are paying for the federal government's failed immigration policy. However, the end result of all this political posturing will have a huge affect on families of Salt Lake City Schools. The big question remains: Does the additional cost of educating the undocumented children of Salt Lake City Schools eliminate the requirement to provide those students with tax-funded education?

Article Source : Pg. 28

Patricia Hawke has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Food And Drink and Education Toys. Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit. Patricia Hawke's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.