DaVinci Academy admits 2 foreign students

OGDEN — DaVinci Academy of Science & The Arts has admitted two foreign exchange students without charging tuition or requiring a one-for-one student exchange as other public schools in the state do.

Up until the 2002-2003 school year, the state subsidized the education of foreign exchange students by giving districts weighted pupil unit funding to cover the costs.

However, last year the Legislature cut approximately $700,000 from the foreign exchange program, dropping Utah's average of 330 exchangers to 52.

To compensate for expenses to educate foreign exchange students, school districts are permitted to charge tuition. For such students, the charge in the Davis district is $5,500 a year, $4,800 in Weber, and $8,000 in Ogden.

DaVinci Academy, a charter high school in Ogden, has opted not to charge.

Mark Allen, DaVinci's principal, said foreign students enrich the learning environment and add an international perspective to classroom discussions.