Education audit sought as leverage

The chairwoman of the Senate's education committee says she's hoping an audit into the costs of educating undocumented students could lead to leverage with the federal government.

"If we have them here, we need to figure out the cost to accommodate them," said Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, who requested the legislative audit. Dayton, who had requested the audit anonymously, discussed the audit for the first time Wednesday after Senate President John Valentine identified her.

Dayton led an effort to withdraw from the federal No Child Left Behind program, and says she remains wary of federal funding.

But, while she's unsure of whether the state ought to pursue any additional funding from the federal government, Dayton said having the information would help the state in negotiating if it does decide to seek that funding.

"We need to figure in the costs of all kinds of students, Dayton said. Without the information, she said, "I don't know how we can negotiate at all."

Dayton said she requested the information, as with all her bills, because she likes to have all the information before she makes her issues public.

Valentine, R-Orem, said the audit is a "holdover from last year," adding that the Republican Party "has taken up the same cause." Valentine said in his opinion, it is valid information to have.

Legislative Auditor General John Schaff has made it clear the audit will only look in general at the cost of educating students. Legally, public schools can't be asked for immigration status. The audit has led to a complaint filed with the Department of Education's Denver Office of Civil Rights. Michael Clara, co-chairman of the Utah Hispanic/Latino Legislative Task Force, maintains the information can't be obtained legally.

Dayton maintains that students won't be asked for immigration status. She said the audit will look at the costs of educating students, and that the cost of educating undocumented students can be estimated from that. The audit is looking into factors such as education by grade level and district, along with other factors such as English as a Second Language instruction.

The average cost to educate a student is $5,397, according to new data from the State Office of Education.

The audit could complement a bill being sponsored by Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights. That bill would require the state's attorney general to look into costs associated with illegal immigration, including education, and seek reimbursement from the federal government.

"I think there's a lot of interest," Morgan said. "I think people want to know what those costs are."

---

E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com