Colorado schools receive $24 million in funding to educate undocumented immigrant students
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- To help support the influx of undocumented students in Colorado schools, the Colorado legislature has allocated $24 million to schools across the state. The funding, coming from the state's yearly budget, will go to every school that has a presence of "new arrivals," or students who are not proficient in English and have been in the United States for less than one year.
According to the budget allocation, each school in Colorado will be given amounts of funding associated with the amount of undocumented students present in their school after Feb 2024. That funding range is between $15,000 and $750,000 per school based on need. For example, if a school has more than 500 undocumented students they will be given $750k.
"District 11 is super excited that the states initiated these funds for the challenges of any new students that come in after the count. It is great for us to be able to get resources more directly to the classroom with these additional funds," District 11 Superintendent Michael Gaal said.
In numbers released by El Paso County, there are 2,017 undocumented students in El Paso County schools as of March 26. District 11 has the most of any school district at 936 undocumented students.
"The funding certainly allows us to be able to put more programs in place, to extend instructional hours, to be able to pay for our staff, to be able to support our migrant students," Gaal said.
Superintendent Gaal said District 11 was able to "plan ahead" in anticipation of an influx of immigrant students. They were able to add more teachers who are specifically trained in educating English learners.
"The hope is that we can continue to find efficiencies in more effective ways, that we are not wasting money in public education, but that the community sees it as an investment not only into the present students but into the future generations that will live in Colorado," Gaal said.
However, not all El Paso County community members are pleased with this level of funding going toward people who may have entered the country illegally. Darcy Schoening, the media director of Mom's for Liberty, a conservative parent group, and employee of the Colorado GOP, says the funding could be used in many other ways.
"They can't find teachers. They can't find bus drivers. And now families in El Paso County and across the state of Colorado are going to be further burdened by these illegal aliens that are going to further weigh down the school system," Schoening said.
Schoening claims the $24 million in funding will really be a "drop in the bucket" to fixing a much larger financial problem in Colorado. She says it would equate to less than $2,000 per undocumented student.
"What's it worth to these school districts? What's it worth to take you know, you take five or ten illegal alien children and you might get $10,000. You take 500 illegal alien children and your max payout is $750,000. What does that buy you in the long run," Schoening questioned.
This budget allocation was signed of by Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the amount given to each school district will be finalized by May 1, 2024.
