TUSD switches $11M to bilingual ed
Marisa Samuelson
More than $11 million in federal grants was spent on TUSD bilingual programs last year even though the funding was not earmarked for that purpose, the Tucson Citizen has learned. That means Tucson Unified School District received an extra $634 in federal money for each of the 17,550 students in bilingual programs. The annual base support level for other TUSD students is about $2,520. The practice of using federal grants - such as those intended for vocational education and homeless teens - instead on bilingual programs is both defended and criticized by district officials. TUSD board member Rosalie Lopez is concerned about possible repercussions. "When there is disregard for appropriate allocation of the funding - such as it offends the funding source - they have the right to withhold further funding or choose not to do business with us in the future," she said. "If the federal government wanted to play hardball with TUSD, they could cripple this entire district." But fellow TUSD board member Joel Ireland, the former board president who oversaw last year's budget, said there is nothing wrong with shifting funding as the district sees fit. "All those funds, the way they are being used is appropriate. I think the use of those funds reflects the demographic needs of Tucson," Ireland said, referring to Tucson's high Hispanic population. The latest figures on bilingual education come from a report released this week by the Arizona Department of Education, using TUSD financial data. "(The state) asked us to report district funds, which have been used to purchase supplementary materials, equipment, supplies, and training of staff," explained Becky Montao, TUSD assistant superintendent for curriculum/instruction. Other Tucson-area school districts did not report similar funding practices for bilingual programs. Arizona Department of Education spokeswoman Laura Penny said TUSD should not necessarily be singled out for its practice, noting that other districts most likely do similar fund shuffling but failed to report it to the state. "TUSD should be congratulated for reporting how they use the money. That is important information for parents to have," Penny said. "Part of the public discussion that needs to go on is: Are we best using this money to serve the students for which it is intended? That is not a question I can answer for any school district," she said. TUSD's Montao said she now regrets the district doing such a detailed breakdown. "We won't be doing this again (next year)," she said. Montao said she stands behind the bilingual education expenditures, but disputed the total federal grant allotments the state claims were paid to TUSD last year. The district was given several opportunities to correct the alleged discrepancy, but no additional data were provided to the Citizen. According to state figures, TUSD bilingual students benefited from $1.11 million of a $1.15 million federal grant intended for vocational education students. TUSD also used an entire federal grant for homeless teens - $43,800 - on bilingual programs. Catalina High Magnet School counselor Dorie Johnston said the district is taking too much money from students who are already underserved. "I don't see where all of this money is going, but it's not going in my kids' pockets," said Johnston, who last year worked with at least 44 homeless students at her school. "It's not enough. The kids need more." Johnston, who has been working with homeless teens for more than 10 years, said she often digs into her own pockets to help them. TUSD board member Lopez said she is critical of the district's handling of the funds, not of bilingual education. "The merits of a bilingual program is different than the way it is funded," she said. But Lopez called diverting money from vocational education programs into bilingual programs "a real worry." "That is really hurting the program," said Lopez, a vocal supporter of increasing vocational education programs in TUSD. "If we get in trouble (with the federal government) over our funding allocations, then we put the entire program at risk," she said. Bilingual education opponent and TUSD teacher Hector Ayala also was critical of the practice. "It's unfair for a program that gets as much money as bilingual education gets to take away money that benefits other students," he said. |