Would you support a bill that requires schools to check immigration status?

• Should we know how many illegals are registered in our public schools and how much the taxpayers are putting out for those educations? As a parent, do you want to know how many illegals are in the school your children are attending? Virginia is doing quite a bit to enforce laws and rid this state of illegals and they are on the east coast, should all states being passing bills such as this? Bill lets schools check immigration Bill would require schools to ask about immigration status By Chelyen Davis Date published: 1/13/2011 RICHMOND --When a Fredericksburg city councilman wanted to know where the city schools' new students were coming from--and whether they were illegal immigrants--school officials said they weren't allowed to ask if the students were here legally. They could in the future, under a bill from Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock. Gilbert's bill would require whomever enrolls students in schools to indicate the citizenship status of that child's parents. The students would still be welcome at schools even if they're illegal immigrants--the law requires schools to educate all students. But asking the question, Gilbert said, would help localities keep track of how many students are here illegally and how much it costs to educate them. "It doesn't do anything but count heads," Gilbert said yesterday. "We should at least be allowed to assess how much it's costing Virginia taxpayers to bear the brunt of a broken system." The bill would require schools to report their tally of illegal immigrant students to the state Secretary of Education, and require the secretary to then compile an annual report for the governor and General Assembly. Gilbert said Division of Legislative Services staffers have warned him his bill might not be constitutional. He said he knows that schools don't currently ask about immigration status, because of the belief that "it may place a chilling effect on the desire of these particular parents to enroll their child in school." Last year, Fredericksburg City Council member Fred Howe questioned where 238 new students this school year had come from, given that there had been little new construction in the city in the past year. Howe asked whether the students might be illegal immigrants, refugees or transferees from other school systems. All were city residents, Fredericksburg school superintendent David Melton said at the time. Currently, 13.1 percent of students in Fredericksburg City Schools are English-language learners, and refugees comprise 1.8 percent of the total student population, the letter said. Immigrant students represent 5.1 percent of the total student body. Gilbert said he doesn't plan for his bill to target refugees, or any other foreign students who are here legally. http://fredericksburg.com

• Answer:

  YES - YES and YES! Public schools operate through public funding coming from the citizens of the United States. Illegal aliens should not be allowed access to any U.S. funding in any manner. For those who advocate educating the illegals I would say they have other options. - They can use the numerous educational opportunities available in distant learning opportunities. They can get their education through Home Schooling. They can take correspondence courses. OR - Best option; go back to wherever they came from and get their education. NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN TAX PAYER !