State Guarantees Funds for Amnesty Seekers’ English Classes

Under an agreement announced Tuesday, school districts statewide will be guaranteed the money they need to provide English and citizenship classes for undocumented aliens seeking amnesty, ending months of uncertainty over how such classes would be paid for.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig said Deukmejian Administration officials have agreed to reimburse districts for the entire cost of supplying the special classes--which are required of immigrants seeking permanent residency status under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act--by giving schools an adequate share of the federal dollars earmarked for amnesty services.

Previously, districts were expected to provide the classes but were not assured of receiving enough of the federal money allocated to the state to pay for services amnesty applicants would need. The nearly $2 billion in federal aid California expects to receive over the next three years is to be divided among health care, social services and education agencies.

Now, Honig said, Deukmejian officials have agreed to give districts enough of the federal money to pay for “whatever number of (students) they get. It’s a much healthier system.”

A bill by state Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) would provide $50 million in state money to cover district needs until the federal reimbursement arrives.

Deukmejian officials also agreed to waive a state law in effect since 1979 that limits to 2% a year the growth of adult English-as-a-second-language classes for the amnesty program. This cap has frustrated districts, such as Los Angeles Unified, which have faced an overwhelming need to provide English-as-a-second-language courses in adult schools.

Statewide, Honig said an estimated 550,000 adult immigrants need to take the special classes in order to qualify for amnesty. Last year, the district had nearly 40,000 on waiting lists, which included amnesty applicants as well as legal residents seeking English courses. This year there are 18,000 needing classes.

“This is exceptionally good news,” said Los Angeles Asst. Supt. Gabriel Cortina. “We have been training teachers and recruiting teachers for this moment.”

Domingo Rodriguez, who supervises the district’s amnesty education program, said classes for 30,000 adult immigrants could be opened by the end of June.

Honig said the assurance of funds for the special amnesty classes will cut waiting lists. In Los Angeles alone, Cortina estimated that 10,000 of the 70,000 adults in English-as-a-second-language classes are taking the courses to qualify for amnesty. Those students could transfer to the special amnesty classes, opening up more space for other students.