Thread: Private university planned for illegal immigrants

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stor ... tory5.html


Private university planned for illegal immigrants

The Business Journal of Phoenix - April 14, 2006

by Angela Gonzales
The Business Journal


A charter school in South Phoenix is starting a university for Hispanics and undocumented immigrants as emotions and legal maneuvering over illegal immigration reach new heights.

Esperanza Montessori Academy quietly is working with Catholic University of Trujillo in Peru to build a school in South Phoenix for Hispanic students who can't afford to go to a traditional college.

While the school will be open to anyone, it was designed with undocumented immigrants in mind.

Plans also call for building an online university and beefing up the Catholic university's Peru campus, said Fernando Ruiz, president of Espiritu Development Corp., which operates Esperanza Montessori Academy for preschoolers through 12th graders.

Later, the partnership plans to build campuses in Europe and Africa, all tied into the online system.

Five acres have been set aside for the university, which will be built on the charter school's 14-acre campus near Central Avenue and Broadway Road in South Phoenix.

Ruiz estimates it will cost about $2 million to build the Phoenix university, which is expected to open in August 2007 with 500 students.

Within four or five months, Ruiz expects to submit a plan to the city.

Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, said Arizona needs a diversity of universities.

"We're much more dependent on our state universities than most states," he said. "So any addition of universities in Arizona is a positive."

The school's plans come as Congress and the Arizona Legislature consider various immigration and border security proposals, including business-backed guest-worker programs, new and increased penalties for employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and what to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented workers already in the U.S.

(page 2)

Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, said his concern is protecting taxpayer dollars.

"As long as they're not using taxpayer money, that's the No. 1 issue, making sure we don't have taxpayer money subsidizing the operations," Martin said of the Esperanza university proposal.

Arizona currently allows undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, but he would like to put an end to that.

Martin is sponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 1031 to end all taxpayer subsidies -- including in-state tuition -- for undocumented immigrants.

The measure is waiting for a final vote on the House floor. If passed, it would go on this year's general election ballot, Martin said.

"We're simply ending taxpayer subsidies of illegal immigration," he said. "We shouldn't be subsidizing illegal behavior."

Ruiz figures he can avoid that fight by offering lower tuition fees at a private university.

"There are very different rules and regulations for private universities," Ruiz said.

About 35 students graduate from Esperanza Montessori Academy each year, many with honors, he said.

"We have a labor force that can be trained and educated here, and we've got to have a way to do that," he said.

(page 3)

Tony Pals, director of public information for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., said there are no states that bar public institutions from enrolling illegal immigrants.

"The Virginia Legislature was considering such a bill as of last month," Pals said. "There are at least two states that allow illegal immigrants in-state tuition."

In the meantime, Ruiz is working with charter school students to prepare them for the global work force. Working with the Catholic University of Trujillo helps promote the charter school's emphasis on global leadership, he said.

For the past two years, students in first through 12th grade participated in the charter school's Global Leadership Institute to help them become competitive on a worldwide basis.

"We're in the leadership business," Ruiz said. "The whole emphasis of our schools is leadership."

In pursuit of its goals, the charter school is getting help from national supporters. It received a $1.5 million grant from the NFL in 1996 for new facilities and a football field. Last week, more than 100 employees from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division installed a playground on the charter school campus as part of the company's SMART program promoting active, healthy lifestyles.

"We didn't have a playground," Ruiz said. "We're right in the middle of one of the poorest communities still left in South Phoenix. Our part of town doesn't change. It stays the same. There's not enough playground areas for children to feel safe and enjoy themselves."

As if this isn't enough good news for the charter school, Esperanza Montessori is in line to get another $1.5 million to $2 million donation from the NFL when the Super Bowl comes back to town in 2008, Ruiz said.
Get connected

PepsiCo's SMART Program: www.smartspot.com.

Esperanza Montessori Academy: www.espiritu.org.

unless Arizona is surrendering to Mexico, that's unconstitutional