Thread: NYTimes-More Children Victims of Poverty Returning to School

September 1, 2008
Hard Times Hitting Students and Schools
By SAM DILLON
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With mortgage foreclosures throwing hundreds of families out of their homes here each month, dismayed school officials say they are feeling the upheaval: record numbers of students turning up for classes this fall are homeless or poor enough to qualify for free meals.

“We’re seeing a lot more children in poverty,â€

Here is a troubling question that is never answered: How many of the poor students in these statistics are from American citizen families? How many of them are from illegal alien families? The answer to that will determine my willingness to help (whether directly or by means of tax increases). If there was a way to contribute ONLY to American citizens who have hit hard times, I would do that. This kind of story is just frustrating to me. I feel sad for suffering people around the world--but I will not aid and abet illegal families in this country. I feel hard-hearted saying that, but where is a place we can contribute to helping American citizens without having that money go to those who are not?

Schools in many states have cut bus stops to save diesel. Districts in California and Ohio have gone further and eliminated bus service either completely or for high schools, leaving thousands of students to find their own way to school.

A month ago I mentioned stopping all busing of students and people freaked, my email friends did too. Gas, new bus's, maintanence and drivers, cost too much money. Tough choices have to happen, face it! The money needs to be spent on education and the kids can be car-pooled like most private schools do. My highschool only had kids bused from other towns. Parents and older children got the kids to highschool.

California still has a $15.2 billion budget gap, although many districts there have made cuts, including Los Angeles Unified, which sliced $400 million from its $6 billion budget in June partly by laying off 500 administrators and secretaries, though no teachers.

How many are illegal and shouldn't even be there!
Our kids are suffering from the influx of illegals.
There's a time to think about our own kids and the time is NOW!
Their countries NEED to educate them, we need to take care of ours. Why would people not take care of this country FIRST?

Originally Posted by DJ

Here is a troubling question that is never answered: How many of the poor students in these statistics are from American citizen families? How many of them are from illegal alien families?

If there was a way to contribute ONLY to American citizens who have hit hard times, I would do that.

I feel sad for suffering people around the world--but I will not aid and abet illegal families in this country. I feel hard-hearted saying that, but where is a place we can contribute to helping American citizens without having that money go to those who are not?

That's my stance too!

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

How many are illegal and shouldn't even be there!

In LAUSD about half of them.

Correct me if I am wrong, but schools, like hospitals do not ask the immigration status of the children or their parents. It doesn't matter if the parents are here illegally, the bigger crime is not having their children in school. None of this is the fault of the kids, but the heinous crime of illegal parents as well as the administration. In school, kids get at least a little break from being home while parents are worrying about ICE raids at their workplaces.
My sympathy is with the youngsters, and I will spare my personal venom for the irresponsible adults that have caused this problem in the first place.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

How many are illegal and shouldn't even be there!

In LAUSD about half of them.

That is just plain nuts and pitiful.
We are American Saps.
Do we not recognise when we are being used and abused?
Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by vortex

Correct me if I am wrong, but schools, like hospitals do not ask the immigration status of the children or their parents. It doesn't matter if the parents are here illegally, the bigger crime is not having their children in school. None of this is the fault of the kids, but the heinous crime of illegal parents as well as the administration. In school, kids get at least a little break from being home while parents are worrying about ICE raids at their workplaces.
My sympathy is with the youngsters, and I will spare my personal venom for the irresponsible adults that have caused this problem in the first place.

You are correct on the asking of legal stance, they can't, which is stupid and enables our lawlessness. I feel it's the governments fault because they won't allow much enforcing of our laws already on the books. It's rediculous to run a country in such a nature to where Americans come in last. I imagine we at first tried to be nice and then we were/are taken advantage of. The bigger crime is the illegals being allowed to be here. There's parents are responsible for them, not the USA. NOT our problem!

The school supply list have gotten outrageous anyway. They need to trim the fat out of those list.

Seriously, I remember having to bring milk cartons, paper plates, soda cans, bottles... to make my school art projects. Now they want you to have enough supplies to cover the whole classroom.

Pencil and paper, that's all you really need for an education.

Dixie

Over here in san diego it's an IA free for all in the schools and plus people cross thier kids every day to attend school here acting like they have a right to send their kids to our schools. They do not ask for your kid's ssn which is outageous! I enrolled both my kids and you don't have to provide a ssn for yourself or the child. Also that prevents the school from knowing who qualifies for free or reduced lunches, pre school programs etc and it gives way to fraud. US tax dollars spent on foreigners! They give away free healthcare but an education is a priviledge in this country and the system is being abused. It's the schools fault for not demanding the ssn be checked and a stop be put to educating anybody who can hop a border because look how OUR children are suffering. Don't you think that 443 million from Los Angeles spent on IA welfare could have saved those jobs lost in the school district?