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Latino families need vouchers to break out of poverty and to provide Utah a well-educated work force, say Latino business leaders. Julio Fuentes, of Competitive America, an education-focused business coalition, said Utah's Latino population is about 12 percent and rapidly growing. Unfortunately, the high school dropout rate for Latino students is more than 40 percent, he said.
"And Latinos here are not improving as quickly as Latinos elsewhere," warned Fuentes, who flew in from Florida, where he is also chief executive of the Hispanic Chamber. "The current approach to education is not working for Latinos in this state."
The businessmen were among other groups Thursday who took stands on the voucher issue as it heads for Tuesday's referendum vote. Meanwhile, the Utah's superintendents and school boards came out against the measure.
Fuentes said he came to Utah to speak on behalf of vouchers because the state's program, which faces a referendum Tuesday, is seen as a "milestone" to education reformers around the nation.
Tony Yapias, a Democratic activist and former state director of Hispanic Affairs, called on the Legislature to better fund public education. But he said a voucher program would complement the public schools by giving parents a needed alternative.
Voucher opponents say the program, which offers up to $3,000 in aid, would provide little help to poverty-level families trying to meet private school costs.
The Utah School Boards Association, the Utah School Superintendents Association and the Utah Association of School Business Officials, announced they had "very deep concerns" about the voucher program.
"If passed, educational vouchers will likely be held unconstitutional," said a joint statement. "The legal challenge would cost Utah's taxpayers additional funds that are badly needed in the public schools."
Utah has the most financially distressed schools in the nation, the school groups said. "We encourage citizens to work with Utah's legislators to put the public funds into Utah's underfunded public schools."
KSL TV news report: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2077309
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