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Thursday, December 11, 1997

LULAC officials temper public comments on vouchers

By PEGGY FIKAC / Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- Officials with the League of United Latin American Citizens emphasized Wednesday that while they want to explore the option of using public funds to pay private school tuition, the state board hasn't decided to back a voucher proposal.

The LULAC state board looked at the issue of private-school vouchers in a meeting in Fort Worth over the weekend.

State director Angie Garcia and board member Gil Gamez said Monday that the board gave a qualified endorsement to a voucher idea that would focus on students in low-performing public schools. The board action was with the stipulation that LULAC would have input on the proposal to be introduced in the 1999 regular legislation session, they said.

The action drew criticism from voucher opponents including state Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, who said the idea would hurt public schools.

At a Wednesday news conference, Ms. Garcia, Gamez and Rosa Rosales, chairperson for civil rights for Texas LULAC, said they simply want to look at their options and emphasized their support for public schools.

"LULAC is not saying we're directly supporting the voucher system. LULAC is saying we need to look at different options. ... In the end, if vouchers is a system to better education, then LULAC will support that. At this time, we're opening our minds to any and all options," Ms. Rosales said.

Gamez also emphasized that the LULAC board was looking at its options, calling the resolution "the beginning of a dialogue."

Rene Lara of the Texas Federation of Teachers, a voucher opponent, said it appeared the officials were backing off of the voucher idea.

"That sounds like a reversal to me. ... I think it shows the grassroots Hispanic community's speaking out through their local LULAC chapters," he said.

Gamez and Ms. Garcia said they were not backing off their earlier description of the board's position.

Ms. Rosales said the board was "impressed" with a proposal outlined by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and would work closely with him in reviewing options. Cuellar has proposed tying a voucher program to the public education grant program, which allows students in low-performing public schools to transfer to other public schools that agree to take them.

Under the proposal, students refused admission to another public school could instead use public funds to attend a private school, Cuellar said.

LULAC officials have said the group wants to have input into the legislation to ensure public schools wouldn't be hurt and to address such issues as student transportation. Gamez has said board members also want to see a provision that would get students back to public schools that improve standards.

The officials on Wednesday distributed a copy of the resolution, which Gamez said wasn't in written form when it was voted on.

The resolution mentions that "many private and parochial schools throughout this great state have indicated a willingness to accept students desiring to transfer from low-performance schools under a public education grant system."

But it also emphasizes LULAC's commitment to the Texas public school system and says the group will be part of "a cooperative endeavor moving toward the development of a program designed to implement a public education grant that will bring a richer and more productive educational opportunity to students" enrolled in public schools.