What does it cost to educate English Language Learners?
The cost of bilingual education is approximately 25 to 34 percent above the cost of regular classroom instruction. In 1996, Texas spent $3,510 per child for basic education and an additional $230 for each child in a bilingual program. (The additional cost was less than one percent of the State’s education budget.) Texas only spends one-third of what is needed for an effective bilingual program. Investing $230 in a bilingual program can successful prevent the retention of a child in a grade at the cost of $3,510 to the State.
