$10K annual tuition required of foreign-exchange students attending Apache Junction schools

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Foreign-exchange students attending Apache Junction Unified School District schools soon will be paying $5,000 a semester or $10,000 a year tuition.

The district does not receive state funding for foreign exchange students as they are not counted with average daily membership figures. Each student’s exchange company pays at the beginning of the year, Superintendent Robert Pappalardo said during the AJUSD Governing Board’s Jan. 28 meeting.

“(W)e had foreign exchange students who wanted to come to AJUSD. So usually they start in the fall the company takes care of it, right? But it’s different when they are midyear transfers. So to be in line with what we would have had for a student who would be with us all year it might be $10,000 so if they’re coming for a half a year then it would be $5,000 is what we’re proposing,” he said. “(B)ecause we’re not going to get ADM for that student.”

Decisions regarding foreign exchange students are within the board’s discretion concerning admittance and payment of tuition, according to the district’s enrollment requirements policy, it states in a school district document.

“Payment is required in full at the beginning of each semester prior to the student’s enrollment. This will ensure that the district recovers the costs associated with foreign exchange student enrollment, as state funding is not provided for these students,” it states.

The AJUSD governing board on Jan. 28 voted unanimously to approve the tuition.

“(W)e really need to run this like a business you know. It costs money to keep everybody paid and taken care of and the students educated so we can’t just keep absorbing these costs. I’m glad this is finally coming to light and taken care of now,” Board member Gail Ross said prior to the vote.

“Sounds like the right thing to do,” Board member Judy Williamson said prior to the vote.

AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. In 2025 it is slated to open The Classical Academy at Superstition Mountain, a K-5 school designed to provide students with a traditional, liberal arts education. The district boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.