State: Bush weighs college admission guarantee

Bush weighs college admission guarantee

As part of his solution to end affirmative action, Gov. Jeb Bush considers a plan similar to one his brother helped launch in Texas.

By WILLIAM YARDLEY

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush is considering a plan to guarantee college admission to Florida's high school seniors graduating in the top 20 percent of their class as part of his emerging solution to end the state's affirmative action programs.

Along with ending race-based admissions policies, the plan would diminish SAT scores as factors in accepting the top fifth of students from state high schools. Some experts say SAT scores are culturally biased.

The plan resembles the "10 percent plan" that Bush's older brother, GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush, helped launch in Texas in 1997. It could add about 1,200 minority students and 1,600 students overall to the rolls of state universities.

State Sen. Daryl Jones, a Miami Democrat fighting a proposed constitutional amendment to end race- and gender-based preferences in Florida government, said he discussed the Bush plan this week with the governor and his legal staff.

Jones described broad aspects of the plan to the St. Petersburg Times on Friday, but he declined to discuss details until Bush makes an announcement.

Cory Tilley, Bush's deputy chief of staff, said Bush plans next week to propose changes in affirmative action policies across several levels of Florida government.

Tilley, who would not comment on the 20 percent plan, said the governor's proposals are still "fluid."

The Times reported Friday that Bush is developing an approach that he hopes will increase diversity in state contracting without racial quotas or preferences. The higher education proposal appears to be another attempt to placate both sides in the affirmative action debate.

Jones said the plan would help minorities, but perhaps not enough.

"That troubles me," he said, "but there are benefits, too."

As Jones understands it, the plan would not ensure entrance at the state's top two schools, the University of Florida and Florida State University. Jones said either the University of Central Florida or the University of South Florida also might be excluded.

It was not clear Friday whether or not the new plan would include increases in scholarship money for minorities.

Bush's new communications director, Justin Sayfie, said that the governor's review of affirmative action policies has been comprehensive and that one of Bush's goals is "increasing minorities in universities." Bush has spoken to several key players in the debate in recent days.

University system spokesman Keith Goldschmidt said Friday that the governor's office had asked the university system to review its minority admission policies. Goldschmidt declined to comment when asked about the 20 percent plan.

State Rep. Willie Logan, a Democrat from Opa-locka who is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent, said he had talked with Bush about the governor's plans to reshape affirmative action.

Logan, who was among several black Democrats to support Bush's candidacy for governor, would not say whether they had discussed the 20 percent plan, but he said the idea was excellent.

The governor's proposals come as the Florida Supreme Court prepares to review affirmative action opponent Ward Connerly's initiative and decide whether he can continue seeking the 435,000 signatures he needs to place the measure on the ballot.

Connerly's ballot initiative would ban affirmative action in state contracting, hiring and higher education. He has successfully pushed similar initiatives in California and Washington state.

At the California headquarters of Connerly's American Civil Rights Coalition, Kevin Nguyen said the Bush plan was "a step in the right direction."

However, he said, "because we haven't been consulted and because we don't have any insight into what the governor will reveal, we'll withhold judgment." He said Bush's affirmative action policies would not necessarily affect the amendment drive.

In Florida, the state university system already guarantees entrance to all high school students with a 3.0 grade point average or higher. A high school graduate with a 2.0 GPA is ensured entrance to a community college. Once there, community college students who earn two-year degrees are automatically accepted at state universities.

The SAT, which some critics say is culturally biased against minorities, may still be a factor for students wishing to attend certain schools, as well as for students who do not finish in the top 20 percent of their class.

Students who do not finish in the top 20 percent can still be accepted to state schools.

The percentage of minority students enrolled in Florida's university system has changed little during the past three academic years for which statistics are available, 1995-98.

Although African-American students make up about 13.5 percent of the university system enrollment, that figure includes 12,000 students who attend historically black Florida A&M. African-American representation is lower at many other state universities. Hispanic representation is slightly higher, about 14 percent. Asians make up about 4 percent.

The 20 percent plan, if enacted, would follow similar plans in California and Texas. California created a 4 percent plan this year, three years after Connerly led a successful drive to end race- and gender-based preferences.

In Texas, Gov. George W. Bush supported a 10 percent plan that ensured acceptance at the state's two most selective schools, the University of Texas and Texas A&M University.

The Texas plan, which went into effect last fall, has led to some increases in minority enrollment, but some say not enough.

The Bush brothers, who both oppose preferences and quotas, will spend Monday together in Jacksonville, where the Texas governor is making a campaign visit during his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination.

Among others Florida Gov. Bush has contacted is Rick Watson, a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, which has endorsed the Connerly amendment. He said the governor's office has contacted him but they have yet to meet.

South Florida contractors who complain that local contract "set-asides" for minorities are unfair. Minorities win less than 10 percent of government contracts statewide.

Bush said Thursday that he wants to increase the number of minorities who win government contracts, but that he wants to do so without preferences or quotas.

Deputy chief of staff Tilley called Bush's solution "a third way" of addressing affirmative action.

-- Times staff writer Barry Klein contributed to this report.