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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2001

News Release

School Repair Tests House Commitment to Education

Crumbling Conditions Impair Student Learning

Washington, D.C. - Federal help for school repair is being forced to center stage in the U.S. House of Representatives today. National Education Association (NEA) President Bob Chase applauded the procedural move that would compel a vote on school repair and warned that partisan wrangling should not trump the real need schools have for federal help. "The federal government provides funding to build and repair roads and prisons -- why not schools?" said Chase. "Passage of the school modernization bill will be a true test of bipartisanship and Congress' commitment to children and public education."

Johnson-Rangel school construction bill (HR 1076) boasts broad support from both sides of the aisle, but it has not been allowed to come to a vote. With 196 cosponsors, including 21 Republicans, the bill is on its way to obtaining a bipartisan majority. The legislation would provide tax credits to pay the interest on $25 billion in school construction bonds for repairs and new construction. All decisions about which schools to build or repair would be made by States or local schools - not by the federal government. The funds would be used to repair and modernize schools in rural, urban, and suburban areas.

Chase pleaded with the Congressional leadership to avoid having the bill meet the same demise it did in the last Congress. Although a majority (231) of the House cosponsored the bill, it was denied a vote last year. "There is no excuse for leadership to continue holding up passage. If we want children to learn and grow in world-class schools, we simply must repair and modernize our school buildings. It is unconscionable to continue to ignore this dire need."

A recent NEA study documented more than $321 billion in unmet infrastructure and technology needs -- an amount states and localities cannot meet alone. Other organizations have published similar findings, including the American Institute of Architects published a report, which detailed conditions in high schools attended by various Members of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees. ( Click here to view report.) Two schools in Speaker Dennis Hastert's district were forced to close this year due to unsafe conditions. Pictures and first-hand stories about school repair needs can be found at www.nea.org/lac/modern/

Despite the House leadership's reluctance to bring the school construction bill to a vote, the American people -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- have voiced strong support for a federal role in initiatives such as school repair and renovation. The results of a recent bipartisan survey can be obtained at www.nea.org/lac

FACT SHEET ON SCHOOL MODERNIZATION

Our Nation's Schools Are In Desperate Need of Repair and Rebuilding.

• The average school building is more than 43 years old. Nearly 60 percent of schools need major repair of features such as roofs, exterior walls, windows, plumbing, and lighting.
• The American Society of Civil Engineers released its report card on the nation's infrastructure, and school buildings received the worst grade -- a D-. ( Click here to view report card)
• A Department of Education report shows record levels of enrollment presenting new challenges to already overcrowded schools. A large number of schools have already resorted to using "temporary" trailers as permanent classrooms.

Modern Schools Promote Better Learning.

• Overcrowded classrooms and structurally unfit school buildings impair student achievement, diminish student discipline, and compromise student safety. Safe, modern, well-equipped schools send a message to our children that we as a nation are willing to invest in their future.
• America's schools can't support today's technology. Forty-six percent of the public schools in America lack the electrical and communication wiring to support today's computer systems.

Local Communities and States Can't Do It Alone.

• The price tag for modernizing schools is staggering -- only a federal/state/local partnership can help address this crisis.
• A recent NEA study documents a $268 billion unmet need for school repairs, renovations, and new construction, plus an additional $54 billion to prepare schools for technology.
• A National Center for Education Statistics report shows a $127 billion cost just for repair and renovation of existing facilities.

The Public Supports Federal Investment in School Buildings.

• A recent bipartisan survey of likely voters found strong support for a federal role in initiatives such as school repair and renovation. Voters prefer increased investments in public schools over tax breaks for private school expenses.

The Johnson-Rangel Proposal Offers a Sensible, Bipartisan Approach.

• Tax credits for interest-free school modernization bonds leave decisions about which schools to build or repair to states and localities; create no additional bureaucracy; and are fiscally sound -- with every dollar going to repair or construction. Schools will save over $500 in cumulative interest payments for every $1000 in bonds.
• Johnson-Rangel is cost effective. For $1.76 billion five-year cost to the federal government, $25 billion in school construction will be leveraged.
• Johnson-Rangel provides a greater benefit to schools than any other school construction proposal, including private activity bonds or arbitrage expansion.
• A bipartisan majority of Representatives (231) cosponsored this bill in the last Congress. In addition, over 100 national organizations and 10 governors expressed their support for the bill.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.