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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 1998

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association (NEA), today urged Congress to support the Public School Modernization Act, which would generate $22 billion to help states and local school districts modernize their public school buildings.

"America's children all deserve modern schools, where small classes, new computers, and high standards of achievement are the norm," Chase said. "But the sad truth is that more than 14 million students -- one in three -- attend classes in schools that need major repair or total replacement. This is a national crisis, and it demands a national response.

"This crisis affects every state and every community in America -- rural, suburban, and urban alike," Chase added. "States and local school districts cannot resolve it on their own.

"Three out of four Americans, regardless of their political persuasion or where they live, support a major federal investment in rebuilding our public schools, and it's time for Congress to take action," said Chase. In January, a national poll of registered voters conducted jointly by Greenberg Quinlan Research, a Democratic polling firm, and The Tarrance Group, a Republican firm, found that 76 percent supported a federal investment of up to $30 billion in public school modernization.

Chase said aging buildings, soaring enrollments, and demands for new technology all contribute to the problem. The U.S. General Accounting Office has estimated that school building repairs alone will cost $112 billion. Another $73 billion will be needed for new schools to keep pace with rising enrollments, and billions more will be needed to wire and equip schools with the latest in educational technology. The national cost exceeds $200 billion.

On April 20, the U.S. Senate will resume debate on education issues -- including the Public School Modernization Act. It would generate $22 billion in school modernization through federal tax credits for school construction bonds, to help states and local districts repair safety problems, build new schools, and equip classrooms with the latest technology.

"Congress has already voted to invest more than $200 billion in the nation's highways, because adequate transportation is a national priority," Chase noted, referring to a recent vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The American people also place a high priority on upgrading the condition of America's public schools, and they want Congress to help states and local districts address the problem," Chase said.

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