Congress: Don’t forget public schools in infrastructure plan
By Amanda Menas / Photo: NEA President Lily Eskelsen García makes the case for rebuilding schools at an event on Capitol Hill last year.
Decaying school buildings and lack of up-to-date technology are a reality for millions of students and educators across the nation. Half of America’s public schools are more than 50 years old, and campuses in poorer rural and urban areas tend to have the worst facilities because they lack local revenue to pay for school upkeep and modernization projects.
K-12 public schools are the second largest national infrastructure sector, topped only by highways. Yet there is no dedicated federal funding for school facilities.
The overall condition of public school facilities gets a D+ on the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 infrastructure report card. Over 19,000 schools serving 11.6 million students are without the minimum connectivity necessary for digital learning. Cuts to state education budgets over the last decade have only exacerbated the issue of aging buildings.
That’s why educators are embracing a plan by House and Senate Democrats to invest more than $100 billion in America’s public schools.
The Rebuild America’s Schools Act would fund $70 billion in grants and $30 billion in bonds to help states address critical physical and digital infrastructure needs. Specifically, the bonds target high-poverty schools whose facilities pose health and safety risks to students and staff. The act is an important step in securing safe, high-quality public schools for every student.
The total infrastructure package unveiled by House Democrats would improve roads, bridges, and transit systems, also influential in the day-to-day lives of our students and educators. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said school modernization also needs to happen this year; but timing is unclear. It’s up to us to make sure Congress knows that schools and the Rebuild CONTINUE READING: Congress: Don’t forget public schools in infrastructure plan - Education Votes
