[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE PARTNERSHIP TO REBUILD AMERICA'S SCHOOLS ACT OF 1997

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                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 18, 1997

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today, I join Congresswoman 
Lowey in cosponsoring legislation that furthers the education 
initiatives that President Clinton has promoted. The Partnership to 
Rebuild America's Schools Act of 1997 would provide much needed funding 
for the rehabilitation and construction of schools in this Nation.
  This act gives States and local communities increased flexibility 
with the financing of school construction. Specifically, the Act 
provides up to a 50 percent subsidy of interest of financing costs to 
school districts which will underwrite repairs to existing schools or 
construction of new schools. The subsidies provided for in this 
legislation are determined by criteria met by each school district and 
community, most importantly the need of the community and lack of 
resources to meet that need.
  The act appropriately targets those school districts that 
categorically are impoverished with the majority of their students 
living in poverty. The majority of the funds for subsidies apportioned 
by this act will be awarded to these communities by a formula based on 
the current ``Title I'' grant formula. Using this formula, the 
presently existing practice of providing educational assistance to the 
disadvantaged will continue.
  Education has been made the No. 1 priority of the present 
administration. Insuring that the children of this great Nation are 
afforded the opportunity to learn in an environment that is healthy, 
safe, well-equipped, and conducive to learning is a goal that we should 
strive to achieve. This act would assist our local communities in 
reaching this aim and would also provide local school districts with 
the capability of accommodating drastically growing levels of student 
enrollment.
  In my district, the city of Springfield has been designated as one of 
the many school districts in need of rehabilitation and construction. 
In order to compete in the global community, we must ensure that all 
children in this Nation have received the best education possible. The 
first step is to improve the now existing condition of the many schools 
that are rundown, overcrowded, and technologically ill-equipped and 
make them into sound structures to provide a strong educational 
foundation for all children and their futures. I urge my colleagues to 
cosponsor this legislation and show their support for our schools and 
the education that they provide.

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