[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E452-E453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SCHOOLS NEED A HELPING HAND

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARTIN FROST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 1998

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, parents throughout Arlington, Texas, which is 
in my congressional district, received a scare earlier this month when 
school inspectors revealed that the floor was near collapse in the 
north wing of Arlington High School. The school, which was constructed 
in 1955, had to have classes and students rerouted because of the 
potential danger.
  The floor damage was noticed by school inspectors who were preparing 
for a summer renovation of the building. Recognizing the accelerated 
rate however, at which the floor was

[[Page E453]]

deteriorating, the inspectors recommended closing the north wing and 
beginning emergency repairs immediately.
  This incident highlighted what has become a national problem, Mr. 
Speaker, the deterioration of our nation's schools. Many of our 
nation's public elementary and secondary schools are in substandard 
condition and need many repairs due to leaking roofs, plumbing 
problems, inadequate heating systems or other structural failures.
  The General Accounting Office (GAO), on behalf of several Members, 
recently performed a comprehensive survey of the nation's elementary 
and secondary school facilities, and found severe levels of disrepair 
in all areas of the country. The GAO contacted 10,000 of the nation's 
80,000 public schools, and conducted site visits to schools around the 
country. According to the GAO's report, of the over 6,000 elementary 
and secondary schools in Texas, 76% percent of them reported a need for 
necessary upgrades or repairs.
  Currently, more than 14 million children attend schools in need of 
extensive repair or replacement, and nearly one-third of our public 
schools were built prior to the beginning of World War II in 1939. If 
we want to prepare our children to succeed in an economy where 
technical skills are increasingly important, we need modern schools, 
meaning everything from updated science laboratories to computers in 
classrooms.
  That same GAO report found that nearly 60 percent of all schools have 
at least one major building feature in disrepair, such as leaky roofs 
or crumbling walls. These schools are distributed throughout our 
communities, with 38 percent of urban schools, 30 percent of rural 
schools and 29 percent of suburban schools needing repairs.
  More than half of the schools reported deteriorating environmental 
conditions, such as poor ventilation, hearing or lighting problems, as 
well as poor physical security. And 46% of our schools lack even the 
basic electrical wiring necessary to support computers, modems and 
other modern communications technology.
  As well, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in their 
1998 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, gave America's schools 
an F, based on the urgent need for repairs. Schools were the only 
infrastructure category to receive a failing grade. ASCE has determined 
that it will cost about $12 billion to repair, renovate and modernize 
our schools.
  Of this amount, approximately $5 billion is needed to fix or remove 
hazardous substances such as asbestos, lead and radon. Another $60 
billion in new construction is needed to accommodate the 3 million new 
students expected in the next decade. Total annual construction and 
renovation spending since 1991 has remained between $10 and $12 billion 
for K-12 schools.
  In order to address this serious problem, the President has proposed, 
and I support, a bill to establish and expand tax incentives to help 
states and local school districts address the need for school 
modernization. This bill would help states and local schools districts 
pay for the cost of modernizing and building more than 5,000 schools by 
creating new School Modernization Bonds.
  Under the bill, these zero-interest bonds would be available for the 
construction and renovation of pubic school facilities. The Department 
of the Treasury would allocate the rights to offer these special 15-
year bonds to States that have submitted school construction plans to 
the Secretary of Education. The federal government would subsidize a 
total of $9.7 billion per year of these bonds in the years 1999 and 
2000. Texas would receive $1.6 billion of this new bond authority.
  The federal government would pay the interest on the School 
Modernization Bonds through an annual tax credit to the holder. These 
credits are allocated to the states, which will determine how to divide 
the credits. The bonds can be issued by any state or local government, 
but they are still required to pay the principal.
  Mr. Speaker, forty-two national groups, including the National Parent 
Teacher Association and the National School Boards Association support 
this bill, and support repairing our nation's schools. The students at 
Arlington High School will have their school repaired this summer 
thanks to the community. Congress, by passing a school modernization 
bill, can ensure that all of our neighborhood schools are given that 
same helping hand.

                          ____________________