[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES

  (Mr. PASCRELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, we have Federal investment in roads, 
bridges and prisons, but when it comes to schools for our kids this is 
a loss of home rule all of a sudden. Bunk. For the Federal Government 
to help local communities pay the interest on capital bonding for 
school construction which would provide relief for our kids and relief 
for parents who pay the bill whether or not they have kids in those 
schools or not, this is our opportunity for better schools. This is our 
opportunity, and we need more teachers to help reduce class size, 
particularly for kids between the grades of pre-K and fourth and fifth 
grades. We need property tax relief in many States in this union, and 
this is the way to do it.
  One suggestion in conclusion: Why do we not give up the words, the 
simplistic liberal and conservative words? Mr. Speaker, the jig is up. 
They do not work any longer.
  We all know that the environment in which our children learn plays a 
direct role in the education that they receive. If we want our children 
to succeed in a modern economy, we must provide them with modern 
schools. That is why I adamantly support school construction and 
modernization funds.
  Unfortunately, the majority party does not want to provide our 
schools with these much needed construction and modernization funds.
  Instead, the Republicans believe that we should block grant our 
education funds to the states. Unfortunately, we have already found out 
what happens when we block grant these funds. In the 1980s, the federal 
commitment for these grants decreased by 52 percent.
  I am afraid that we are headed in the wrong direction on our 
elementary and secondary education policies. Every day, we see a new 
study which shows just how important it is to educate our children in 
an adequate facility, with a well-trained teacher and a class size of 
about 18.
  Block grants do not provide the solutions. The Democratic education 
agenda does.
  We must fix our crumbling schools by helping states and local school 
districts afford the costs of modernizing and building more than 5,000 
schools.
  In my district in New Jersey I found that almost one quarter of the 
schools were built prior to the completion of World War I. More than 
half of the schools were built before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
  The old age of these schools is leading to problems with their 
physical condition and 88 percent of them say they need at least one 
significant repair.
  The facts are clear. Our schools are old and they are overcrowded. 
The average class size in these schools is an astounding 23.9 students.
  And if that is not enough, the problem is sure to get worse as we 
experience the projected increase in enrollment.
  Our children can't learn when their desks are in hallways and 
overcrowded cafeterias. We know that smaller class sizes are the key to 
raising academic achievement and improving classroom discipline.

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