[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

  (Mr. BAIRD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, if this Nation sincerely believes that 
education is the foundation of our democracy, then it is time to act 
like it. In high-growth areas like the Evergreen School District in 
Clark County, Washington, the growth rate is too high for the local 
district to keep up. Evergreen is the fastest growing school district 
in our State, with a growth rate of 4.5 percent a year; and by 2004 
their student enrollment is projected to increase by 26,000 students.
  To respond to the number of students enrolling, Evergreen has put up 
320 portable classrooms where 20 percent of our school district 
students are educated. This is not an effective environment in which to 
teach or to learn. That is why I am proud to be an original cosponsor 
of the School Construction Act of the gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Etheridge) which will create new tax credits to leverage $7.2 
billion in school construction bonds. Under this bill, the bonds would 
be allocated according to enrollment growth over the next 10 years.
  It is a good bill for our students, it is a good bill for our 
communities, and it is a good bill for our democracy. I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

                          ____________________