[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10409-S10411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. DODD, Mr. ROBB, Mr. 
        LEVIN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. DASCHLE):
  S. 1511. A bill to provide for education infrastructure improvement, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions.


                 21st century school modernization act

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, last month I had the honor of 
accompanying President Clinton and Education Secretary Richard Riley on 
a visit to Amos Hiatt Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa. We were joined 
by a high school teacher named Ruth Ann Gaines and an 8th grade 
student, Catherine Swoboda for a discussion on the need to modernize 
our nation's schools.
  Hiatt Middle School opened its doors in 1925 and students spend all 
but a few hours a week in classrooms built during a time when Americans 
could not

[[Page S10410]]

imagine the technological advances that would occur by the end of the 
century.
  In 1925, Americans were flocking to movie theaters to see--and hear--
the first talking motion picture--Al Jolson's ``The Jazz Singer.'' The 
students who walked through the doors of the brand new Hiatt school 
that year could not imagine IMAX theaters with surround sound where a 
movie goer actually becomes a part of the film.
  In 1925, consumers were lining up in department stores to buy 
novelties like electric phonographs, dial telephones, and self-winding 
watches. CDS, DVD players, cellular telephones or palm pilots were 
unthinkable.
  And, the introduction of state-of-the art technologies like rural 
electrification and crop dusting were revolutionizing the lives of 
families and farmers alike.
  There have been incredible technological and scientific advances in 
the past seven decades. Yet, our schools have not kept pace with the 
times. We continue to educate our children in schools built and 
equipped in bygone eras.
  Mr. President, Iowa has a long and proud tradition when it comes to 
public education--a tradition which dates back to before statehood.
  As a result of the Land Ordinance of 1785, every township in the new 
Western Territory was required to set aside 640 acres of land for 
support of public education. Iowa's first elementary school was 
established in 1830 and the first high school in 1850.
  In 1858, the Iowa Free School Act laid the foundation for Iowa's 
public school system. By 1859 the state had 4,200 public schools--some 
in log cabins.
  This long commitment to education has brought great results.
  From 1870 on into this century, Iowa had the nation's highest 
literacy rate and the nation's highest test scores. Iowa students 
continue to do well but we must do better. Our public education system 
has served us well. But, the times have changed dramatically.
  The thousands of one-room school houses that dotted the countryside 
served us well for many generations. But time marches on and so must 
our schools. Just as the pot-belly stove gave way to central heat; 
candles gave way for electric lights; the blackboard and chalk must 
make way for the computer. We must make sure that every child and every 
school can facilitate the technology of the 21st century. However, Iowa 
State University reports that we need at least $4 billion over the next 
ten years to repair and upgrade school buildings and Iowa and make sure 
they can effectively utilize educational technology.

  Mr. President, the facts about the need to modernize and upgrade our 
nation's pubic school facilities are well known.
  The General Accounting Office estimates that 14 million American 
children attend classes in schools that are unsafe or inadequate and it 
will cost $112 billion to upgrade existing public schools to overall 
good condition. In addition, GAO reports that 46 percent of schools 
lack adequate electrical wiring to support the full-scale use of 
technology.
  Enrollment in elementary and secondary schools is at all time high 
and will continue to grow over the next 10 years making it necessary 
for the United States to build an additional 6,000 schools.
  The American Society of Civil Engineers reports that public schools 
are in worse condition that any other sector of our national 
infrastructure. I ask unanimous consent that a report card on the 
nation's infrastructure be inserted in the record at the conclusion of 
my remarks.
  To respond to this critical national problem, I am introducing the 
21st Century School Modernization Act. I am pleased to have Senator 
Kennedy, Robb, Levin and Murray as cosponsors of this proposal.
  This legislation reauthorizes direct federal grants to local school 
districts for the repair, renovation of construction of public schools. 
These grants are critically important to districts in impoverished 
areas that may not benefit from the tax-oriented proposals. Secondly, 
the bill builds a new partnership with states by creating State 
Infrastructure Banks to provide subsidized loans for school 
modernization purposes. Finally, the bill provides grants to assist 
school districts in the planning and design of new facilities that will 
serve as the center of the community.
  The need to rebuild our nation's crumbling public schools is clear 
and I believe we must fight this battle on two critical fronts--this 
session's reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
and by enacting legislation to provide targeted tax relief. The 21st 
Century School Modernization Act complements tax-oriented plans, such 
as those proposed by President Clinton and Senators Daschle, Lautenberg 
and Robb, to provide school modernization tax credits to finance at 
least $25 billion in public school construction or renovation.
  Mr. President, if the nicest thing our kids ever see are shopping 
malls, sports arenas, and movie theaters, and the most rundown place 
they see is their school, what signal are we sending them about the 
value we place on education and the future?
  Let me give your some firsthand testimony from Jonathan Kozol's book, 
Savage Inequalities. Kozol writes about a school in Washington, D.C.'s 
low-income Anacostia district:
  Tunisia, a fifth grader in Washington, D.C., tells Kozol:

       It's like this. The school is dirty. There isn't any 
     playground. There's a hole in the wall behind the principal's 
     desk. What we need to do is first rebuild the school. Build a 
     playground. Plant a lot of flowers. Paint the classrooms. Fix 
     the hole in the principal's office. Buy doors for the toilet 
     stalls in the girl's bathroom. Make it a beautiful clean 
     building. Make it pretty. Way it is, I feel ashamed.

  Tunisia tells the story better than any politician can. She faces it 
every day when the school bell rings. We can and we must do a better 
job for Tunisia and her peers.
  This is a serious national problem. And, it demands a comprehensive 
national response. The 21st Century School Modernization Act is a key 
part of that comprehensive national response and I urge my colleagues 
to support this legislation.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support this proposal to 
invest more in rebuilding and modernizing the nation's schools. I 
commend Senator Harkin for his leadership on this issue, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation, which is necessary to help the 
nation meet the critical need to modernize and rebuild crumbling and 
overcrowded schools.
  Schools, communities, and governments at every level have to do more 
to improve student achievement. Schools need smaller classes, 
particular in the early grades. They need stronger parent involvement. 
They need well-trained teachers in the classroom who keep up with 
current developments in their field and the best teaching practices. 
They need after-school instruction for students who need extra help, 
and after-school programs to engage students in constructive 
activities. They need safe, modern facilities with up-to-date 
technology.
  But, all of these reforms will be undermined if facilities are 
inadequate. Sending children to dilapidated, overcrowded facilities 
sends a message to these children. It tells them they don't matter. No 
CEO would tolerate a leaky ceiling in the board room, and no teacher 
should have to tolerate it in the classroom. We need to do all we can 
to ensure that children are learning in safe, modern buildings.
  I am also pleased to be a cosponsor of Senator Robb's Public School 
Modernization and Overcrowding Relief Act, which provides tax 
incentives to rebuild and modernize schools. Senator Harkin's bill is a 
necessary complement to that legislation. Although tax incentives are 
an important way to meet the nation's critical school infrastructure 
needs, they do not meet the needs of all communities. The neediest 
communities need our direct support--and they need it now.
  Senator Harkin's legislation authorizes discretionary funds to help 
local school districts and states repair, renovate, and rebuild 
crumbling public schools. It provides targeted discretionary grants to 
public schools that have major needs. To do so, it creates a revolving 
loan fund at the state level, which would provide low-interest or no-
interest loans to repair existing schools or construct new facilities. 
The legislation will also provide a grant to

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help local school districts in the planning and design of new 
facilities that would include input from parents, teachers, and the 
community.

  Nearly one third of all public schools are more than 50 years old. 14 
million children in a third of the nation's schools are learning in 
substandard buildings. Half of all schools have at least one 
unsatisfactory environmental condition. The problems with ailing school 
buildings aren't the problems of the inner city alone. They exist in 
almost every community, urban, rural, or suburban.
  In addition to modernizing and renovating dilapidated schools, 
communities need to build new schools in order to keep pace with rising 
enrollments and to reduce class sizes. Elementary and secondary school 
enrollment has reached an all-time high again this year of 53 million 
students, and will continue to grow.
  The Department of Education estimates that 2,400 new public schools 
will be needed by 2003 to accommodate rising enrollments. The General 
Accounting Office estimates that it will cost communities $112 billion 
to repair and modernize the nation's schools. Congress should lend a 
helping hand and do all we can to help schools and communities across 
the country meet this challenge.
  In Massachusetts, 41 percent of schools report that at least one 
building needs extensive repairs or should be replaced. 80 percent of 
schools report at least one unsatisfactory environmental factor. 48 
percent have inadequate heating, ventilation, or air conditioning. And 
36 percent report inadequate plumbing systems.
  Last year, I visited Everett Elementary School in Dorchester. The 
school is experiencing serious overcrowding. The average class size is 
28 students. The principal of the school gave up her office and moved 
into a closet in the hall in order to help accommodate rising 
enrollment. When the school wants to use the multi-purpose auditorium/
library, the rolling bookcases are moved to the basement, and the 
library has to close for the rest of the day.
  Two cafeterias at Bladensburg High School in Prince Georges County, 
Maryland were recently closed because they were infested with mice and 
roaches. A teacher commented, ``It's disgusting. It causes chaos when 
the mice run around the room.'' At an elementary school in Montgomery, 
Alabama, a ceiling which had been damaged by leaking water collapsed 
only 40 minutes after the children had left for the day.

  Most of Los Angeles' school buildings are 30 to 70 years old. 
Enrollment rose from 539,000 in 1980 to 691,000 in 1998, an increase of 
28 percent. District officials expect an additional 50,000 students 
over the next five years.
  In Detroit, Michigan, over half--150 of the 263--school buildings 
were built before 1930. The average age is 61 years old, and some date 
to the 1800's. Detroit estimates that the city has $5 billion in unmet 
repair and new construction needs. Detroit voters approved a $1.5 
billion, 15-year school construction program, but it's not enough.
  New York City school enrollment has grown by 100,000 students, to a 
total of 1,083,000 since 1990. School officials expect up to an 
additional 90,000 students by 2004. P.S. 7 was built for 530 students, 
but 1,048 students are now enrolled. P.S. 108 was built for 280 
students, however 808 students are now enrolled. New York City 
education officials have identified $7.5 billion in building needs.
  Schools across the country are struggling to meet needs such as 
these, but they can't do it alone. The federal government should join 
with state and local governments and community organizations to ensure 
that all children have the opportunity for a good education in a safe 
and up-to-date school building.
  Children need and deserve a good education in order to succeed in 
life. But they cannot obtain that education if school roofs are falling 
down around them, if sewage is backing up through faulty plumbing, if 
asbestos is flaking off the walls and ceilings, if schools lack 
computers and modern technology and classrooms are overcrowded. We need 
to help states and communities rebuild their crumbling schools, 
modernize old buildings, and expand facilities to accommodate reduced 
class sizes.
  I urge my colleagues to support Senator Harkin's 21st Century 
Modernization Act. The time is now to do all we can to rebuild and 
modernize public schools, so that all children can learn in safe, well-
equipped facilities.
                                 ______