[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1853-E1854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE 21ST CENTURY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 19, 2000

  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I have the opportunity to voice my 
strong concern over the lack of legislation being passed to improve the 
deterioration of our nation's schools.
  During the 106th Congress, I authored H.R. 415 and I co-sponsored 
H.R. 1660, H.R. 1960, H.R. 3874, and H.R. 4094. Each of these bills, if 
the majority party permitted them to be considered, would have 
facilitated school construction--an issue that can no longer be 
overlooked by the federal government.
  H.R. 415, my Expand and Rebuild America's Schools Act, will encourage 
new school and classroom construction through the creation of a new 
class of tax-exempt bonds. These bonds are similar to the Qualified 
Zone Academy bonds created in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 for the 
purpose of school renovation. My bill focuses on using these new bonds 
specifically for the construction of new classrooms and schools, and to 
assist overcrowded, high growth rate schools that are struggling to 
adequately house their students.
  H.R. 415 will assist Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with limited 
financial resources to combat major overcrowding problems due to 
increasing enrollment. The program provides interest-free capital to 
LEAs by giving a tax credit to the financial institution in the amount 
equal to the interest that would otherwise be paid. The local school 
district is then required to repay only the principal amount borrowed. 
The Secretary of Education will be responsible for direct distribution 
of the bond program to the LEAs, avoiding any state bureaucracy in 
funding decisions or program administration.
  Let's examine the facts about the conditions of our schools. Between 
2000 and 2010, the average national increase of public high school 
students is 10%, with an expected increase of 15% in my home state of 
California. This year, 53 million children will enter public and 
private elementary and secondary schools in the United States. By 2020, 
the Department of Education estimates that about 55 million children 
will be enrolled in our nation's schools, with this number increasing 
to 60 million by 2030.
  In California alone, the Department of Education projects that 
elementary and secondary school enrollment will increase by 4.6% over 
the next 10 years. This ranks 12th among states with the largest 
expected increases. On a more local level, Orange County has already 
experienced a 30.9% increase in the enrollment of elementary and 
secondary school students from 1990-1998.
  The bottom line here is that we have a growing population of 
students, and we do not have the infrastructure in place to properly 
accommodate all of them. These are frightening statistics for the 
future of our nation. It is our responsibility to our children to take 
action on this matter immediately. We wouldn't think of sending our men 
and women in the armed services into a battle without the best training 
they can be supplied. Why are we sending our children into this global 
economy and competitive world with less than the best preparation? This 
is indeed an issue of national security for the United States.

[[Page E1854]]

  Let's forget about the future for a moment and focus on where we are 
putting our children now. In a study issued by the National Center for 
Education Statistics (NCES) on the conditions of public schools, three-
quarters of all schools reported the need to spend money on repairs, 
renovations, and modernization to bring their school buildings into 
good overall condition. Approximately one-fifth of schools indicated 
less than adequate conditions for life safety features, roofs, and 
electric power. They also reported that 43% of the schools reported 
that at least one of six environmental factors was in unsatisfactory 
condition. Moreover, about 36% of schools indicated that they used 
portable classrooms.
  But wait, it gets worse. NCES also reports that 78% of all schools in 
rural America need to be repaired and modernized. Nearly one-half (47%) 
of all schools in rural America have unsatisfactory environmental 
conditions. Over 30% report inadequate heating, ventilation, and air 
conditioning.
  How do we expect our students to improve their performance if we are 
not meeting their basic needs? The National Education Association 
estimates that the total funding need for public school modernization 
is $321.9 billion. Of that total, $268.2 billion is needed for school 
infrastructures and $53.7 billion is needed for education technologies.
  We must take action now to enable us to provide the best education 
possible for our current and future students. We must pass legislation 
that will facilitate the construction and repair of our nations public 
schools. We must strongly consider passing legislation like H.R. 415. 
The majority party in the Congress should make this a priority--not put 
it on a back burner.
  We can't afford to waste any more time. While we fight about the cost 
and the most effective ways to improve our schools, there is a student 
in California who can't go out to play because her playground is now 
filled with portable classrooms. While we struggle to realize that this 
is an issue of the highest priority, a student in New York is walking 
around a trash can in the middle of the hall that is catching the rain 
water falling from a leaky roof. Let's not wait any longer.
  My fellow colleagues, let's pass legislation that will allow our 
students to learn and our teachers to teach in a safe, clean, uncrowded 
environment. I truly believe that the future economic health and 
security of our nation depends upon it.

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