[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3275-S3276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself, Mr. Harkin, and Mr. Kerry):
  S. 912. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand 
the incentives for the construction and renovation of public schools; 
to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing America's 
Better Classroom Act, an essential initiative to respond to the 
overwhelming needs for school construction and renovations. I welcome 
the support of my colleagues, Senator Harkin, and Senator Kerry, who 
have been strong leaders on school construction and education policy. 
This bill is a wise investment in education and economic development; 
it creates jobs while we build and renovate our schools.
  The Department of Education reports that the average public school 
building is 42 years old. In 1995, GAO estimated that we needed $112 
billion for school construction and renovations of the three-quarters 
of our schools that need funding to bring the buildings into good 
overall condition. A more recent survey in 2001 in the Journal of 
Education Finance indicates that the need is increasing, and the unmet 
need for school infrastructure over the next decade is over $200 
billion. My State of West Virginia will need as much as $2 billion for 
school construction and renovations.
  Combine these statistics with the fact that there is a proven 
relation between the condition of school buildings and the performance 
of students, and it is not difficult to see that the state of our 
schools is entirely unacceptable. It is our responsibility to do all we 
can to remedy this situation.
  America's Better Classroom Act provides the financial tools to do 
this. It will continue the Qualified Zone Academy Bonding (QZAB) 
Program, which, in recent years, has provided $4.2 million for support 
of school construction and renovations in disadvantaged communities. 
This provision would provide $2.8 billion to continue and expand the 
successful QZAB Program. Effective programs deserve continued support.
  But the truth is that many school districts need help with school 
construction and renovations, but cannot qualify for the QZAB program. 
This is why the America's Better Classroom Act creates a $22 billion 
Qualified School Bonding Program. Funding will be allocated to the 
States based on the Title 1 formula so it is targeted, but the States 
will have flexibility in allocating support among school districts.
  When I visit schools in West Virginia, I am often stunned by the 
aging buildings and compelling needs. In our fast-growing Eastern 
Panhandle, new schools must be built or renovated to accommodate rapid 
population growth. In other parts of the State, older school buildings 
need renovations to be safe learning environments for our students. As 
technology plays an increasingly important role in education, 
classrooms need to be updated.
  States and communities need the America's Better Classroom Act so 
that we can make needed investments. School construction can play a 
positive role in helping to stimulate our economy and create needed 
jobs and is also an important investment in our children's education.

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