[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10477-S10478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NORWALK COMMUNITY EDUCATION

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, in Iowa and across the United 
States, a new school year has begun. As you know, Iowa public schools 
have an excellent reputation nationwide, and Iowa students' test scores 
are among the highest in the Nation.
  I would like to take just a few minutes today to salute the dedicated 
teachers, administrators, and school board members in the Norwalk 
Community School District, and to report on their participation in a 
unique Federal partnership to repair and modernize school facilities.
  This fall marks the 10th year of the Iowa Demonstration Construction 
Grant Program. That is its formal name, but it is better known among 
educators in Iowa as the program of Harkin grants for Iowa public 
schools. Since 1998, I have been fortunate to secure a total of $121 
million for the State government in Iowa, which selects worthy school 
districts to receive these grants for a range of renovation and repair 
efforts--everything from updating fire safety systems to building new 
schools or renovating existing facilities. In many cases, this Federal 
funding is used to leverage public and/or private local funding, so it 
often has a tremendous multiplier effect in a local school district.
  The Norwalk Community School District received several Harkin grants 
totaling $2,420,788 which it used to help modernize and make safety 
improvements throughout the district. The district received three 
construction grant totaling $2 million. The first grant helped build 
additions to Oviatt Elementary to provide a new media center, a 
technology lab and two kindergarten classrooms to ensure adequate space 
for all-day kindergarten. The second two grants helped build Eastview 
School to serve 8th and 9th grade students and construct corridor links 
to the middle school with the high school. The connecting corridors 
provide a pathway for the sharing of educational services between the 
three school buildings. In all of these building initiatives, the 
grants were key catalysts to transition the projects from a vision to 
reality. The school board and administration could easily

[[Page S10478]]

demonstrate a need. Once the construction grants had been awarded, the 
community responded by providing the local matching funds necessary to 
complete the projects. These schools are the modern, state-of-the-art 
facilities that befit the educational ambitions and excellence of this 
school district. Indeed, they are the kind of schools that every child 
in America deserves.
  The district also received five fire safety grants totaling $420,788 
to upgrade fire alarm systems, to install fire doors, emergency 
lighting and make other repairs at schools throughout the district to 
meet current fire safety compliance. Without the assistance of the 
grants, many of the safety improvements would not have become a 
reality. The Federal grants have made it possible for the district to 
provide quality and safe schools for their students.
  Excellent schools do not just pop up like mushrooms after a rain. 
They are the product of vision, leadership, persistence, and a 
tremendous amount of collaboration among local officials and concerned 
citizens. I salute the entire staff, administration, and governance in 
the Norwalk Community School District. In particular, I would like to 
recognize the leadership of the board of education president Katherine 
Schmidt, Tom Phillips, George Meinecke, Deborah Hobbs and Rick Kaul and 
former board members Diane Shivvers and Deb Ostrem. I would also like 
to recognize superintendent Dr. Dennis Wulf, former superintendent Anne 
Laing, business manager Kate Baldwin, high school principal Dale 
Barnhill, Eastview principal Mary Crady, middle school principal Ken 
Foster, former Oviatt principal Ed Johnson and buildings and grounds 
staff Tom McLaughlin and Richard Sleeth.
  As we mark the 10th anniversary of the Harkin school grant program in 
Iowa, I am obliged to point out that many thousands of school buildings 
and facilities across the United States are in dire need of renovation 
or replacement. In my State of Iowa alone, according to a recent study, 
some 79 percent of public schools need to be upgraded or repaired. The 
harsh reality is that the average age of school buildings in the United 
States is nearly 50 years.
  Too often, our children visit ultramodern shopping malls and gleaming 
sports arenas on weekends but during the week go to school in rundown 
or antiquated facilities. This sends exactly the wrong message to our 
young people about our priorities. We have to do better.
  That is why I am deeply grateful to the professionals and parents in 
the Norwalk Community School District. There is no question that a 
quality public education for every child is a top priority in that 
community. I salute them and wish them a very successful new school 
year.

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