[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SMALLER SCHOOLS, STRONGER COMMUNITIES ACT WILL STRENGTHEN SENSE OF 
                          COMMUNITY IN SCHOOLS

  (Mr. HILL of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HILL of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the recent violence we have seen in 
our schools has made all of us take a serious look at our children, our 
schools, and ourselves. Too many of our children wake up every day and 
go to schools that make them feel disconnected and detached from their 
teachers, their parents, and their communities.
  I am introducing a bill tomorrow called the Smaller Schools, Stronger 
Communities Act which I hope will make our schools smaller and 
strengthen the sense of community and safety that many of our schools 
today are lacking.
  A principal of a successful small high school recently wrote that 
small schools ``offer what metal detectors and guards cannot, the 
safety and security of being where you are well-known by people who 
care for you.''
  I hope this bill will encourage local school districts to find new 
ways to help their students feel connected to their schools, their 
communities, and their parents.




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