Senator Harkin Introduces Bill To Repair, "Green" Public School Facilities

Grants Will Focus on Disadvantaged Schools, While Creating Jobs Nationally

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced legislation that will help public schools fix their deteriorating school buildings. The School Building Fairness Act of 2009 would authorize $6 billion a year for a new program that would provide grants for the repair, renovation and construction of elementary and secondary schools as well as early learning facilities. The national legislation is modeled on a program initiated by Harkin for Iowa schools.

“Something is seriously wrong when children go to modern, gleaming shopping malls and sports arenas, but attend public schools with crumbling walls and leaking roofs. This sends exactly the wrong message to children about our priorities as adults,” said Harkin. “The most recent infrastructure report card issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers gives public schools a grade of D. I don’t know many parents who would find a D grade acceptable for their children. So how can we stand by while the buildings where our children learn are assigned a grade just short of failing?”

Since 1998, Harkin has secured $121 million in Harkin School Grants to renovate schools across Iowa. Over 300 Iowa school districts have received funding for much-needed school repair and construction. This federal investment has leveraged more than $600 million in additional local funding.

“Iowa has a proven model – a modest federal investment leveraging five times as much in local funding. It’s time to make this a national program,” said Harkin.

Under the legislation proposed today, districts that have higher percentages of poor children, serve predominantly rural communities and/or plan to make use of “green” practices will receive a priority in receiving grants. Currently, spending on school facilities is almost twice as high in affluent districts as in disadvantaged districts – an inequality that could contribute to the learning gap between affluent and poor children.

“With the School Building Fairness Act, we have a chance to get our priorities right, and to provide a desperately needed boost to poor and rural school districts,” Harkin added. “Additionally, this would be a major job-creating bill, and those new jobs – in the construction trades and manufacturing – would be created in thousands of communities all across the country.”

Funding will be allocated by formula to states, which will award the grants competitively. As in Iowa, districts that receive federal funding will be required to provide a local match.

Source: Senator Tom Harkin