October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10477 

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 Mount Pleasant Community 

School District received a Harkin fire 

safety grant totaling $150,000 which it 

used to install fire and smoke detectors 

in the middle school, Salem Elementary and WisdomQuest facilities. The 

Federal grant has 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 Mount Pleasant Community 

School District. In particular, I would 

like to recognize the leadership of the 

board of education, president Regina 

Erickson, vice president Lois Roth, 

Brad Holtkamp, Chris Prellwitz, John 

Scheetz, Ken Feldmann, and Melodee 

Yaley, and former members, David 

McCoid, Arlo Sandersfeld, Sharleen 

Bertling, Steve Wettach, and Lois 

Crane. I would also like to recognize 

superintendent John Roederer and director of buildings and grounds Mark 

Porth. 

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 

Mount Pleasant 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.

f 

∑ 

MUSCATINE 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 Muscatine 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 Muscatine Community School 

District received Harkin grants totaling $2,600,250 which it used to help 

modernize and make safety improvements to schools throughout the district. The district received three construction grants totaling $2,010,250 to 

help build additions at Mulberry Elementary School, McKinley Elementary 

School, and Muscatine High School and 

to renovate the middle school. The district received three fire safety grants 

totaling $590,000 to make safety improvements in several schools in the 

district. 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. 

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 Muscatine Community School 

District. In particular, I would like to 

recognize the leadership of past and 

present members of the board of education, Tom Welk, Kris Weis, Bob 

Torgerson, Nancy Byrnes, Paul Reeb, 

Ann Hart, Robert Leech, Paul Brooks, 

Clyde Evans, Robin Krueger, Jerry 

Lange, Joyce Haller, and Tammi 

Drawbaugh. I would also like to recognize superintendent Dr. Tom Williams. 

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 

Muscatine 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.

f 

∑ 

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 


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S10478 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 2, 2008 

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.∑ 

PRESCOTT 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 Prescott 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 Prescott Community School District received several Harkin fire safety grants totaling $127,188 which it 

used for improvements to the fire safety system including fire doors and 

exits, electrical work, sheet rock paneling, smoke and heat detectors, and 

emergency lighting. 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 superintendent Steven Callison, former superintendents Graham Quinn, Mac 

McKown, and Eric Wood, the entire 

staff, administration, and governance 

in the Prescott Community School District. In particular, I’d like to recognize the leadership of the board of education Marnie Cline, Doug Birt, Randy 

Cooper, Brian Fitzgerald, former members Karl McCarty, Kevin Schafer, 

Kathy West, Cheryl Blazek, Matt 

Wood, and Wayne Laird and custodian 

Mary Adkins, who was instrumental in 

the implementation of the grants. 

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 

Prescott 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.

f 

∑ 

RUDD-ROCKFORD-MARBLE ROCK 

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 Rudd-RockfordMarble Rock 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 Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock 

Community School District received a 

2002 Harkin grant totaling $60,865 

which it used to help correct problems 

throughout the building due to ground 

water seepage and flooding. The district also received a 2004 fire safety 

grant totaling $17,640, to install electromagnetic door holders at the elementary and junior and senior high 

schools. 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 Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock 


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