October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10475 

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 

Fort Madison 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 

∑ 

HARMONY 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 Harmony 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 Harmony Community School 

District received several Harkin grants 

totaling $1,198,374. A 2000 construction 

grant for $315,799 was used to help build 

an addition to the elementary school in 

Bonaparte and to renovate the historic 

school. A 2002 grant for $757,575 helped 

build an addition to the high school 

which included a computer lab. This 

grant also enabled the district to make 

renovations to the middle school and 

high school facilities and to install a 

new HVAC system at the high school. 

These schools are the modern, state-ofthe-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 four fire safety grants totaling 

$125,000 to make improvements 

throughout the district. 

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 Harmony Community School 

District. In particular, I would like to 

recognize the leadership of the board of 

education—Dennis Grossman, Tracey 

Hudson, Tina Denly, Cody Warth and 

Bill Rice and former board members 

Burton Mills, Barb Wellman, Dave 

Drummond, Myron Helmers, Steve 

Adam, Matt Mitchell and David 

Hellwieg. I would also like to recognize 

superintendent Joe Hundeby, former 

superintendents Alan Marshall and 

Kelly Rogers. 

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 

Harmony 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 

∑ 

INTERSTATE 35 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 Interstate 35 

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 Interstate 35 Community School 

District received a 1998 Harkin grant 

totaling $250,000 which it used to help 

build a classroom addition to the 

school in Truro. This school is a modern, state-of-the-art facility that befits 

the educational ambitions and excellence of this school district. Indeed, it 

is the kind of school facility that every 

child in America deserves. The district 

also received a 2003 fire safety grant for 

$11,467 to install smoke and heat detectors and make other repairs in the 

school. 

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 Interstate 35 Community School 

District. In particular, I would like to 

recognize the leadership of the board of 

education—President Leah Gray, vice 

president Julie Brownlee, Bret Smith, 

Bruce McCuddin and Ken Stanley and 

former board members Bill Seibert, 

Alan Brommel, Van Brownlee, Tim 

Porter and Charlie Walters. I would 

also like to recognize superintendent 

Bill Maske, former superintendent 

Henry Eggert, business manager Lisa 

Brown, middle school principal Sharon 

McKimpson, former high school principal Tom Dannen, former elementary 

school principal Terrie Price and 

former building and grounds director 

Dick Downing. 

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 

Interstate 35 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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