Today, in his weekly radio address, President Clinton will announce a new U.S. Department of Education analysis demonstrating the pressing need to modernize schools in every state. He will also call on Congress to invest in other education priorities, including smaller class sizes, more after-school learning opportunities, accountability for fixing failing schools, and ensuring a qualified teacher in every classroom. In every state and the District of Columbia, at least 60 percent of schools need repairs. Crumbling schools not only have a negative effect on student learning, but they can pose serious dangers to students health and safety.
All students deserve a safe, healthy, and modern place to learn.
President Clinton will urge the congressional leadership to quit stalling and pass school construction legislation this year. The bonds would help build and modernize 6,000 schools nationwide. Districts could use these 15-year bonds to modernize existing schools as well as build new ones. Bond owners would receive federal tax credits rather than interest payments from school districts, allowing districts to borrow interest-free for school construction. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Reps. Charles Rangel and Nancy Johnson introduced bipartisan legislation based on the President s proposal with 229 sponsors.