In my 30 years in education, I have heard this statement made many times. While I would agree that having highly qualified and professional teachers is the most critical element in a good instructional program, I believe that well-maintained school buildings are an absolute necessity as well. The citizens in the Davenport Community School District can take pride in the fact that, in the past, they have provided the financial resources to keep our schools in good physical condition. As principal of J.B. Young, it is a great source of pride to me when visitors remark about how clean and well-maintained our building appears to be. With age comes an increasing need for maintenance, however.
Concrete foundations crack and break.
The asphalt used to pave the playground and parking lots is not impervious to the effects of aging and needs to be repaired. Floor tiles come loose. Boilers begin to fail. Roofs begin to leak, and floors need to be replaced. Doors also need to be replaced, and sanitary sewer systems need to be rebuilt.