While most of the nation's public school buildings are at least adequate, three-fourths need some work, according to a new report from the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics. At worst, we are falling further behind as ever more young people enter our school systems.
Parents have a right to expect that their children go to schools that are in good condition.
According to the report, overcrowded schools were more likely to be in less than adequate condition, have at least one building feature in less than adequate condition, or have at least one environmental factor in unsatisfactory condition. The survey showed that while the majority of America's public schools are in adequate or better condition, a sizable minority are not. Furthermore, the nation's oldest schools are in most need of attention. The results from the survey are based on questionnaire data received from 903 elementary and secondary schools. Information about the condition of the school facilities is based on rating scales rather than on physical observation of school conditions by outside observers.