But states bear most of the responsibility for such costs, and they have been spending more than ever, the union says. We often fail to recognize that where our students learn can have a dramatic effect on what they learn. Individual state needs, the union's report said, vary widely because some states are more populated or have higher costs for land and building materials. States such as Alaska, Indiana and Delaware have the highest portion of budget surpluses, the report said. The union's estimates are based on 1998 and 1999 data that include school enrollments, age and condition of existing buildings, and construction costs, said spokesman Steve Wollmer.
School districts make the decision to go through with a construction project.
It's locally controlled and locally decided. When Lincoln Middle School in Indianapolis was re-built in 1997, special attention was paid to wiring every classroom for computers. Between the building itself and the technology, we have so many more opportunities than we did in our old school. Three in four states have technology plans, Chase said, but most of them don't have any plans to pay for them. But Republican leaders have resisted setting aside specific funds for school building, Democrats said.