Opinion ID: 1843606
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: the system's infrastructure must be sound.

Text: All students in the state shall be provided with school facilities that are conducive to an effective teaching and learning environment. School buildings shall be safe and shall have adequate space, heating and air conditioning. All instruction, including instruction for special education students, shall occur in classrooms or other appropriate instructional spaces that are of suitable size and format for the instruction that occurs in them. Schools shall have adequate science laboratories, and facilities and equipment for computer and foreign language instruction; administrative offices; sick rooms or infirmaries; auditoriums; gymnasiums; cafeterias; athletic facilities and playgrounds, as age-appropriate; music, art, and drama facilities; and vocational facilities. Schools shall have school libraries and media spaces that are appropriate in size, equipment, lighting and materials for the number and age range of their students. Schools shall have appropriate maintenance services that provide for systematic repair and care of the site, buildings and equipment. School buildings and grounds shall be clean, safe and sanitary. Bathroom supplies, including soap, paper towels and toilet paper shall be available in adequate supply at all schools.
All students who meet reasonable State distance requirements shall be provided with free transportation, without regard to whether the student attends school in a city or county system. Transportation shall be in buses that are safe and well-maintained, and shall bring students to school in time for the beginning of their educational day, including the school breakfast program, and not require them to leave before the day is concluded. Regulations shall be developed and implemented establishing reasonable maximum travel time for students, travel distance limitations, and provision for waiver of state distance requirements in cases involving health or safety concerns. Bus transfers shall take place only at schools or other supervised sites. Provision shall be made for accessible transportation for students with disabilities to ensure that these students have equal access to services, programs, and activities provided by the local school system as students without disabilities. The requirements and regulations referenced above shall be submitted to the Court within six months of the date of the Court's remedy order. Parties shall have 45 days from their submission to file objections with the Court. All buses now in use that were built before 1977 shall be replaced immediately. State funds shall be provided for this purpose. In addition a schedule of replacement shall be developed to replace buses as appropriate each year thereafter so that the school bus fleet continues at a minimum to meet Department of Transportation safety standards. Provisions shall also be made for adequate ongoing maintenance and repair of the buses in each system.
All students in the state shall be provided with adequate textbooks and other instructional supplies for use in their education. As used herein, the term instructional supplies includes library books and media resources, science equipment, classroom furniture, audiovisual equipment, maps and globes, blackboards, art and music supplies, related aids and services, including adaptive devices and assistive technology devices and other educational materials. For textbooks to be adequate, every student must have his or her own copy of any assigned textbook of reasonable age and condition. Schools shall be free to use money allocated for textbooks for other appropriate kinds of books, software and other technology-related materials, and other curricular materials. In meeting these requirements, the State shall provide an infusion of catch-up funds to bring school systems up to a level of adequacy in all of these areas. Priority shall be given to those schools and school systems with the greatest needs. Defendants shall submit a plan for the distribution of catch-up funds within 12 months of the date of this Court's order. Parties shall have 60 days from the submission of the plan to file objections with the Court. It should not be necessary for teachers to make personal expenditures to provide books and instructional materials and supplies. Fundraising shall not be conducted during the school day.