Bill Clinton: “last week I offered this amendment to address two critical concerns faced by our schools that often do not rise to the…”

“last week I offered this amendment to address two critical concerns faced by our schools that often do not rise to the forefront of our education debate but frequently have a direct impact on how well our children can learn and how much it costs to run the average school in our country. The first issue is ensuring that our children attend schools that are environmentally sound in order to protect their health and well-being. The second issue is helping schools save money on their energy bills by providing them with resources to become more energy efficient. Our schools can then reinvest those energy savings where they belong, into educational resources such as books or computers or more training for teachers, which can really make a difference in the lives of children. I understand that since the time I offered this amendment, there has been some concerns that the amendment might help to fund new school construction or renovation projects. Let me be very clear that while I do support a Federal role in school modernization, construction, and renovation, this amendment is not intended to address the unmet needs of our Nation's schools when it comes to construction and renovation. I have offered this amendment because I am very concerned that we simply do not have a comprehensive understanding of the problems children face who attend environmentally unhealthy or dilapidated schools.”