Tom Harkin: “Today we will be introducing the Public School Repair and Renovation Act. This legislation will authorize $1.3 billion…”

“Today we will be introducing the Public School Repair and Renovation Act. This legislation will authorize $1.3 billion in grants and no interest loans to enable school districts to make urgent repairs at our nation's public schools. The facts about the condition of our nation's schools are well known. The average age of the schools in this country is 42 years. 14 million children attend classes in buildings that are unsafe or inadequate. The General Accounting Office reports we need $112 billion to just bring our schools up to overall good condition. How can kids prepare for the 21st century in schools that didn't even make the grade in the 20th century? It is a national disgrace that the nicest thing our kids see are shopping malls, sports arenas, and movie theaters, and the most rundown place they see is their school. What signal are we sending them about the value we place on them, their education and future? I was disturbed by the comments of Tunisia, a Washington, D.C. 5th grader in Jonathan Kozol's book, 'Savage Inequalities.' This is what she said. It's like this. The school is dirty. There isn't any playground. There's a hole in the wall behind the principal's desk. What we need to do is first rebuild the school. Build a playground. Plant a lot of flowers. Paint the classrooms.”