Tom Udall: “I rise today to talk about school modernization. There is absolutely no doubt that our schools are in a state of…”

“I rise today to talk about school modernization. There is absolutely no doubt that our schools are in a state of despair. I have traveled New Mexico and talked to students and teachers in the schools and seen the problems firsthand, from buildings being shut down because of health and safety violations, temporary classrooms put on the campus for 1 year and used for 10 years, and the list could go on and on. Mr. Speaker, one in three New Mexico schools need repair and need to be refurbished. The cost is staggering: $2 billion. No one entity can do it. So what we need, Mr. Speaker, is a partnership of the States, local school boards, the Federal Government, to make sure that we build 21st century learning institutions for our children.”