Burgess Owens: “One-third of all elementary and secondary schools in the United States, serving 14 million students, need extensive…”

“One-third of all elementary and secondary schools in the United States, serving 14 million students, need extensive repair or renovation. Over 60 percent of the Nation's 110,000 public elementary and secondary school facilities need major repair. In 1996, an estimated $112 billion was needed to repair and upgrade school facilities to a ``good'' condition. Many schools do not have the physical infrastructure to take advantage of computers and other technology needed to meet the challenges of the next century. I am a former school teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District in California. In California, 87 percent of the schools report a need to upgrade or repair on-site buildings to good overall condition.”