House Approves Legislation to Modernize and Green America’s Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to modernize, upgrade, and green America’s schools by a vote of 275 to 155.
The 21st Century Green High Performing Public School Facilities Act, (H.R. 2187), invests billions of dollars in school repair and renovation projects that would create safer, healthier, and more energy-efficient learning environments for students. The legislation makes schools part of the effort to revive the U.S. economy and fight global warming by creating clean energy jobs that will help put workers in hard-hit industries back to work. The bill also makes investments in Gulf Coast schools as they continue to rebuild following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and schools in other areas recovering from natural disasters.
“All students and teachers deserve safe and healthy learning environments, but too often, their schools are literally falling apart,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and one of the bill’s sponsors. “This legislation is a victory for students, workers and our planet. It will help improve educational opportunities and boost student achievement, it will help transition us toward a green economy by making our classrooms more environmentally-friendly, and it will get Americans back to work by creating good-paying, clean energy jobs.”
"Many of our nation’s schools are in disrepair, creating an unsafe and unhealthy classroom environment that makes it more difficult to learn,” said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Secondary and Elementary Education. “This legislation will modernize and improve our educational facilities, providing a healthier learning and working climate for our students and teachers. Not only will this benefit our local schools, but it will create good jobs in our communities while helping to clean up the environment.”
“Today was a big step in the right direction—toward investing in our children, investing in our environment, and investing in long-term economic growth,” U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) said. “How we educate our children today affects how our nation performs for generations to come, so it is absolutely unacceptable that some of our children are learning in schools with leaking roofs, asbestos, falling plaster, and faulty wiring. I am so pleased that Congress stood today with Chairman Miller, Chairman Kildee, Congressman Loebsack, and me to fix our schools and secure the future of our great nation.”
“Our children deserve the best from us, and that includes all the educational advantages we can provide,” said U.S. Rep. Loebsack (D-IA). “I have been working on “greening” our schools since I have been a Member of Congress. Modernizing our school facilities keeps our students healthy and improves their academic performance. Repairing and upgrading our schools creates and saves good paying jobs while providing lasting long-term energy cost savings for taxpayers. Everything about green schools is a win-win for our taxpayers, our teachers, and most importantly, our children.”
According to recent estimates, the nation’s schools are hundreds of billions of dollars short of what it would take to bring them into good condition. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. schools a “D” on its national infrastructure report card for this year. A recent report by the American Federation of Teachers estimates it would cost almost $255 billion to fully renovate and repair all the schools in the country. Over the last eight years, the Bush administration provided almost no direct general federal funding for school improvements.
H.R. 2187 would authorize $6.4 billion for school renovation and modernization projects for fiscal year 2010, and would ensure that school districts quickly receive funds for projects that improve schools’ teaching and learning climates, health and safety, and energy efficiency.
To further encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources in schools, the legislation would require a percentage of funds be used for school improvement projects that meet widely recognized green building standards. It would require that 100 percent of the funds go toward green projects by 2015 – the final year of funding under the bill.
The legislation would also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and help improve local economies. According to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute, the legislation would support 136,000 jobs. Recent studies also show that school quality has a direct, positive impact on residential property values and can improve a community’s ability to attract businesses and workers. The legislation also applies Davis-Bacon protections to all grants for modernization and renovation projects guaranteeing fair wages and benefits for workers.
Congress recently endorsed this type of investment by enacting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allows school districts to use funds they receive under the state fiscal stabilization fund for school modernization, renovation and repair projects.
The legislation has received broad support including the Council of the Great City Schools, American Association of School Administrators, Rebuild America's Schools, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, AFL-CIO, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Congress passed H.R. 3021, similar legislation, last summer.
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