Repairing broken school infrastructure can address achievement gaps.
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Too many American public schools are in deplorable condition. More than half of them to be exact. You can trace the location of these schools back to the history and present-day practices of redlining, predatory lending and erecting physical barriers like highways between predominantly white and non-white communities. Eradicating the disparities created by these practices, some fully backed by state and local governments, can address symptoms that show up as gaps in achievement.
Schools are supposed to protect children, not harm them. Many public school buildings are literally making our students and the adults who work with them sick.
The recently passed American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), includes resources for state and local governments to improve ventilation and provide schools with the personal protective equipment necessary to follow CDC guidance to mitigate the coronavirus as they begin to return to in-person learning. Likewise, the Biden Administration’s proposed American Jobs Plan (AJP) identifies more than $100 billion for replacement and renovation of school buildings that have long been neglected. However, recent discussions between the White House and Republican members of Congress indicates the potential funding of several administration priorities are at risk. Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV) even called repairing and building schools “extra” and not a part of infrastructure, despite the D rating her state has for infrastructure – which includes school buildings. Negotiations on which priorities will remain at the levels presented in the AJP versus reduced or eliminated for the sake of expediency is likely in the coming weeks.
Every $1 billion spent on school infrastructure projects creates nearly 18,000 new jobs.
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There’s no mistaking that the ARP is making opportunities to learn possible again. Those dollars are rightfully focused on addressing interrupted schooling and quick retrofits supporting ventilation and updated HVAC systems.
As it stands, the cost to bring American schools into good condition was estimated to be $197 billion in 2014, and likely now exceeds that amount. This amount does not include the annual costs of maintenance. And once the resources are made available, in order to be good stewards of the investments and prevent the same level of neglect in the future, there must be a federal database tracking the conditions and maintenance of public-school buildings. As Congress works to turn the vision outlined by the president in the American Jobs Plan into law, it must not reduce or eliminate funding for school infrastructure beyond the compromise request outlined by the administration.
Nonetheless, improved ventilation inside of decaying buildings addresses just one of American schools many structural challenges. It is also clear from recent research these buildings are not drains on the environment. It makes wise sense for them to be redeveloped and built in a manner that also supports a healthy climate, good green jobs, and structures that can mitigate if not eradicate the health and academic impacts previously resulting from “sick buildings.” The fact is, many of the communities who experience environmental racism and lack of access to healthcare, also have the least healthy school buildings.
Failing to preserve funding for school infrastructure would be a major blow to communities that have long suffered from infrastructure neglect – communities that in large part made the election of the Biden-Harris administration a possibility. In the midst of negotiations around priorities for the American Jobs Plan, the White House and Congress alike must keep resources allocated for school infrastructure at least at the $100 billion level.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has identified this matter as urgent, the White House took the steps to meet campaign promises to make this possible, and the impacts of Covid-19 make the necessity undeniable. Beyond a missed opportunity for 17,785 new jobs for every $1 billion spent on school infrastructure projects, tangible commitments to racial justice will go unanswered. Congressional leadership will need to set aside political differences to prioritize people. Our nation’s schools must protect children, not harm them.
