Photo: Cook Academy in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, prior to its schoolyard redevelopment. Thousands more U.S. schoolyards in disrepair are in need of federal infrastructure funding.
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President Biden’s American Jobs Plan calls for a $100 billion investment in school infrastructure to significantly improve the health of children and communities. Now, as President Biden and Congress work to negotiate a bipartisan deal on infrastructure legislation, there is a very real possibility that funding for school campuses will be sacrificed as part of any final bill.
The Republican proposal does not include any funds for repairing and rebuilding school campuses, and Democrats may decide that they have to drop schools in order to reach an agreement. Leaving out schools would be a catastrophic mistake.
Across the country, school buildings are in disrepair. A recent GAO report found that 54 percent of school districts must replace or update major building systems, including plumbing and HVAC systems that affect indoor air quality. Many schools also have outdoor spaces and schoolyards that are inadequate for safe play and use.
Please use the form below to contact your U.S. Senators about including public school facilities in legislation to modernize our nation’s infrastructure. Your message will automatically be sent to both of your Senators, based on your address.