Modern Schools for Better Learning: 1997 Senate Bill 473

UPDATE
This bill passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed into law by the governor.

Background:

Every child has the right to attend a safe and well-maintained public school. The Wisconsin Education Association Council believes that the condition of school buildings and their suitability to provide positive learning environments can have a significant effect on student achievement.

Currently, there is no systematically collected information about the condition and/or suitability of public school buildings in Wisconsin. The Department of Commerce has limited responsibility for investigating safety and code violations. Investigations, however, only occur when requested.

1997 Senate Bill 473 passed the Senate and won unanimous approval from the Assembly Education Committee but was not brought up for a vote in the Assembly. WEAC will seek passage of the bill in the next legislative session.

Recent WEAC, AWSA Research

Because little is known about school buildings, the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) and WEAC coordinated a joint survey in 1995 to gather information in three areas: (1) building characteristics, (2) student programs and services, and (3) working conditions.

Questionnaires were sent to all building principals in Wisconsin; information on 60% of buildings was collected.

Some Statistics About Wisconsin School Buildings:

• 67% were built prior to 1950. Nearly one-fourth of buildings have never been renovated. Among buildings fifty years of age or older, only 10% have undergone major renovation.
• 52% of buildings have no security measures beyond night-time lighting and door locks.
• Nearly two-thirds of buildings do not have a single air conditioned classroom.
• Only 6% of schools have set aside space for a parent visitor center.
• 58% of buildings have four or fewer private telephones available. 6.5% of buildings do not have a single private telephone for use by teachers.

WEAC/WFT Legislative Proposal:

WEAC and the WFT support passage of 1997 Senate Bill 473. This bill directs the state superintendent of public instruction, at least once every five years, to conduct a study of the physical condition and capacity of all public schools and their suitability for use as public schools. At the conclusion of each study, the state superintendent must report the results to the appropriate standing committees of the Legislature.

Talking Points:

• Every child deserves to attend school in a modern, safe and suitable learning environment. WEAC and the WFT support a federal, state, and local partnership to modernize public schools. Data on schools must be collected to support effective modernization policies.
• School modernization efforts that systematically collect, analyze, and report data about public school buildings are as important as collecting information about test scores, student enrollment, per pupil expenditures and state aids.
• A recent WEAC/AWSA study indicated that 172 buildings fall near the bottom on most indicators of quality. These buildings have an enrollment of nearly 75,000 students whose lives are affected on a daily basis by substandard facilities.

National Polling Data:

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) commissioned Greenberg Quinlan Research and The Tarrance Group to conduct a national bipartisan survey of registered voters on the issue of school modernization.

Telephone interviews with 1,001 registered voters were conducted between January 5- 10, 1998, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Highlights from the AFT/NEA Survey:

• 74% of voters support a federal proposal to provide $30 billion over 10 years "to help local school districts pay for repair and modernization of their schools.”
• 70% believe that the federal government should provide at least some funding for school modernization and renovation.
• Almost 60% believe the federal and state governments do not spend enough on education.
• Education is viewed as the number one priority for next year's federal budget.
• More than two-thirds (70%) of voters believe that school renovation and modernization are more important budget priorities than prison or highway construction or capital gains tax cuts.

For Additional Information:

Contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362- 8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org with any reactions, comments or questions.