February 1, 2018

Capital spending for public schools lower than a decade ago

Center on Budget & Policy Priorities= State cuts in K-12 education funding over the past decadehave affected more than schools’ operating budgets for teacher salaries, textbooks, and so on. Capital spending  also fell sharply in most states. With President Trump reportedly leaving capital funding for schools out of his infrastructure plan, it’s time for states to reverse this trend and reinvest in school buildings and equipment upgrades.


Capital Spending for K-12 Schools Well Below 2008 Levels 
Thirty-seven states cut capital spending in inflation-adjusted terms over this period, in many cases drastically. Six states cut capital spending by more than half. Nevada, the state with the sharpest cuts, reduced capital spending by 82 percent.

The nation is $46 billion a year behind what it should spend on building and repairing K-12 schools to provide healthy and safe modern facilities, according to a 2016 report from the 21st Century School Fund, the National Council on School Facilities, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Research has linked poor lighting, bad air quality, and noise to lower student achievement. Freezing conditions that result from aging heating systems make it hard to learn and can force unplanned school closures that disrupt studies, as Baltimore recently experienced. A higher percentage of public schools in poor areas need repair than those in the wealthiest areas.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My city complained about not enough money for schools, then it started taxing cannabis sales. 2 years later they are replacing 2 high schools, plus doing repairs and upgrades to many other schools.