H.R. 3021 would direct the Secretary of Education to make grants and low-interest loans to local educational agencies for the construction, modernization, or repair of public kindergarten, elementary, and secondary educational facilities.
Detailed Summary
21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act - <b>Title I: Grants for Modernization, Renovation, or Repair of School Facilities -</b> (Sec. 102) Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including public charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date.
Allocates grant funds among states on the basis of the relative portion of school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Reserves 1% of the grant funds for assistance to outlying areas and Indian schools.
Requires states to reallocate such grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of school improvement funds received by LEAs in the state for the previous fiscal year.
Allows LEA grantees to give priority to projects in public secondary schools recognized as Science and Technology High Schools or as schools having science and technology programs.
<b>Title II: Supplemental Grants for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama -</b> (Sec. 202) Requires the Secretary to make grants to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including public charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date.
Allocates grant funds among such states on the basis of each state's share of schools closed for at least 60 days during the period between August 29 and December 31, 2005, due to Hurricane Katrina or Rita.
Requires such states to reallocate such grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of such schools in the state.
<b>Title III: General Provisions - </b>(Sec. 301) Prohibits LEAs from using this Act's grants: (1) for maintenance costs, stadiums, or facilities used primarily for events for which the public is charged admission; (2) to supplant funds otherwise available for school modernization, renovation, repair, and construction efforts; or (3) to purchase carbon offsets.
Prohibits States from considering LEAs' receipt of this Act's grants in determining their eligibility for state aid or the amount of state aid they receive.
(Sec. 303) Conditions LEA grant eligibility on LEA and state spending for free public education remaining above specified levels. Requires states to reduce the amount of grant funds available to LEAs by the proportion by which LEAs' spending falls below such levels. Directs the Secretary to waive such maintenance of effort requirements if such waiver is justified by exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, or the precipitous decline in an LEA's financial resources.
(Sec. 304) Requires grantees' contracting procedures for school modernization, renovation, repair, and construction to ensure the maximum number of qualified bidders through full and open competition.
(Sec. 305) Requires the iron and steel used in projects funded under this Act to have been produced in this country, subject to specified exceptions.
(Sec. 306) Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of work assisted under this Act to be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar work in the locality.
(Sec. 307) Directs LEA grantees to use a percentage of their grant, rising in 10% increments from 50% in FY2009 to 90% in FY2013, for public school modernization, renovation, repairs, or construction that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating standards, Energy Star standards, Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, Green Building Initiative environmental design and rating standards (Green Globes), or equivalent standards adopted by the entities that have jurisdiction over such LEAs.
Requires the Secretary to provide outreach and technical assistance to states and LEAs concerning the best practices in school modernization, renovation, repair, and construction.
(Sec. 308) Directs: (1) LEAs to submit to their states, and make publicly available, annual reports describing their use of such grant funds; (2) states to submit annually to the Secretary a compilation of the information received from their LEAs; and (3) the Secretary to report to Congress annually on grants made under this Act.
(Sec. 309) Authorizes appropriations for this Act's grant programs for FY2009-FY2013.
(Sec. 310) Prohibits this Act's grants from being used: (1) to employ workers who are illegal aliens or whose status has not been ascertained using the employment verification system; or (2) by LEAs that do not require a criminal background check on all their employees.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 8/1/2008: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
joe hines
June 2, 2008, 8:00pm (report abuse)washington I am sick and of you people not doing your jobs, all of you are robbing the people. our gas, food and medicines out of control. the government has gotten to big for its britches. STOP YOUR SPENDING,REDUCE GOVERNMENT!!!!!!!!.
Teresa
June 6, 2008, 11:11am (report abuse)I am all in favor of funding to repair and upgrade our crumbling school system. I have no children myself, but I am counting on the educated children of the future to care for me once I reach old age. A key to this is to have public schools that are adequate. I have read the text of this bill and don't think they are asking for the priviledges other than to have adequate buildings in which to teach kids. Shame on anyone who thinks differently.
Rachelle
June 6, 2008, 6:58pm (report abuse)Joe: perhaps if your school had been a recipient of these funds, you would have learned how to spell, capitalize, and use proper punctuation and complete sentences. This bill will not only show students that the environment is important to their schools and the government, it will also demonstrate the importance of using American-made steel and iron and employing people who are legal residents of this country (Sections 305 and 310, respectively), which makes the bill appeal to conservative voters who would not normally support an environmentally sound initiative. Thank goodness that HR 3021 passed the House; hopefully the Senate will see it in the same positive light.
David
July 8, 2008, 4:41pm (report abuse)If you had the opportunity to visit schools on a regular basis and see firsthand the state of ruin and disrepair that exists, you would whole-heartedly support this bill. Funding systems in place for public schools teach the facilities staff to react to issues as they come up instead of fix them before they become issues. There is no funding for proper maintenance and certainly significant utility waste and poor learning environments. It's about time someone stepped up to help fix the rooms where our children will learn the building blocks they need to be the leaders of tomorrow.
Joel
August 28, 2008, 7:51pm (report abuse)As a principal of a non-traditional high school located in buildings built in the 1920’s of course they are going to need some upgrades and repair. This funding is going to help paint the buildings, rewire the buildings to current codes, replace out-dated windows, possibly insert more insulation into the walls, purchase solar panels for our flat roofs to offset future energy costs, put into place of harvesting rain water for our landscaping, and give us an opportunity to create a school that is welcoming to our students. You would be surprised how academic achievement can be improved if the students have a comfortable setting.