PENNSYLVANIA — Today, WHYY reported on the push the Pennsylvania Democrats are making for a massive one-time investment in schools plagued with crumbling infrastructure and problems like exposed asbestos. Pennsylvania is expected to receive more than $7 billion from the American Rescue Plan, and the funds from Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration have already been used to re-open schools and get kids back in classrooms, Democrats want to take that one step further and modernize some of the commonwealth’s oldest school buildings.
WHYY: Pa. Dems want to use federal stimulus money to fix crumbling schools
The commonwealth is expected to have a $3 billion budget surplus and more than $7 billion available in American Rescue Plan dollars, which Democrats say must be used to fix some of the country’s oldest school buildings.
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For years, education activists, teachers, and parents in Philadelphia have raised the alarm about chipping paint, lead in water, leaky buildings, and other issues to few results. In 2017, the School District of Philadelphia said outstanding repairs would require a ballpark of $4.5 billion. A year later, the state directed $7.6 million to remedy some of the most pressing environmental hazards, including asbestos, lead, and mold.
Hughes and other leaders say much more money is needed to fix schools, and it’s not just Philly buildings that require aid.
Hughes was joined by Democratic lawmakers from Delaware County and as far as Scranton who rallied via Zoom to make the case for using federal funds to address aging schools.
“Our physical environment has a huge impact on the way we move, the way we think, and the way we act. In particular, the walls of a school building are there to inspire students to dream beyond their heights,” said Sen. Tim Kearney, who represents parts of Delaware and Chester counties.
Still, state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti said federal aid is being “idled by inaction.”
Democrats in both chambers have pitched spending plans that aim to invest in schools — the “New Deal for Pennsylvania” in the Senate and the “Pennsylvania Rescue Plan” in the House.
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