The senate passed an amendment to H.R. 2055 yesterday which was initially introduced by local Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA-Bay Area). The amendment addresses failing infrastructures within military schools. The historical amendment will help enhance the education of military children and provide a solution for schools which have facilities which are classified as “poor” or “failing.”
Senator Barbara Boxer: “Military children deserve an environment that enhances their learning experience-not one that detracts from their education or puts them in harm’s way. I am pleased the senate has approved this bipartisan amendment, which will help ensure that military children have safe, quality schools that put them on a path to a bright and successful future.”
Barbara Boxer was joined by eleven of her fellow colleagues in writing a letter to Santa Clara University Graduate and Secretary of State Leon Panetta regarding the state of the Department of Defense’s school system. The schools serve the children of military families which equates to over 86,000 students throughout the United States, Europe and the Pacific region.
The letter was written as a reaction to the discovery of how well the military schools were performing. In a 2009 report, 76 of 189 military schools tested, it was discovered that 40% of those schools had inadequate facilities. 39% of schools were found to be under-maintained. Many of the school facilities were in need of repair for leaks, corrosion and mold. Another issue that was uncovered in the 2009 study was that many schools were using temporary buildings due to overcrowding.
The amendment asks the Department of Defense to provide a written solution for the “poor” and failing” schools within ninety days of the amendment’s passage to the Senate.
Comments