Pennsylvania is home to some of the oldest public school buildings in the nation. The materials and systems within many of these buildings are outdated, inefficient, and in many cases, unsafe. They bring with them lead in drinking water, asbestos in cracked floor tiles, a lack of air conditioning in the warmer months, and inadequate plumbing that puts bathrooms out of order for weeks.

A growing body of research shows that students and staff need safe and healthy buildings to focus on learning and teaching. Meanwhile, across the commonwealth, the prevalence of hazardous materials in our schools has a serious short-term and long-term impact on students—affecting everything from physical health and safety to academic achievement. For teachers and staff, unsafe working conditions present daily challenges to do their jobs well, as well as devastating lifelong health implications.  
 

Pennsylvania has made progress to invest more in school buildings, including creating the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program. But many school buildings remain in desperate need of additional funding options to resolve issues that present immediate risks to the health and safety of the students and staff who spend their days in them. The promise of renovation or remediation in the form of 5 or 10-year plans results in students spending their entire school careers in substandard buildings.  
 

I plan to introduce legislation to make it easier for schools to apply for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). This legislation would update the RACP program to allow funding to be used for school remediation projects, offering an additional funding option for school building upgrades and modernization. 
 

Please join us by cosponsoring this important legislation.