Congressmen Tour Kingswood Elementary
Call for Increased Funding for School Construction

February 25, 2002--US Reps. David Price and Bob Etheridge visited Kingswood Elementary, Feb. 25, to voice their concern over the lack of funding for school construction in President Bush's proposed budget.

"There's a $127 billion backlog in school repairs nationwide," said Price. With the average U.S. school built in 1959, over a third of our schools are in serious disrepair. "Because of the backlog," Etheridge added, "over 5,600 trailers cover NC campuses."

Kingswood, built in 1954, fits the profile. Although Principal Sue Sisson sacrificed six positions for smaller class size, almost half of her students are still in mobile classrooms. Teachers also hold class in resource rooms, conference areas and other non-traditional teaching spaces. Currently, the elementary school has 12 regular classrooms, eight mobile classrooms and 1 toilet trailer. An upcoming construction project, funded by the Nov. 2000 bond referendum, will add 15 classrooms to the campus.

"America's Better Classrooms Bill would provide $26 billion for school construction, but it is stuck in committee," said Etheridge. The bill would allow state boards of education to allocate bonds to school systems interest-free.

"This leaves the basic decisions at the local level and allows you to stretch the dollars about twice as far," said Price.

Wake Schools' Superintendent Bill McNeal, Board of Education Chairwoman Kathryn Watson Quigg and school staff were also on hand to discuss the challenges of overcrowding in the growing district.

"When our current building program wraps up in 2004, we'll briefly catch up with growth in the area. But we cannot afford to slow down. We project an additional 60,000 students will join the Wake County School System by 2020," said McNeal.

Kingswood's student council presented the congressmen with pins and other small gifts before leading them through the campus. "Kingswood has motivated us to go back and keep fighting," Etheridge told Sisson.