THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Chappaqua, New York)
______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 21,
2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
This year, a record 53 million children will enroll in American
schools, according to a new report released today by U.S. Secretary of
Education Richard W. Riley. Over the last ten years, our public schools
have grown by 6.6 million students, resulting in overcrowded classrooms and
strained school facilities. To meet the needs of America?s growing student
population, we need to build new schools and modernize existing ones.
For too long, the Republican leadership in Congress has failed to act
on tax breaks proposed by my administration to build and modernize 6,000
schools. They have also failed to pass my proposal to fund urgent repairs
such as leaky roofs, faulty fire alarms, and inadequate furnaces at 25,000
schools across the country. I remain strongly committed to working with
members of both parties to help create safe and modern places for America?s
students to learn. Our children deserve no less.
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