How Old Are America's Public Schools?.

The condition of America’s public school facilities is an issue of great concern to educators and administrators (Honeyman, 1994; Kowalski, 1995). In 1989, the Education Writers Association reported that nearly half of the public school buildings in America were obsolete and contained environmental hazards (Lewis, 1989). The state of America’s school facilities continues to be a problem today. In his 1997 State of the Union Address, President Clinton remarked, “We cannot expect our children to raise themselves up in schools that are literally falling down. With the student population at an all time high, and record numbers of school buildings falling into disrepair, this has now become a serious national concern” (Clinton, 1997).