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INTRODUCTION: NATURE OF THE QUESTION

The question of Federal aid for school construction has received congressional consideration at intervals over a period of many years. The scope of the question and the nature of the legislative proposals have varied from time to time. Some bills have proposed long-term Federal assistance, others only "emergency" aid.

The Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, 83d Congress, took the position that the problem was of both long-term and emergency nature. Concerning these dual aspects of the issue the report of the committee on S. 2601 (Rept. No. 1771) included the following

statement:

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Your committee is aware of the fact that the need for construction of school facilities will continue to increase, and that the problem is a long-range one. committee also realizes that the problem of how to provide adequate school facilities for our ever-increasing school population is not susceptible to any pat, readily available solution. There are other long-range problems in the education field which are equally difficult to solve. All of these must depend for their solution on joint Federal-State-local action, with the States and localities remaining, as they have always been, primarily responsible for education and, therefore, for providing educational facilities. The State and White House conferences and the Commission on Intergovernmental Relations can be expected to furnish the information and recommendations we so sorely need in order to provide, at all levels of government, the solution or solutions to our long-range educational problems. In the meantime, our presently enrolled schoolchildren cannot wait. They need school facilities now and next year, not some years from now, when the abovementioned solutions may be available. The Federal Government cannot expect to supply the indicated deficit of 4 to 6 billion dollars in the funds required to fully provide the presently needed facilities. Your committee does feel very strongly, however, that the Federal Government must lend a hand now, on an emergency basis to assist the States in meeting their most urgent school-construction needs. The program here recommended is designed to do this although, in view of the existing budgetary situation of the Federal Government, the amount authorized is modest indeed in the light of the need.

Your committee also wishes to emphasize that the magnitude and seriousness of the school construction problem cannot be adequately gaged from viewing the cold statistics alone. The damage which is done the pupils who must attend overcrowded schoolrooms and part-time classes must also be considered, as must the hazards to those attending unsafe school facilities. To the extent these present pupils suffer from inadequate and substandard facilities, the Nation will also suffer.

The House Committee on Education and Labor, 83d Congress, did not issue a report on Federal aid for school construction. However, Representative Carroll D. Kearns, chairman of a special subcommittee appointed to consider this question, submitted a report to the full committee dated December 2, 1954. Concerning the urgent nature of the issue, the report, signed by the chairman and the six other members of the subcommittee, said:

The subcommittee unanimously recommends that legislation be enacted providing for Federal payments to enable the States and local communities to expand their school-construction programs.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARIES

There is no question that more classrooms are urgently needed. This need has been repeatedly demonstrated by school facilities surveys, by reports from State governors, and by testimony during extensive subcommittee hearings. I will cost from 10 to 12 billion dollars to provide adequate classrooms for childr now enrolled, and enrollment will increase markedly in the next few years. T hearings held by the subcommittee have demonstrated that the national interest requires that the Federal Government join with State and local governments i solving this pressing problem. Adequate education for our children is essentis to the preservation of a free and strong nation. Their education must not be impaired by the serious classroom shortages which exist in every State.

While the subcommittee has not yet reached agreement on any one particu's bill, it is clear that Federal legislation is needed, and that this legislation must be designed to encourage State and local efforts to meet the problem. Car must be taken to avoid any possibility of Federal control over local school systems or any tendency for Federal action to supplant State and local efforts. The subcommittee is confident that early in the coming session agreement can be reached on legislation to accomplish these objectives.

PRESIDENT EISENHOWER'S VIEWPOINT

In a campaign address in October 1952, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower advocated Federal aid to school construction in "needy" States. Addressing Congress on February 3, 1953, he declared that, "Our school system demands some prompt, effective help. *** This whole situation calls for careful congressional study and action." In his address on the state of the Union delivered before Congress on January 7, 1954, President Eisenhower expressed his views concerning the nature of this issue as follows:

Youth our greatest resource-is being seriously neglected in a vital respect. The Nation as a whole is not preparing teachers or building schools fast enough to keep up with the increase in our population.

The preparation of teachers as, indeed, the control and direction of publie education policy, is a State and local responsibility. However, the Federa Government should stand ready to assist States which demonstrably cannot provide sufficient school buildings. In order to appraise the needs I hope that this year a conference on education will be held in each State, culminating in a national conference. From these conferences on education, every level of govert ment-from the Federal Government to each local school board-should gain the information with which to attack this serious problem.

President Eisenhower's state-of-the-Union message to Congress on January 6, 1955, contained the following statement recommending "affirmative action" concerning the classroom shortage:

It is the inalienable right of every person, from childhood on, to have access to knowledge. In our form of society, this right of the individual takes on a spe cial meaning, for the education of all our citizens is imperative to the maintenance and invigoration of America's free institutions.

Today, we face grave educational problems. Effective and up-to-date analyses of these problems and their solutions are being carried forward through the individual State conferences and the White House conference to be completed

this year.

However, such factors as population growth, additional responsibilities of schools, and increased and longer school attendance have produced an unpre cedented classroom shortage. This shortage is of immediate concern to all of our people. Positive, affirmative action must be taken now.

Without impairing in any way the responsibilities of our States, localities communities, or families, the Federal Government can and should serve as an effective agent in dealing with this problem. I shall forward a special message to the Congress on February 15, presenting an affirmative program dealing with this shortage.

SIGNIFICANCE OF "FEDERAL AID FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION"

As very widely used throughout the United States, and in this port, the term "Federal aid for school construction" refers primarily Federal revenue made available to States and local school districts r the provision of school facilities. There is no authoritative or mplete agreement on the significance of this term, its inclusions and clusions.

The term "Federal aid" is employed in the title of this report beuse of its widespread acceptance. Its usage here requires, however, acknowledgment of the fact that many persons have objected to e connotations of this term. Objections have been made on the ounds that the word "aid" implies that the Federal Government is ing away something. Many persons contend that the Federal vernment inherently bears an obligation to participate in the ancing of education, which they consider essential to the discharge the Federal responsibility for the national defense and for the >motion of the general welfare.