A bill sponsored by State Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) would require public schools in Pennsylvania to report on the condition of all its buildings every 7 years.
Senate Bill 1252 recently passed the Senate Education Committee and now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
The goal of the bill is to give the state government some idea as to how much money is needed so schools can make necessary repairs to buildings they own.
Argall says the problem is paramount for districts with aging buildings. One local district, in particular, caught his eye and prompted him to sponsor the legislation.
“Too many of our older schools are delaying needed repairs and use dark, hot, windowless, uncomfortable classrooms,” he says. “No student should ever be expected to learn properly in these sorts of conditions. I introduced this legislation, as the chair of the Senate Education Committee, after visiting schools like Panther Valley Elementary School and seeing how serious the need is for major repairs and upgrades.”