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<h2>How Did School Infrastructure Deteriorate to Its Current State?</h2>
<p>School infrastructure in the United States faces significant challenges, largely due to aging facilities, according to Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund. She discussed the urgent need to modernize school buildings during her testimony before Philadelphia's city council last year.</p>
<p>Many facilities labelled as part of the "crumbling" school infrastructure were originally built during the 1970s, with an expected lifespan of only about 50 years. These structures are now nearing the end of their intended use.</p>
<p>"There's typically a strong initial investment in building schools, but the ongoing maintenance doesn't receive the necessary funding to ensure these buildings remain functional," Filardo explains.</p>
<p>Schools constructed several decades ago did not anticipate the modern requirements of today's educators and students. Classrooms often have insufficient electrical outlets, and kindergarten rooms lack in-class bathrooms. Additionally, accessibility standards like the ADA were not established until the 1990s.</p>
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<img src="https://edsurge.imgix.net/uploads/photo/image/11088/JLE7-1728524876.jpg?w=240&h=300&auto=compress,format&fit=crop&blur=10&px=4" srcset="" sizes="240px" alt="Student working on math" title="Photo by Nadia Tamez-Robledo for EdSurge" data-aspect-ratio="portrait" data-image-fit="crop" data-image-pad="0" data-image-bg="fff" class="lazyload" data-srcset="https://edsurge.imgix.net/uploads/photo/image/11088/JLE7-1728524876.jpg?w=120&h=150&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop 120w,https://edsurge.imgix.net/uploads/photo/image/11088/JLE7-1728524876.jpg?w=240&h=300&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop 240w,https://edsurge.imgix.net/uploads/photo/image/11088/JLE7-1728524876.jpg?w=480&h=600&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop 480w"/>
<figcaption>A student at John Lewis Elementary focusing on a math task.</figcaption>
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<p>Filardo acknowledges the progress in educational standards: "We've made strides in our understanding, leading to improved standards that promote healthier and more enriching learning environments. Yet, our current systems aren’t ideally structured to implement and support these advancements effectively, leaving us in a continual state of catching up."</p>
<p>Another layer of complexity arises from the increased number of students attending schools today compared to when many of these buildings were constructed. This growth includes both population increases and the integration of children who were historically excluded from formal education.</p>
<p>"Public schools have increasingly assumed roles related to social services," Filardo notes. "Social workers, psychologists, and special education services are now woven into the fabric of public education, reflecting a shift from previous practices where many children were institutionalized and separated from schools."</p>
<p>Guy Bliesner, president of the National Council on School Facilities, highlights the historical reliance on local funding for school buildings, occasionally supplemented by state resources. Until the 1980s, many districts experienced enrollment growth, but rural areas were notably impacted as families moved to urban centers.</p>
<p>"School facilities originally accommodating 200-250 students now often serve around 70, and financial constraints prevent necessary rebuilds," Bliesner says. "This reality leaves them operating within outdated facilities constructed in the '50s or '60s."</p>
<p>Brandon T. Payne, the executive director of the National Council on School Facilities, elaborates on the financial struggles school districts face when managing infrastructure. He points out that while districts incur debt to build new facilities, maintenance must be funded through their operating budgets, which can be problematic during economic downturns when tax revenues decline.</p>
<p>"We’re facing a massive backlog of deferred maintenance tasks nationwide, which have been postponed due to the prioritization of immediate student education needs," Payne states.</p>
<p>Bliesner adds insights on construction quality trends, noting that structures from the '30s to '50s were built with durability as a priority, but this focus shifted in later decades.</p>
<p>"In the early days of education infrastructure, schools were constructed as exemplars of educational ambition," he says. "In contrast, contemporary structures often resemble utility-oriented 'barns' aimed at serving basic educational functions."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-10-10-how-did-school-infrastructure-get-so-dire" target="_blank">Original Source</a></p>
</div>This revised article is crafted to engage SCORM.biz readers, providing an in-depth examination of the challenges facing school infrastructure today, while incorporating expert perspectives and historical context.
