Stimulus money for school repair, replace unsafe wired glass

Use Stimulus Funds to Make Safer Schools

It's a win-win-win. School districts are receiving stimulus funds to modernize and repair schools. Local workers are benefiting from new work. Best of all, our schools have the chance to improve safety by protecting students from major injury from unsafe wired glass.

This website tracks the distribution of 2009-2010 stimulus dollars through states to local school districts for the purpose of modernizing, renovating and repairing public schools and colleges. Specifically, this website is a resource to help schools replace or fortify unsafe wired glass in hazardous locations that exposes students and teachers to the risk of major injury from impact with the fragile glass.

The two biggest sources of stimulus money available for school repairs, including projects to upgrade unsafe wired glass, are:

$48.6 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF)
$22 billion in Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB)

Districts Urged to Use Stimulus Money for School Repairs

Noting that the funds run out in two years, Gov. Edward Rendell (D) is urging local school districts to use the funding for "legacy" projects, such as school repair.

Christian Science Monitor, March 17, 2009

"When we learned that [stimulus money] could be used for construction, renovation, and roofs that need repair, I was thrilled."

Mickey Billingsley, Superintendent, Bauxite School District, Little Rock, Arkansas, www.fox16.com, April 24, 2009

"At the Indianapolis Public Schools, school officials have created a working document...to identify structural priorities in their 72 school buildings that could be addressed with stimulus money. 'Frankly, it's student safety,' says spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley." 

Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2009