Virus highlighted long-standing health risks in schools
Democrats, Biden seeking unprecedented infrastructure funds May 4, 2021 5:01 AM By Andrew Kreighbaum
The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on persistent health threats to schoolchildren and teachers posed by crumbling U.S. campuses with leaking pipes or mold-prone ventilation.
Now, as more schools reopen for in-person teaching, the Biden administration is using that focus to seek billions of dollars in spending to repair and maintain K-12 schoolsâan area outside the traditional scope of federal infrastructure or education aid.
âItâs a battleground topic,â said David Sturtz, a partner at school planning firm Cooperative Strategies. âThe vaccine can get you back in school but not provide long-term peace of mind. The real need out there dwarfs what weâre allocating.â