TABLE 2.-The square feet and estimated cost of floor space presently needed, funds available and funds needed in school districts affected by activities of the Federal Government as recommended by division engineers, Bureau of Community Facilities, by State United States. Alabama.. 395 25, 247, 947 11, 956, 485 $348, 132, 416 $171, 018, 560 $212, 221, 326 $135, 911, 090 2, 113, 850 3,081, 750 49, 971, 030 37,000 555, 000 622, 100 382, 720 94, 786 3,207, 580 Idaho. Kentucky. Louisiana. Massachusetts. Michigan.. 36,000 60, 000 2,250 55, 600 71,250 45, 504 20,000 2,250 55, 600 59, 750 756, 000 1, 219, 000 2, 884, 600 45,000 45,000 1, 339, 500 1, 129, 500 65, 405 887, 100 New Hampshire.. 560,000 New Jersey. New Mexico.. 95, 136 74, 256 2, 345, 980 5, 636, 500 80,000 570, 750 130,000 1, 933, 980 2,417, 250 653, 300 5,595,000 500,000 179, 030 84,000 425, 620 16, 172, 055 2,010,000 13, 529, 000 650,000 TABLE 3.-Number of school districts and major reasons occasioning need for additional school facilities as reported by local school officials, by TABLE 3.-Number of school districts and major reasons occasioning need for additional school facilities as reported by local school officials, by State-Continued STATEMENT OF PERE F. SEWARD, COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY REGARDING NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL-PLANT FACILITIES IN AREAS AFFECTED BY ACTIVITIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM In the past, normal activities of Federal departments created difficult situations for a relatively small number of communities in the country, but the number of areas involved and the extent of the Federal activities were such that no serious problem was created. During the war period, however, Federal activities were greatly expanded. Large amounts of taxable land were removed from the local tax rolls as a result of its acquisition by the Federal Government for camps, forts, airfields, depots, shipyards, housing and military bases. Industrial plants were constructed by the Federal Government to make the products needed for prosecution of the war. Thousands of new workers and their families were brought to these production and training areas to man the new installations. Considerations of military strategy dictated the location of these installations. Adequacy of necessary community facilities and services was not a major consideration. As a result, many of them were placed in rural areas or near small towns where the community facilities were inadequate for even the normal population. Many such facilities, including public schools, were provided during the war, but wartime requirements limited these additional facilities to the minimum essential on an emergency basis. Normal requirements were not met during this period. After the surrender of Japan, some of these Federal installations were closed down, the federally owned property was transferred to private ownership, and those communities approached normal conditions. In many other areas, these changes did not occur. Camps, airfields, or bases remained on an active or standby basis. Many of the war plants remained under Federal ownership and the federally owned housing remained occupied at capacity levels. These communities did not return to their prewar normal size and characteristics, but remained overburdened with war-swollen populations with attendant requirements for additional community facilities. Not only were the normal financing arrangements unequal to the provision of such facilities, but in many cases there has actually been a decrease in available funds due to continued Federal ownership of property. Expanded postwar defense activities authorized by the last session of Congress changed many of the inactive installations to active status and increased the strength at others to the point where the number of people involved is as high or higher now than at any time during the war. In addition, the greatly increased birth rate in recent years added to the burden in these communities, greatly increasing the strain on the grossly inadequate public-school facilities. These communities that experienced a greatly expanded population, in some cases to double or treble their normal size, have been unable since the surrender of Japan to build the necessary school facilities to meet the increased school enrollments. Shortage of manpower and materials and high construction costs have restricted the amount of construction that could be undertaken. More important, however, is that most of these communities do not have the financial capacity to build sufficient school-plant facilities for this expanded school population. As a result, thousands of children in these areas are crowded year after year into improperly maintained and inadequate school buildings under conditions that make it impossible for them to receive normal educational opportunities. Many of these facilities are operating on a double-shift basis. CONGRESSIONAL REQUEST FOR A STUDY OF THE NEED IN FEDERALLY AFFECTED AREAS During the second session of the Eightieth Congress, the school officials from some of these seriously affected areas presented information on their own critical needs for additional school-plant facilities to their Representatives in Congress. As a result, several bills were introduced to authorize Federal assistance to these districts for construction of school facilities. One of these bills (H. R. 6603) was brought to a hearing the last week of the session before the Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the House Public Works Committee. At the conclusion of the hearing, members of the committee expressed themselves as being impressed by the need in the areas for which testimony was received, but stated that they did not have sufficient information on the number of areas affected or the extent of the need to take any action on this bill. 92679-49-15 |