It’s a good public investment, said Dennis Meyers, assistant executive director of governmental relations at the California School Boards Association. “You can’t educate students in old, rundown facilities,” he said.
Research shows that classroom conditions — noise levels, air temperature, lighting, air quality and other factors — impact student achievement, with a good environment resulting in a 5% to 17% increase in test scores and lower suspension rates, according to the California Department of Education. Studies show “clean air, good light, and a small, quiet, comfortable, and safe learning environment are important for students’ academic achievement,” the department’s School Facilities Division reports. “Student achievement scores tend to decrease as the school building ages — to as high as 9 percent, depending on maintenance factors.” READ MORE
