We're Not Even Spending Enough to Educate Our Service Members' Children

"Yet as American service men and women have been overseas protecting these school building projects, their own children's schools have been neglected. The Pentagon has placed 39 percent of its 194 schools in the worst category of "failing," which means it costs more to renovate than replace them, reports to Congress show . Another 37 percent are classified in "poor" physical shape, which could require either replacement or expensive renovations to meet standards."

"Schools run by public systems on Army installations don't fare much better: 39 percent fall in the failing or poor categories, according to a 2010 Army report . A Defense Department task force is evaluating the 159 military base schools operated by local public systems. Not surprisingly, the school conditions-as well as the special needs that arise from having parents gone for extended periods-has contributed to declining performance."

"At specific schools, principals said the impact on academic performance is unmistakable. Vern Steffens, who heads Fort Riley's Jefferson Elementary School, which already has a "poor" rating for its deterioration, said he worried about low test scores as well. He noted that as the proportion of students with a deployed parent rose over the last two years, from 23 percent to 41 percent, reading test proficiency rates plummeted 23 percentage points."

Substantial U.S. aid funded foreign school construction while domestic military-connected schools experienced neglect and deterioration. The Pentagon classified 39 percent of its 194 schools as "failing" and another 37 percent as "poor," often requiring replacement or costly renovations. Public systems operating on Army installations showed similar proportions in poor or failing conditions. A Defense Department task force is evaluating 159 base schools run by local districts. Deteriorating facilities combined with prolonged parental deployments have contributed to declining student performance, including sharp drops in reading proficiency and failure to meet adequate yearly progress standards.

Read at Emptywheel