A Must for Children

Among President Clinton's recent flood of policy ideas was one that deserves special attention as America's children return to the classroom: federal help in repairing dilapidated school buildings.

The budget implications here are plain. The General Accounting Office last year surveyed the country's public schools and put the price tag for urgent repairs at $112 billion.

Clearly, Washington can't foot this whole bill, but Congress should reexamine priorities and devise ways of channeling funds to districts that lack the resources to undertake repairs. With enrollments soaring, some schools in the nation's capital are too decrepit to open. And with reports of collapsing ceilings in Cleveland and other cites, there's little time to waste.

Washington should team with state and local governments, and with corporate donors, to supply an infrastructure must: sound, safe learning environments for our children.