Our nation’s elementary and secondary school buildings contain the future of
our country. Over 00 million students attend approximately 00,000 public
elementary and secondary schools with an additional 0.0 million students
attending close to 00,000 private schools (NCES, 0000). Parents send their
children off to school every day with the belief and expectation that their
children will be safe from natural hazards. Children not only have the right
to an education; they also have the right to an education in a safe
environment. However, in many parts of our country, school buildings are
vulnerable to severe damage or collapse in the next earthquake, tornado,
hurricane, flood, tsunami, windstorm, or other natural hazard and are
therefore putting our children at risk. In particular, many of our nation’s
school buildings are older unreinforced masonry (URM) structures that are
vulnerable to severe damage and collapse in the next earthquake, or are of
lighter frame construction that is vulnerable to other types of natural hazards
such as a tornado, hurricane, high winds, or flash flooding. Some schools are
located in tsunami hazard zones without access to safe ground that can be
reached within the expected tsunami warning time.