Obama Seeks Funds For Crumbling Native American Schools, But Not Enough For All Of Them

Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Northern Minnesota has leaky roofs, poor lighting and an exhaust system that smells like sewage. Last school year, part of the roof caved in while students were in class. The floors are uneven, and if something goes awry, some hallways are too narrow for students to evacuate safely.

And yet, over 200 Native American students call the school home.

In a call with reporters Thursday, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell highlighted the Bureau of Indian Education school as an example of one that is in dire need of resources. The call emphasized the increased investments for Native youth and education that are part of President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the 2016 fiscal year. A large chunk of this money would be designated specifically for schools run by the Bureau of Indian Education, the federal agency that operates 183 schools on 63 reservations. However, it won't be enough to help all the bureau's crumbling schools.

"It's hard not to feel sad or angry when I look at the condition of the facilities," Jewell said of Native schools, such as Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig, that are in need of repair or replacement. "We can and we must do better for Native people."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/30/obama-budget-native-american-education_n_6458184.html