GREENSBORO, N.C. -- On Tuesday Guilford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor.

• She was there in support of a bill that would help fund school infrastructure repairs across the country
• Julius Monk, Guilford School Systems' executive director of facilities, says they have a deferred maintenance cost of around $800 million between the 126 schools
• Overall, they're hopeful the bill will move forward and help schools across the country

She was there in support of the Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2019. It's a bill that would help fund school infrastructure repairs across the country.

She says they had to prepare for any questions members had for them.

"There is a school of thought that the federal government should not be involved in education. So, we had to be prepared to make the argument about why this is the right time and the right issue," Contreras said.

Due to a recent facilities report Guilford County funded, they had an idea of exactly how much work their buildings need.

Julius Monk, Guilford School Systems' executive director of facilities, says they have a deferred maintenance cost of around $800 million between the 126 schools.

"Over the next, you know, 30 years if we replace at the magnitude that the study is suggesting we would need to spend $6.9 billion," Monk said.

Contreras says many representatives seemed to hear the same concerns from their home school districts, although they did face questions about the cost of how many people the district employs.

"Those other positions are the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers, and the payroll clerks, the technicians, the custodians that are trying to keep these buildings together. Are you saying that we don't need those positions?" Contreras said.

Overall, they're hopeful the bill will move forward and help schools across the country.

"I do think there is some bipartisan support, and they will come to a middle ground to support school districts across the country," Contreras said.