Suring, WI - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today addressed the vital need for smaller class sizes in our nation's public schools at Listening Sessions in Suring and Keshena, and discussed his new legislation to increase access to dental care to areas of the state with a shortage of dental health professionals, including Oconto County.

Feingold spoke at Suring School and Keshena Primary School, both of which are part of Wisconsin's Student Guarantee in Education Program (SAGE), which promotes smaller class size in the early grades. "I believe the best way to use federal resources to encourage smaller class sizes is to bring the successful principles of Wisconsin's SAGE program to Washington," Feingold said."We've got to ensure that education is a top national priority, and SAGE has proven that smaller class size can play a key role in education reform."

A recent follow-up study of Tennessee's STAR program, the model on which Wisconsin's SAGE program is based, showed that down the road, children who had been in small classes in the early grades went on to enroll in more college-bound courses, have higher grade-point averages and fewer discipline problems, and were less likely to drop out of school than their peers.

Feingold also discussed his newly introduced legislation, the Dental Health Access Expansion Act, which expands access to dental care, particularly to the uninsured. "The goal of my new legislation is to help local communities strengthen their own dental services by offering grants to community health centers and local health departments in underserved areas and offering bonus payments to dentists in private practice who serve significant numbers of Medicaid patients. My bill also would help communities cut through red tape by simplifying the DHPSA designation process."

Feingold's 26th Listening Session of 1999, and the 458th since he was first elected in 1992, was held at the Suring School, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Feingold's 27th Listening Session of his term, and 459th since he was first elected, took place at the Keshena Primary School beginning at 2 p.m. Feingold has renewed his pledge to hold Listening Sessions in each of the state's 72 counties every year after keeping his promise to do so during his last term.