DeStefano blasts Rell's record:

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DeStefano blasts Rell's record:

Norwich Bulletin October 18, 2006

Democratic candidate questions governor's statement on schools

By DANIEL AXELROD

NORWICH -- New Haven Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano visited Kelly Middle School's annex Tuesday, where he accused Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell of misleading voters about how many Connecticut schools have been renovated under her watch.

DeStefano said Rell said, "Every school in this state is either being remodeled, revamped or rebuilt" during last week's debate at New London's Garde Arts Center.

Standing in the roughly 40-year-old Kelly Middle School annex, which is 25 years past its life expectancy, DeStefano said, "As is self-evident from this school, (Rell's remarks) are not the case."

"Thirty percent of all schools in Connecticut have had no major renovations in the last 20 years," DeStefano added, citing an annual state report on the condition of Connecticut's public schools.

Rell's spokesman Rich Harris said "the notion that the governor is allowing schools in this state to linger with their needs unmet is just without merit.

"I don't know that Gov. Rell was speaking literally (at the debate)," Harris added. "The fact of the matter is, the state spent $687 million on school construction -- that's close to 65 percent of the entire bonding for the state."

Norwich Superintendent Pam Aubin, meanwhile, said Kelly Middle School and Stanton Elementary School need major capital improvements, while Greeneville Elementary School needs to be completely replaced. Stanton and Greeneville are both 50 years old.

DeStefano said he'd ensure more schools are renovated annually by identifying new state revenue sources, finding ways to reduce state spending and increasing the income tax on incomes higher than $1 million.

He said he wants to make municipal officials less reliant on property taxes to fund school repairs.

"The state's ECS (education cost sharing) formula is actually a good formula," DeStefano said. "The problem with it is it doesn't have a lot of funding behind it."