Corning, N.Y., Debates Company's School Plan

By Mary Ann Zehr

Residents of Corning, N.Y., were scheduled to vote this week on a proposed multimillion-dollar school construction plan that has stirred intense debate—even though the money wouldn't come out of taxpayers' own pockets.

The city's largest employer, Corning Inc., has pressed for passage of the plan and promised to pay what would be the local taxpayers' share of the proposed construction project, about $60 million over 30 years. The company, once famous for its casserole ware but now mainly a high-tech firm, employs about 7,000 people in the Corning area.

Some Corning residents believe the proposed building and renovation project presents an ideal situation: a company taking responsibility for the impact of its growth on local schools and footing the bill for a large share of those costs. They point out that without Corning, there wouldn't...