"We want to create outstanding learning environments and that includes providing facilities for exercise and sports," Rell said in a statement. "I am pleased that the state can help fund these improvements at Springdale Elementary School."
State Rep. Gerald Fox III, D-Stamford, who represents Springdale, said the money will give students a safe, state-of-the-art playground.
"It's a tremendous asset to the neighborhood and I'm very excited about it," Fox said in Rell's statement.
State Rep. James Shapiro, D-Stamford, said in the statement, "A philosopher once said that a sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world. I am extremely pleased to help Springdale students achieve that goal."
State Rep. Christel Truglia, D-Stamford, agreed.
"It is very important for our students to be able to excel inside and outside the classroom, but we need to give them the tools to do so," Truglia said in the statement.
Athletics and recreation "are just as crucial to the development of a child as the education that they will receive," said state Rep. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford. "I know that everyone involved in the eventual passage of this bond item recognizes its importance."