Community Schools

Schools are a safe place to play and learn. They touch on every aspect of the student, fostering their academic, social and cultural growth. Ultimately, schools are a chance to change a kid’s life. To change the paradigm.

The City of Syracuse owns the school buildings. I believe there is opportunity to revitalize their purpose to make them available to those that would use them. My proposal is to expand a concept that was inaugurated in my time with the Parks Department— Community Schools . Two elementary schools in every Council District would be turned over to the Parks Department at night to program. Funding would be provided by grants by state or private entities. There would be recreational activity, but we would also incorporate tutoring that would address the student’s weaknesses in certain subjects to help strengthen their skills.

The mission would be to provide community safe spaces where children could play and learn, all while building neighborhood unity and strength. I worked for the Syracuse Parks Department for many years and this was a template that was very successful. By bringing programs like this back, it will connect City Hall in a very elemental and important way to the neighborhoods, showing tangible investment in our children’s lives through play and education.