The Syracuse City School District is leaning more on the community this year, to offer students and families support beyond the classroom. At Bellevue Elementary School on Stolp Ave. Tuesday morning, that meant new pencils from the fire department, and hugs and hellos from old friends.
This year though that first day support is evident beyond the schoolyard, with yard signs and community members rallying support for students as they begin a new year with the introduction of a program called Syracuse Stands for Students.
“Syracuse Stands is us coming together collectively as a community with the districts and different agencies, the police department, the fire department, neighborhoods, to say ‘hey, we need help. Can we all come together and just make sure our students are supported and in our seats so that our educators can teach,'” said Tamica Barnett, Syracuse Board of Education President.
Syracuse City School District Superintendent Pamela Odom said Syracuse Stands for Students goes beyond academics, in a district that includes four schools identified as failing by New York state, and nine others on the verge of failing…