The Syracuse school district has a few more days to present a plan for the future of one of its elementary schools to state education officials, but the school board currently doesn't have a meeting scheduled to approve such actions.
The state Department of Education gave the Syracuse City School District until today to put in place how it will overhaul or close three chronically underperforming schools. It met that deadline on two, Hughes Elementary and Fowler High School.
Hughes Elementary is being phased into Syracuse Latin and will have a classical curriculum. The Public Service Leadership Academy, a career-driven school of choice, will replace Fowler High School.
But the district is having a harder time with Delaware Elementary. All three schools were below state minimum standards, for three consecutive years, earning them the designation of "priority school."
No plans on Delaware's future have been released and Superintendent Sharon Contreras said earlier this month the administration was "nowhere" on plans.
The state education department pushed the deadline back from today until the end of the day Monday, May 5, a spokesperson said.
A school board member told WRVO they have not been briefed on any proposals yet and do not have a meeting scheduled before Monday. The superintendent's office has not returned multiple messages.
State education law requires either major changes, such as a new curriculum and leadership, of a priority school, or for it to be closed.
A March 4 letter from state education officials to the superintendent discusses another option for Delaware: A SUNY campus located within the district taking over control the school. It gives an example of Onondaga Community College, though OCC's campus sits just outside of city limits.
OCC has acknowledged it's had conversations with state and school district officials, but neither state officials nor the college have elaborated.
