28-million dollar lease deadline extended; Superintendent and Councilor speak

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

The H.W. Smith Elementary School is one of two schools set to be renovated as soon as the Syracuse School district can secure temporary space for the 1,500 students affected.

Matt Porter, NCC News

A 5 PM closure deadline set by the Syracuse Common Council came and passed today for the 28-million dollar lease of the Syracuse Developmental Center (SDC). The Syracuse City School District hopes to put 1500 students from two elementary schools in the SDC after this year's winter break so they can renovate the other two schools.

The original deadline has been extended by the Mayor's office to September 1.

During the day, I spoke to Councilor Kathleen Joy (D) and Superintendent Daniel Lowengard about the deadline issues and if they felt their sides were not communicating. The full interviews are available at the bottom of this story. View a previous, more complete story on the deal.

Lowengard says the school board didn't need to bring lease issue to the Syracuse Common Council

Lowengard called the lease approval issue "a weird one," and said, "that probably in hindsight we shouldn't have had to bother the common council about it." He said that the board must bring up issues that involve budgetary issues, but that the lease approval didn't need to be brought to the council.

Councilor Joy, who was interviewed first, could not be reached for comment on this point. But, she said that the Common Council, the school board, and the school district "need to work more collaboratively."

Susan Fahey Glisson of Parents for Public Schools, an outside advocacy group, said miscommunication between the common council and the school district isn't new at all. Her group attempted to mediate the two parties over this exact issue earlier in the year.

Joy: There needs to be a Plan B. 

Lowengard: There is, but you don't want to hear it

Another big issue regarding the lease that has been brought up by the common council and parents is the argument that only one option was provided by the school district.

Councilor Joy said she wants more than one option, "I asked the district that they have a legitimate plan B."

She said she hopes to hear one from the school district tomorrow when the council discusses the lease at an education committee meeting.

Superintendent Lowengard said there has always been a plan B, but said, "people do not want to hear that plan because it's not a good plan."

The superintendent says Plan B is that things will move on no matter what, but "it will take longer and the kids will get less."  Lowengard said the SDC option is the best because it's a matter of saving money and getting the job done quickly.  The project has been going on already since 2004.

The superintendent made it clear that using closed parish schools are not an option because the costs of repair and bringing them up to code are too high.

Click hear to listen to Councilor Kathleen Joy

The interview took place at 3:30pm by phone. At that time, news had not spread that the deadline was pushed back by the city to September 1. (Run Time: 4:30)

Click hear to listen to Superintendent Dan Lowengard

The interview took place at 4:40pm and was a response to Councilor Kathleen Joy. At this time, the news of the September 1st deadline was known. (Run Time: 6:50)