FOR THE PAST DECADE, P-S-L-A AT FOWLER HAS HAD ONE GLARING NEED. UPGRADED ATHLETIC FACILITIES. THOSE UPGRADES ARE NOW COMING SOON. JOLENE TODD IS THE SCHOOL’S SUPERVISOR OF ATHLETICS. SHE CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEW FACILITIES.
“It’s going to change the landscape of the school. It’s going to build that community that other schools have for homecoming.”
FOWLER IS LOCATED ON GEDDES STREET IN WEST SYRACUSE, ONE OF THE CITIES POOREST NEIGHBORHOODS. IT’S THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT WITHOUT USABLE FACILITIES. THAT WILL CHANGE SOON WHEN THE RENDERING BECOMES REALITY. FOWLER HASN’T HOSTED A HOME FOOTBALL GAME SINCE 2009.
THIS IS WHERE ALL THE MAGIC HAPPENS. THE CONSTRUCTION CITE HERE AT P-S-L-A AT FOWLER. THE STUDENTS ARE RIGHT ABOVE US, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN HEAR IT. THAT ALSO MEANS THEY CAN FEEL THE ANTICIPATION.
“All the time… I just think about where everything is going to be, how we’re going to do, all that… it looks amazing driving by it every day.”
THE DISTRICT IS HOPEFUL THE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPLETE BY NEXT FALL. WHEN COMPLETE, THE NEW FACILITIES WILL CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE FOR STUDENT ATHLETES IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
“It’s going to be excellent to step on a new field. Burnette has too many pot holes, I almost twisted my ankle once… The bus doesn’t even come half time time.”
THE PROGRESS HAS THE COMMUNITY BUZZING. SUPERVISOR OF ATHLETICS JOLENE TODD TOLD US IT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PILE OF DIRT SHE’S EVER SEEN.
By Jonathon Hoppe SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – PSLA at Fowler is the only school in the Syracuse City School District that lacks outdoor athletic facilities. That will change in the near future. Recently, the Syracuse Common Council approved a $20 million project at the West Syracuse school.
Jolene Todd, the school’s supervisor of athletics, couldn’t be more excited about the project.
“It’s going to change the landscape of the school. It’s going to build that community that other schools have for homecoming,” Todd said.
The Falcons football team hasn’t hosted a home football game since 2009. Similarly, all the other athletic programs are constantly traveling to different locations after school.
While the system works, it has also created some safety hazards for PSLA at Fowler students.
“The bus doesn’t even com half of the time, so we miss it a lot,” said Jymonnie Bailey, a track star at the school.
Once the bus shows up, the challenges don’t stop there. A soccer player told us he often feels unsafe at their practice facilities, citing potholes that could lead to injury.
Overall, the anticipation is off the charts among PSLA at Fowler Students. The project is finally happening after many years of deliberation.
“I just think about where everything is going to be,” said Jaylen Brantley, a Falcons wide receiver. “It looks amazing driving by it every day.”
