Two stories about Syracuse students this spring are worth your attention. One is about a school district that has quietly built one of the strongest career and technical education pipelines in the state. The other is about 141 college students who spent a Saturday building beds for kids who sleep on the floor.
Syracuse City Schools: 30 CTE Programs Across 5 High Schools
The Syracuse City School District does not get enough credit for what it has built in career and technical education.
The district now operates over 27 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and six Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) programs across its five high schools. Students can specialize in automotive, health, arts, law enforcement, and STEM tracks.
The results matter: the 2017 CTE cohort had a 99% graduation rate. That is not a typo. Students who complete a CTE pathway graduate at nearly universal rates, even in a district where the overall graduation rate has historically lagged the state average.
The district-wide graduation rate has improved from 64% to 72% over five school years, with the 2020-21 year hitting a record 77%. There is still a gap between Syracuse and suburban districts (Fayetteville-Manlius is at 96%), but the trajectory is moving in the right direction, and the CTE programs are a major reason why.
SCSD CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
141 SU Students Built 116 Beds for Kids Who Sleep on the Floor
On February 20, 141 Syracuse University student volunteers gathered at the Skybarn on South Campus and built 116 bed frames in two shifts. They raised $25,000. They beat their goal of 100 beds by 16%.
The beds go to children in the Syracuse community who do not have one. Each bed comes with a mattress, pillow, and bedding, delivered to families identified by schools, social workers, and community organizations.
The Syracuse University Volunteer Organization (SUVO) partnered with the Syracuse chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national nonprofit with chapters in all 50 states. Their motto: “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”
The growth tells the story: 44 beds in 2024. 88 beds in 2025. 116 beds in 2026. The Syracuse chapter has delivered over 7,600 beds since 2018.
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE BUILD DAY
THREE YEARS OF GROWTH
How to Help
The Syracuse chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace accepts volunteers and donations year-round. You can request a bed for a child, volunteer for a build day, or donate at shpbeds.org/chapter/ny-syracuse.
What to Know
- SCSD operates 27+ CTE programs and 6 P-TECH programs across 5 high schools
- CTE cohort graduation rate: 99%. District-wide: 72% (up from 64%)
- Industries covered: automotive, health, arts, law enforcement, STEM
- 141 SU students built 116 beds on February 20 at Skybarn on South Campus
- $25,000 raised. Goal was 100 beds, hit 116.
- Growth: 44 beds (2024) to 88 (2025) to 116 (2026)
- Syracuse SHP chapter has delivered 7,600+ beds since 2018
- Volunteer: shpbeds.org/chapter/ny-syracuse
Hero photo: JMA Wireless Dome interior (Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA). Sources: SCSD Graduation Rate, This is CNY CTE Programs, SU News, Daily Orange, NYSED Data.
