It's the start of a new school year for students in the Syracuse City School District. As part of the new academic year, Superintendent Sharon Contreras visited a number of facilities in the district. And as our Brad Vivacqua tells us, Contreras has a plan to help make Syracuse the top urban district across the country.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Just as she did a year ago in her inaugural year as Syracuse City Schools Superintendent, Sharon Contreras spent the first day of school visiting students and staff in the district.

"To let them know that the Syracuse City School District is a great place to teach, a great place to learn, and every school year, is a new school year where you have a fresh start," said Contreras.

One of her first stops was the Fraser K-8 school. She spoke to teachers and greeted students getting a healthy breakfast to start the day.

"Seeing the superintendent this morning, and board members, really makes us know that she has confidence, not only in us as a school, but as a district, and that the board is with us all, and all the decisions made this year will be the best for our students," said Eva Williams, Fraser K-8 Principal.

One of the goals Contreras has entering this new school year is to continue working to find improvements in math and English test scores for students. It’s one of the initiatives outlined in her Great Expectations Plan.

It's a five year strategic plan to build and sustain high quality education and to put the district at the top of the ranks among urban districts nationwide.

"We're starting with the first five years, with exceeding state performance, the state performance of the urban schools, and we expect to be competitive with the other school districts in the nation within five years," said Contreras.

And with a goal to be the best, there's no limit on what the district or these young scholars may achieve.