State suspends Jowonio School license, closing Syracuse preschool immediately

The state’s suspension of Jowonio School’s child-care license stranded 172 Syracuse families overnight, abruptly shutting down one of Onondaga County’s best-known inclusive preschool programs on East Genesee Street. For parents of children ages 2 to 5, including many with special needs, the closure turned a summer morning into an immediate search for care.

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services shut the preschool on Tuesday, June 10, and said a suspended child day care program must stop operating immediately when there is evidence that a child’s safety, welfare or public health is in imminent danger. Jowonio said families were notified by email the same day. School director Lori Saile told families the suspension reflected cumulative concern over two serious incidents in February and May, and the school was appealing the decision while requesting a hearing to get its license reinstated.

State records show substantiated complaints after inspections on February 24 and June 2. The February inspection led to violations involving supervision and compliance with child-care regulations. The June 2 inspection cited six areas out of compliance, including safety hazards, supervision and staff obligations to promote children’s well-being. The OCFS profile for Jowonio also cited children being left without competent supervision, making the enforcement action a sharp warning sign before the shutdown hit.

The closure landed especially hard because Jowonio has long served as a regional anchor for inclusive early education. The school says it was established in 1969 in Syracuse as an alternative for families seeking a more open and individualized approach to education, and its mission describes it as a model for inclusive preschool education for children ages 2 to 5. A community listing says it typically enrolls about 150 to 170 students a year, with about one-third having special needs and one-third coming from low-income households, and families from four counties have attended. A 2025 annual report said the school served more than 150 students and partnered with 23 school districts.

For Onondaga County families, the immediate issue is finding replacement care that can handle both preschool-age children and the broader needs Jowonio had been built to serve. OCFS said parents can use its child-care search tool to review licensing and compliance history, and families needing help finding services can call the HEARS Family Line at 1-888-55-HEARS. The suspension leaves a deep gap in Syracuse’s child-care network, especially for families who depended on Jowonio’s rare inclusive model.