SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- With weeks to go until election day, attention was focused on the city's schools in the Syracuse mayoral race. 

Republican Laura Lavine has talked about her support for mayoral control of city schools, which would allow her, along with the Common Council, to appoint members of the school board. She says that would take party politics out of it.

Meanwhile, Democrat Juanita Perez-Williams has said she does not support mayoral control because she believes it goes against democracy in the school systems.

Reform candidate Ben Walsh said his main focus is safety and discipline in the schools. He also said the job of the mayor is not to run the school district. 

And, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins said he'd like to see schools more integrated when it comes to children of different economic backgrounds.

"Kids like to be accepted so they can form to the more middle class academic standards, and so that kids that are poor and even in difficult circumstances, at school that's like a haven for them and that's what we can achieve with desegregation," Hawkins said.

Election day is November 7.