Information about the time and place the books plays in - Speak

The book "Speak" plays in the modern time, maybe around 1990.
In the story they don't tell what year it is but the clothes, the technic standart and the behavour of the students of the Merrywether highschool makes me think of the 20th century.
Syracuse, a small town in the northern New York State is really existing.
Laurie Halse Anderson tells on her homepage that she even has been there for one time.