Cleveland’s board of education voted last week for a school consolidation plan that will merge 39 schools and close 18 buildings.

Since the vote, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) has started taking steps to put the plan in place by next year. That includes picking new principals, sending parent’s letters about their child’s school assignment and planning school choice fairs for early next year.

On Friday, the district sent letters to families whose students can no longer attend their current school next year. The letters listed a school placement for next year — though families can choose a different school when the district enrollment portal opens on Jan. 5. Either way, families need to decide by the time the portal closes on Feb. 27 if they want a guaranteed spot at their assigned school or to receive priority in the process.

The district has appointed “choice navigators” for every closing school and will host school fairs for the East and West sides in late January and early February.

Families of special education students and English language learners can expect to receive more individualized outreach over the coming weeks—starting with a virtual information session on Dec. 17.

“But that’s just the beginning of a conversation where we’ll be working to help families navigate that choice that happens every year,” CMSD CEO Warren Morgan said, at a recent press conference.

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CMSD employees are also beginning to feel the impacts of the consolidation plan.

The district has already named principals for the merged schools resulting in 24 principals being “displaced” from their current roles. Teacher assignments, however, can only start once students have made their choices for next year.

We want to know how the process is going for your family and what questions you still have—in particular we’re looking to hear from families and teachers whose schools are closing or merging and those who receive special education services.

Answer the questions below or email franziska@signalcleveland.org

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K-12 Education Reporter (she/her)
I seek to cover the ways local schools are or aren’t serving Cleveland students and their families. I’m originally from Chicago and am eager to learn — and break down — the complexities of the K-12 education system in Cleveland, using the questions and information needs of community members as my guides along the way.