Cleveland parents begin picking new schools for their children after school merger

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District launched an online school choice portal to allow district residents to begin selecting new schools for their children for the 2026–27 school year.

The move follows a sweeping consolidation and merger plan recently approved by local leaders.

CMSD’s portal allows parents and guardians of K-12 students — especially those whose current schools are closing or merging — to choose where their children will attend next year, according to Signal Cleveland.

Families must submit their selections before Feb. 27, and placement decisions are expected to be announced the week of March 30.

The news source added that students affected by school mergers are guaranteed a seat at a designated “welcoming school,” and that transportation will be provided under certain conditions for up to two years.

Parents and guardians affected by school consolidations are encouraged to review their options carefully in the choice portal.

CMSD officials say school fairs, informational materials, and “choice navigators” will be available to support families as they make decisions about their children’s education next year.

This school choice process is the first major step in implementing CMSD’s consolidation plan, which the district’s Board of Education unanimously approved last month.

Under the plan, 39 underenrolled schools will merge, and 18 aging buildings will close, reducing the district’s footprint from 88 sites to 59. District leaders say the move is designed to strengthen educational opportunities and better align facilities with current enrollment patterns.

CMSD CEO Warren Morgan described the consolidation as a way to offer broader academic and extracurricular programs to students, adding that merged campuses could offer expanded career pathways, college-prep classes, and enrichment opportunities that smaller, under-enrolled schools often cannot support.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb publicly advocated for the consolidation in the media ads in the lead-up to the school board’s vote, emphasizing the need to address declining enrollment and rising costs.

In one of the ads, he said that the district must adjust to the reality of “too many of our schools [being] half empty,” adding that the consolidation could save more than $150 million in future years while ensuring students have access to core subjects and extracurriculars.

“Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll see a plan be announced from my administration, in partnership with CMSD, outlining our vision for those old school sites to make sure they’re integrated into a broader community development strategy,” Bibb said on Nov. 6.