Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Schools announces massive consolidation plan to close 23 buildings

Published

4 months ago

November 6, 2025

Cleveland Schools announces massive consolidation plan to close 23 buildings

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Schools expects to close 23 buildings and operate 29 fewer schools under a sweeping restructuring plan that would amount to the district’s largest overhaul in decades.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Warren Morgan said the changes are necessary to confront steep drops in enrollment, rising operating costs and a looming $150 million deficit. Changes would take effect before the 2026-2027 school year.

The plan, introduced to the school board Wednesday night, would save CMSD at least $30 million annually if approved. Those savings would mostly come from the district cutting administrative staff, including principals and assistant principals, on account of reducing the number of schools.

Morgan told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer that the number of teachers should stay roughly the same as CMSD’s footprint shrinks, but some layoffs and new hires may occur, as the schools need different personnel.

Consolidation won’t just save money, Morgan said, but will also allow CMSD to offer a better education to more students.

He said during Wednesday’s board meeting that Cleveland’s schools have “pockets of excellence.” Some schools have great academics and others have great sports programs. But to offer all students an excellent education and extracurriculars, action is needed.

The plan significantly shrinks CMSD’s physical footprint. The district will go from 61 PreK–8 schools to 45, and from 27 high schools to 14. Amid the consolidation, 18 CMSD-owned buildings will be closed, and five leased spaces currently used as schools will also be phased out.

In some cases, students won’t change school buildings at all. Several Cleveland high schools like John Hay and John Marshall contain three different “schools” on one campus, each with its own administration.

In those cases, the campus will become one high school. Morgan said specialized programs currently offered at the schools will continue even after the mergers.

Some schools will not merge but will move to a better-maintained building that has capacity.

Morgan emphasized that nearly all of the changes are mergers, not straight closures. This means students won’t be dispersed, and their entire school community can move together into a new building. Cleveland schools also allow school choice, which gives students an opportunity to move freely if parents desire.

District officials say 95% of affected students will move into schools in stronger building conditions, and all students will gain expanded academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Morgan acknowledged the deep disruption that school closings will cause, but he said the district cannot maintain a system built for twice as many students as it now serves.

Since 2000, CMSD’s enrollment has dropped by more than 50%, from 70,000 students in 2000 to 34,000 today. Morgan attributed that downward trend to the drop in the region’s birthrate, not losing students to charters or private schools.

But CMSD largely uses the same footprint as it did 25 years ago.

Because of low enrollment, there are fewer than 5,000 students currently enrolled in schools that will either be merged or moved amid the consolidation plan.

Morgan said additional central-office and administrative cuts will still be needed to stabilize CMSD’s long-term finances.

The board is expected to vote on CMSD’s consolidation plan Dec. 9. Morgan said he does not expect any changes to the plan between now and December, saying district officials have done public engagement for over a year.

Many students and parents want the decision made soon, Morgan said, so they can start preparing.

Here are CMSD’s recommended school mergers and closures.

K-8 schools merging

Students from the “transitioning school” will move into the building of the “welcoming school.”

• Hannah Gibbons will merge into Memorial (students move to the Memorial building)

• Euclid Park will merge into East Clark (East Clark building)

• Stephanie Tubbs Jones will merge with Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR building, renamed Stephanie Tubbs Jones)

• Mary M. Bethune will merge into Daniel E. Morgan (Daniel E. Morgan building)

• Mary B. Martin will merge into Wade Park (Wade Park building)

• Alfred A. Benesch will merge into George Washington Carver (Carver building)

• Bolton will merge into Harvey Rice (Harvey Rice building)

• Charles Dickens will merge into Andrew J. Rickoff (Rickoff building)

• Adlai Stevenson will merge into Whitney M. Young Leadership (Whitney Young building)

• Miles will merge into Robert H. Jamison (Jamison building)

• Mound will merge into Albert Bushnell Hart (Hart building)

• Mary Church Terrell will merge into Wilbur Wright (Wilbur Wright building, renamed Wilbur Wright School of the Arts)

• Waverly and Louisa May Alcott will merge into Joseph M. Gallagher (Gallagher building)

• Charles A. Mooney will merge into Denison (Denison building)

• Valley View Boys’ Leadership Academy will merge with Kenneth Clement Boys’ Leadership Academy ** (Mary M. Bethune building)

K–8 specialty schools moving to improved buildings

These schools keep their programs but move into buildings that are in better condition.

• Stonebrook–White Montessori will move into the Stephanie Tubbs Jones building (renamed Michael R. White Montessori)

• Kenneth Clement Boys’ Leadership, merged with Valley View, will move into the Mary M. Bethune building (renamed Kenneth W. Clement Boys’ Leadership Academy)

• Dike School of the Arts will move into the Mound building (renamed Dike School of the Arts)

• Tremont Montessori will move into the Waverly building (renamed Waverly Montessori)

High schools merging

Students from the “transitioning school” move into a “welcoming school” building.

• Collinwood High School will merge with Glenville High School (Glenville building)

• Campus International High School will merge with John Hay High School (John Hay building)

• MC2STEM High School will merge with East Tech High School (East Tech building)

• New Tech West and Facing History New Tech High School will merge with James Ford Rhodes High School (Rhodes building)

High schools merging within their existing campuses

Merged into a single high school at the campus’s main building.

• John Hay Campus: the Cleveland School of Science & Medicine, Cleveland School of Architecture and Design and Cleveland Early College High School will all become John Hay High School

• Benjamin O. Davis High School: the Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School and Cleveland High School for Digital Arts will merge

• John Marshall Campus: the John Marshall School of Civic & Business Leadership, John Marshall School of Engineering and John Marshall School of Information Technology will become John Marshall High School

• Lincoln-West Campus: the Lincoln-West School of Global Studies and Lincoln-West School of Science and Health will become Lincoln-West High School

• James Ford Rhodes Campus: the James Ford Rhodes College and Career Academy and James Ford Rhodes School of Environmental Studies will become James Ford Rhodes High School

• Garrett Morgan Campus: the Garrett Morgan School of Engineering & Innovation and Garrett Morgan School of Leadership & Innovation will become Garrett Morgan High School

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Cleveland, OH

Time for the Guardians to Do What They Said They’d Do

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Time for the Guardians to Do What They Said They’d Do

With twenty games left in Spring Training, it’s looking like the Guardians are going to be pushed to put their money where their mouths have been when it comes to not blocking young players.

All offseason, President of Baseball Operations, Chris Antonetti, and General Manager, Mike Chernoff, have been clear about the plan to fix the Guardians’ hitting woes of 2025 without spending a dime in major league free agency in the attempt to do so:

“As we looked at a lot of the external the possibility of external additions, one of the questions we continually have to ask ourselves is, ‘whose opportunity does this impede’”? – Chris Antonetti, 1/23/2026.

“We need to get better offensively. …we believe that growth and development can come from the guys we have in the organization.“ – Antonetti, 1/30/2026

“One of our key goals was not to impede players with the most upside (from playing in Cleveland). We saw a glimpse of what Chase DeLauter could do in the playoffs. George Valera and C.J. Kayfus also showed up pretty well at the end of the season.” – Chernoff, 1/30/2026

Right now, projected to be on the Opening Day Guardians’ roster, there are two players who have over 1,000 plate appearances who are blocking younger players with less experience, eager to prove themselves as more valuable major leaguers: Nolan Jones and Gabriel Arias.

I am not writing this post to criticize the Cleveland front office for believing in Jones and Arias and for giving them their fair shot. Two years ago, I believed Arias had shown enough to get his fair chance, and last spring, I agreed with the idea of bringing Jones on board in a weak outfield group to see if he could regain his 2023 form at the plate. However, over the past two seasons Jones has now put up a 71 wRC+ in 700 plate appearances and Arias has put up a 75 wRC+ in 634 plate appearances. Jones will turn 28 years old this season and Arias just turned 26 years old; neither is likely to experience a breakout at this point in their major league careers.

In Arias’s case, replacing him involves putting Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Rocchio is 10 and half months younger than Arias, has 100+ fewer plate appearances. He also finished 2024 with a league average 100 wRC+, while Arias finished with a 65 wRC+. There is still some slim hope remaining that Rocchio can be a league average bat – hope that no longer exists for Arias. So, the team needs to give Rocchio the reigns at shortstop and let him sink or swim, while also letting star prospect Angel Genao develop at short in Akron and, soon, Columbus. Most importantly, however, moving on from Arias with a designating for assignment, will allow the team to let Juan Brito try his hand as a full-time second baseman while the team allows Travis Bazzana to heat up at Columbus. Both Brito and Bazzana offer FAR more potential as hitters than either Arias or Rocchio and need to be featured in the Guardians’ lineup in 2026 as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Daniel Schneemann offers a perfect utility bat, capable of playing any position except catcher, and not someone who needs to be given regular plate appearances (ahem, PLEASE catch that last part, Manager Stephen Vogt). Additionally, should an injury take place with Rocchio, Milan Tolentino is having an excellent Spring Training, has an exceptional glove at shortstop, and should be capable of providing something similar to Arias’s career 76 wRC+ at the plate if called upon in a pinch. Arias is not needed on this team; while right-handed, he has a career 50 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. He also looked horrendous when asked to play outfield in the past, so he isn’t as good of an option as Schneemann in the super utility role.

As for Jones, bringing him back as an option in centerfield made sense this offseason, but spring training is making clear that keeping him as that depth is not a priority. Both Kahlil Watson and Petey Halpin have looked very good at the plate and in the field in center. It’s one week of Spring Training, so, please, don’t think I am saying either will be good major league players. However, neither has to be good to surpass average (at best!) defense in center and a 71 wRC+ at the plate provided by Jones these past two seasons. With Steven Kwan gamely taking on the challenge of center field, DFA’ing Jones allows the team to get good, solid looks at George Valera and Chase DeLauter, as well as allowing CJ Kayfus to work on his corner outfield skills in Columbus should either of the above players get hurt. If Jones were capable of hitting left-handed pitching, he’d be a roster shoo-in, but give me Stuart Fairchild and his potential for above-average centerfield play and career 106 wRC+ vs. LHP over Jones’s fielding and career 76 wRC+ against southpaws in the fourth outfielder role. Alternatively, Angel Martinez is a fine choice in this role as well, as he has a 121 wRC+ against LHP in his brief time in the bigs – whichever the Guardians prefer is cool with me.

Finally, with the Guardians’ committed to Jones for $2 million for 2026, designating him for assignment makes it likely no team will claim him. Since Jones is short of five years of major league service time, Cleveland can option him to Columbus when he likely clears waivers and mix him into all three outfield positions there, hanging on to him for needed outfield depth. In effect, they will gain an option on a player who has potential to be a league average bat against RHP and a playable fielder in center. That’s worth retaining… but not at the expense of a roster and lineup spot needed to give exciting, young players like Valera and DeLauter a real chance at establishing themselves.

If the Guardians start the season – as I expect they will – with Jones and Arias on the roster, I will be disappointed. I know, I know… it’ll probably just be for the month of April, but April games count just as much as September games. The reps that players like Brito, Bazzana, Valera and DeLauter could get in April can help them work out early struggles to be prepared for summer success. Nothing against Jones and Arias, personally, as both seem like good dudes, but we need to be clear-eyed about what is best for this team. Giving further opportunities to two players who are extremely unlikely to be above-average major league contributors would be a mistake, given the strategy that Cleveland has espoused publicly all offseason.

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Cleveland, OH

Iran strikes spark debate among Northeast Ohio residents

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Iran strikes spark debate among Northeast Ohio residents

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Liberation Center and nearly 100 other organizations rallied in Cleveland Sunday to protest the U.S. strikes on Iran, demonstrating significant grassroots opposition to the military action.

The recent U.S. military strikes on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have ignited passionate discussions across the nation, and Northeast Ohio is no exception.

While state political leaders express support for President Donald Trump’s actions, local activists are raising urgent questions about the impact on American communities.

Dallas Eckman, a public school teacher and volunteer coordinator with the Cleveland Liberation Center, is taking a clear stance against the recent attacks.

“We need to step up as Americans and say violence is not going to be the way we solve out world’s problems,” Eckman said.

The frustration runs deeper for Eckman, who sees a disconnect between military spending and domestic priorities.

“It’s absurd that for me as a public-school teacher I am struggling to get funding for chrome books and books. I can wake up one morning and see we have spent millions and millions of dollars to bomb another country,” he explained.

Eckman questions whether these military actions actually benefit working people in Cleveland.

“Which does nothing for the working people here in Cleveland. It does nothing to make my schools safer. It does nothing to improve the road right outside the liberation center,” Eckman said.

Eckman’s concerns are shared by many in the region.

Despite local opposition, several Ohio’s political leaders are backing the Trump administration’s decision.

Senator Bernie Moreno released a statement expressing his support, stating, “President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision.”

Secretary of State John Husted also voiced his approval.

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community — instead, it chose to export death, terrorism, extremism, and instability against America and our allies,” Husted said.

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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets prediction, pick for Sunday 3/1/26

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets prediction, pick for Sunday 3/1/26

Cooper Albers takes you through his preview, prediction and pick for Sunday’s NBA matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets.

Eastern Conference rivals close their regular-season series on Sunday, as the Brooklyn Nets host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.

The Cavaliers (37–24, 4th East) have dropped back-to-back games without Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, albeit against far superior competition. They’ll aim for the three-game sweep of Brooklyn without Mitchell, while Harden remains questionable.

The Nets (15–44, 14th East) are mired in a brutal seven-game losing streak, including a 112–84 thumping in Cleveland on February 19.

Here’s a look at the Injury Report:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Out: Donovan Mitchell (Groin), Max Strus (Foot), Dean Wade (Ankle)
Questionable: James Harden (Thumb), Keon Ellis (Finger)

Brooklyn Nets

Out: Egor Demin (Heel), Drake Powell (G-League Assignment)
Questionable: Nic Claxton (Thumb)

Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Cleveland enters as a hefty 11.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Brooklyn sits as a +410 underdog. The game’s total is set at 222.5 points.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

The Cavaliers went all in at the NBA trade deadline, sending Darius Garland to Los Angeles for superstar guard James Harden. The gamble seemingly paid off, as the former MVP has fit seamlessly into the lineup alongside Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland went 6–1 after Harden’s debut, its lone loss coming against the defending champs in Oklahoma City.

But the momentum quickly stalled when both Harden and Mitchell hit the sidelines to nurse injuries. Cleveland has dropped back-to-back games in the star duo’s absence against Milwaukee and Detroit. And while Harden is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest with a thumb fracture in his non-shooting hand, Mitchell remains out with a groin strain.

The Cavs are just 2–4 without Mitchell this season. If Harden stays out, they’ll likely keep relying on their accomplished frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland also features a solid veteran backup point guard in Dennis Schroder, along with a reliable sharpshooter in Sam Merrill.

Brooklyn Nets Preview

Brooklyn has won five games in 2026. Five.

Were any of these wins particularly impressive? Hardly. They beat a Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets, the spiraling Chicago Bulls twice, the lowly Washington Wizards, and the tanking Utah Jazz.

The Nets rank dead last on both ends of the floor since January 1, disappointing even by their standards. They’ve lost seven games in a row, punctuated by a 37-point walloping in Boston on Friday night.

Michael Porter Jr. will continue trying to carry an increasingly strained offense without rookie standout Egor Demin. Brooklyn will also lean on its burgeoning frontcourt, comprising Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton (questionable).

Cavaliers vs. Nets Pick, Best Bet

Keep an eye on the injury report for this one. If Harden remains sidelined, Cleveland may lack the offensive firepower to pull away. But if the former MVP suits up, expect him and the Cavs to carve up Brooklyn’s porous defense and comfortably cover the 11.5-point spread.