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Cleveland's school board has voted to move forward with a major consolidation plan as enrollment drops and the district faces a $150 million deficit.
CMSD has lost more than half its students since 2004, and leaders say closing and merging schools is necessary to avoid fiscal emergency and improve stability.
The plan reduces PreK-8 schools from 61 to 45 and cuts high schools from 27 to 14.
Parents and teachers urged the board to reconsider, especially for special-needs programs, but officials said delaying action would worsen the crisis.
The district will begin implementing the changes in the 2026-2027 school year.