The stakes for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District are higher than ever as the district’s Building Brighter Futures (BFF) consolidation plan is now in effect.
Monday marked the first day of classes for the district, which went from 88 schools operating to 59, a decision voted on in December of 2025.
"Good morning. Hi beauties,” said a volunteer with the group S.H.E. Sisterhood Empowerment Group as they lined the sidewalk to welcome students to Mary B. Martin Girls’ Leadership Academy on the city’s southeast side.
It’s a new school, following a name change and consolidation.
Volunteers welcome students to first day
Patricia Gray, founder of S.H.E., said the first day of school is always special and that it was important for her group to show up with messages of support.
"We see so much negativity about the schools and different things like that, but to be here to empower them, inspire them, encourage them, and let them know that the community does see them and that we’re here to support them,” Gray said.
Sisters Marie and Milya-Marie Rose are part of the new chapter. Their mom, Jeannette Rose, said it was time to get back into a school routine.
"They were anxious to come back to school,” Jeannette said. “That actually made me happy. That made me proud because that let me know, like — you guys are tired of being home, aren't you? You guys miss school, don't you?”
I asked her how she feels now that the changes debated for months are finally in effect.
"I just want to make sure that the kids are learning what they're supposed to learn. That's my biggest thing,” Jeanette said. “It's just the education system and just really how it's flowing for these kids."
CMSD's CEO visits Glenville High School
I also caught up with Dr. Warren Morgan, the CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, outside Glenville High School on the city’s east side. The school is now home to students from the former Collinwood High School, which recently closed as part of BFF.
I asked Morgan how he would measure the success of the consolidation, knowing that the clock is officially ticking.
"This is the first year through Building Brighter Futures that all of our high schools have college and career readiness. We were just talking to the principal here (and) for the first time in a long time-- offering honors classes here,” Morgan said. “There’s Advanced Placement African American Studies — something we’ve never had here before. And then the career pathways — we have that now in all of our high schools.”
Morgan added that all elementary schools have expanded enrichment programs like algebra, foreign languages and band at all of its elementary schools.
"It’s real exciting to see how many of our scholars now have more opportunities,” Morgan said. “That’s one way we’re measuring success, and then we continue to measure success based on the impact our scholars are making. We saw some amazing gains this past year- huge gains in graduation rates … huge gains as well in early literacy and K-8 math."
BBF is expected to save CMSD at least $30 million a year. And while a new four-year financial forecast, discussed at an Aug. 11 board of education meeting, shows the district has made significant improvement, there’s still work to be done.
The district is still projected to face a $50 million cash shortfall by 2030, and one report projects enrollment declining by 4,300 students over the next decade.
Read the full report here.
I asked Morgan about powering through the challenges it faces.
“You have to manage it,” Morgan said. “I mean, that’s the work that we do. You can never just do one strategy and say, ‘oh we’re done’. It takes constant work, so I tell people it’s like working out. You got to keep working out. You got to keep working those muscles."
Part of Morgan’s morning was spent inside Glenville High School, walking the halls and talking to students and staff about their futures and any concerns.
"How do you foster keeping that tradition alive — Glenville … the Collinwood students moving over and trying to find a place of belonging?” I asked Morgan.
"Just listening here in the school community and listening to the work that the principal has done and the teachers have done, they’ve already done an amazing job of really thinking about the communities coming together,” Morgan said. “But once again it’s constant work. It’s something you have to constantly work at. You have to listen to the community to say, 'how do you honor the legacy while also forging a path forward?'"
President of Cleveland Teachers' Union optimistic
Errol Savage, president of the Cleveland Teachers’ Union, said he had a simple message for teachers and staff as the new school year began.
"I’m asking our teachers to do what they always do — which is what they do best — and that’s teach the children of Cleveland,” Savage said. “We’re asking the students to rise to the occasion in going to new schools and our teachers are going to be ready to educate them as soon as they walk in those doors.”
Savage said all laid-off teachers, about 150, were offered a chance to return. Some as full-time teachers, others as full-time building substitutes on a one-year contract. However, he said some teachers couldn’t return because they had already signed new contracts with other districts.
He also said every paraprofessional was offered a job in CMSD, but not necessarily the same job, and he was still working to get the remainder of laid-off union members, including LPNs, recalled.
He’s optimistic BBF can help strengthen the district but isn’t pleased with state lawmakers.
"Unfortunately, we have a system of school funding that’s inherently unfair to children, and it’s especially unfair to children in urban areas,” Savage said. “We have a state legislature that’s chosen to not fix or implement a system of fair school funding now going on 30 years. We have a state legislature that’s not concerned about urban children and a state legislature that I don’t think will care about fair school funding until it affects their own children.”
No doubt about it, many will be watching and judging what unfolds within CMSD.
"I just need everybody to just do their part,” Jeannette said. “I just need everybody to do their job.”
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
