CLEVELAND — About four dozen parents and students gathered Thursday evening at Louisa May Alcott Elementary School for a "Building Brighter Futures" family meeting as Cleveland Metropolitan School District leaders outlined a recommendation to close 29 schools by next year.

Alcott is among the schools slated for closure under the district's consolidation plan, which would reduce CMSD from 61 pre-K through eighth-grade schools to 45 and cut high schools from 27 to 14. District leaders say the move is necessary due to declining enrollment — a loss of roughly 36,000 students over the past 20 years.

Parents voiced concerns about larger class sizes and safety issues if the plan moves forward.

"I feel really sad," Michelle Harper Kowalczyk said, through tears. "My daughter's in fifth grade h

See Full Page