Cleveland abandons small schools in favor of boosting larger high schools

This article is presented in partnership with The74Million.org , a national nonprofit newsroom covering education issues. Patrick O'Donnell is a Cleveland-based education reporter.

Cleveland’s MC 2 STEM High School was once the crown jewel of a failing and nearly bankrupt school district — an “island of excellence,” as officials once crowed, in a system in danger of state takeover.

Launched in 2008, MC 2 STEM attracted the city’s best students to classrooms in locations ranging from Cleveland’s science museum, the world headquarters of GE Lighting, and at a local community and a commuter college.

The small school with an enrollment of 218 students even caught the eye of former President Barack Obama, who included it in a 2014 slideshow with the caption: “We need more schools