cleveland, the smallest of the city's high schools with a capacity of 729 students, was slated for conversion into a middle school by the school board in 1979. under the plan, high school students would be moved to the asa mercer junior high school several blocks to the north, saving $4 million in potential renovation costs for the school district. students and faculty were strongly opposed to the closure plan, and it was ultimately modified to keep cleveland open as a high school.