Bill Gates' Mini-Schools

The multi-billionaire is spearheading a drive to shrink many of Ohio's schools by breaking them apart, but not all is going according to plan.

1 minute read

December 7, 2003, 11:00 AM PST

By David Gest


"The kind of small schools that Microsoft founder Bill Gates envisions succeed when they have separate buildings and they're designed with the cooperation of teachers and parents. That's not always happening in Ohio, where districts are spending Gates' money on plans that don't call for separate buildings or that have failed to capture the support of educators and students' parents...the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [and] the Cincinnati-based KnowledgeWorks Foundation [have pledged funds] to slice large public high schools throughout Ohio into several smaller theme-based schools...Advocates of mini-schools" cite research showing reduced drop-out rates and better academic performance, perhaps due to closer personal relationships. Other studies counter with evidence "that small size alone doesn't guarantee a good school...In about five years, all of Cleveland's high school students will go to classes in buildings with three or four separate schools. School officials compare the new structure to a university setting, where different 'schools' exist on one campus."

Thanks to David Gest

Monday, December 1, 2003 in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight