OPENING FALL 2027 • CLEVELAND’S NEAR WEST SIDE
Your Pathway to Admission
What matters most to us is a student’s commitment to keep getting better, a willingness to get something wrong and try again, and a desire to think, create, and move every day.
Show up. Work hard. Be kind.
Start your application
A note from our founder
Hi, I’m Jake Taylor. I started City River High School because I believe in you. And I believe in what you’re capable of becoming.
You’re an academic. You’re an artist. You’re an athlete. Not just one of these. All of them. You’re smart. You’re a creator. You move every day.
Have you ever felt like there’s more to you than what people at school see?
You are always growing and changing, probably more than you realize. We want you learning next to people who look and live just like you, and people who don’t. Your differences are part of what makes you, you, and we want to celebrate that.
None of this is easy. It takes real work, from you and from us, and you won’t do it alone. We want to help you get better at what you’re already good at, and push you to try things you’ve never done before. Maybe that’s a sport, a subject, an instrument, something you haven’t even thought of yet. By the time you leave here, we want you to know yourself better, and see you are more capable than you realized.
I hope you’ll consider City River.
See what a full day looks like
Jake
Jake Taylor
Founder, City River High School
Tuition & Affordability
City River uses a sliding-scale tuition model. What each family pays is based on what that family can afford. Each year, family contributions range from $1,200 to $23,400 (our published tuition rate), once support like the Cleveland Scholarship Program, EdChoice, and EdChoice Expansion is factored in. Most Cleveland families' out-of-pocket contribution is between $5,000 and $7,000 per student each year.
The range in out-of-pocket costs is intentional. Each year, our goal is to build a class of students whose families are represented across our full tuition range, not clustered at one end of it. There's no separate track for families who receive aid and families who don't.
The founding class
You will be first.
City River will open with one ninth-grade class and add one grade each year. Founding students will join a school with its academic program, daily routines, and student support in place. They will also help shape the traditions and community that future classes inherit.
City River's teachers bring classroom experience and share a belief that strong relationships and high expectations help students grow as learners and young adults.
What will be in place
A school day built around the whole student.
Founding students will have rigorous college-preparatory academics, daily art and movement, healthy meals, an advisor, and mental health support. Adults will set clear expectations and provide the structure and care students need.
What students can shape
The traditions future classes will inherit.
The founding class will help set and build the culture that lives beyond their time at the school. They will shape and create traditions, choose a mascot, build the first clubs, and decide on performances and community events that ground our identity. They will help shape what a City River experience feels, looks, and sounds like. And they will have a seat at the table, giving us feedback on what's working and what's not, from the perspective of a student living it. Years from now, they will be able to say, ‘I helped build that.’
Applications for our founding class are open. Start yours today, or join our email list for updates.
The path to opening
Get family updates01 · Now
Accreditation work is underway
City River has applied for accreditation through the Middle States Association (MSA) and is completing its self-study, Step 4 of 8.
02 · October 21
Applications are open
Families can apply now. We review applications as they arrive and send decisions on a rolling basis.
03 · April 2027
Accreditation decision
MSA issues accreditation decisions twice a year, and City River is on track to receive its decision in April 2027.
04 · Fall 2027
The founding class begins
City River opens with one ninth-grade class and adds one grade each year as those students move through high school.
City River students
What We Ask of You
Show up
You show up on time and ready to learn, every day.
Work hard
You’re eager to be part of a community that works hard and lifts each other up.
Be kind
You listen, stay curious about others, and welcome different perspectives.
Get better
You want to get better every day, as a learner, a mover, and a person, and you’re willing to take care of your physical and mental health along the way.
Does this sound like you? See who this school is for.
Admissions process
How the application process works
Applications are open now. The process gives families and City River time to get to know one another before a decision is made.
The City River application is designed for you to tell us your story, in two short videos. Tell us what you care about, what matters to you, and where you are trying to grow.
We are looking for students who see themselves as more than one subject, sport, or skill. Our motto is I am an academic. I am an artist. I am an athlete. We want to hear how each part of this motto represents you: the classes you love, the ways you express yourself, and your commitment to exercise and health. At City River you get to grow in all three, building a foundation that stays with you well beyond high school.
01
Create your family account
Start your application in our portal. Save your progress and come back anytime before you submit.
02
Complete your application
Your student records two short video answers, with one minute to think and up to three minutes to respond. You give us the names and emails of two recommenders, one teacher your student has had in the last two years and one community member. You also give us the name and email of the person at your student's current school who handles records. We email each of them a private link, and the school sends grades, attendance, and test scores to us directly. Homeschool families can upload any records they have.
03
Meet with us
When your application is complete, we review it and invite some families to meet with our Head of School, Jake Taylor.
04
Share financial information
Before we make a final decision, we ask families to share financial information. Tuition is based on what your family can afford, and we accept the Cleveland Scholarship and EdChoice Expansion.
05
Hear our decision
We send decisions on a rolling basis as applications are completed. There is no deadline.
Choose your email list.
Considering City River for your student? Choose Prospective Families. For school news, events, and ways to take part, choose General Updates.
For families considering City River
Prospective Families
Get admissions dates, application information, family events, and enrollment updates. Applications for our founding class are open. Start yours today, or join our email list for updates.
For anyone following the school
General Updates
Get school news, public events, launch milestones, and ways to take part.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of school is City River, and is it accredited?
City River is an independent, secular, co-ed private high school. City River has submitted its application for accreditation through the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). We are currently completing our self-study (Step 4 of 8) with support from our assigned Associate Vice President of Accreditation. MSA issues accreditation decisions twice a year, and City River is on track to receive its decision in April 2027.
Who can apply for fall 2027?
City River plans to open in fall 2027 with an inaugural ninth-grade class. Families with students entering ninth grade should join Prospective Families for final eligibility details, events, and application instructions.
Does City River provide transportation?
City River will not provide daily transportation to and from school. Details about transportation related to morning movement or athletics will be shared as those programs are finalized.
Does City River have a building yet?
City River is searching for a permanent home on Cleveland’s Near West Side. We will share location details when a site is secured.