Once renovations are completed at the Fitzgerald School, it will house its own sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders as well as those from the Haggerty School, another decision that resulted from parent negotiation.

Lastly, the district has asked the Fletcher and Maynard Schools to formulate a plan for a merger, based on both schools' drops in enrollment.

Though they could potentially cut down on the number of programs available to Cambridge parents, mergers may not be all bad.

Two district facilities, the Cambridgeport School and an administrative office, currently occupy rented spaces. Lenora Jennings, the district's executive director of student achievement and accountability, says because of this, mergers might actually be good for the district at this point.

"If two schools were to merge, that could potentially relieve the school system from having to use one of those rental facilities," Jennings says.

Simply because of declining enrollments, she explains, consolidation could help the district maximize its space.

"There are empty seats across the district, and merging two schools into one may cut down on the number of empty seats," she says.