The school occupies the grounds of the old Cleveland High School and Margaret Green Junior High School.[3] Cleveland Central High School itself was formed in 2017 as a consolidation of Cleveland High School and East Side High School after U.S. federal judge Debra M. Brown ordered that they consolidate, as the schools were accused of being segregated. The decision was the result of a court case beginning in 1965.[4][5]
(*) Bayou Academy is in an unincorporated area near Cleveland and is not in the city limits. (**) The community colleges do not have their main campuses in Cleveland nor do they have any other facilities in Cleveland, but Bolivar County is within their service areas