Old Trail Welcomes 100 New Students to Campus for 2026-27

There is something special about the first day of school—the familiar faces, the nervous energy, the joyful reunions and the excitement of everything still to come.

Old Trail School opened its doors for the 2026-27 school year last week, welcoming more than 450 students to campus, including 100 students beginning their first year at Old Trail.

From our youngest learners arriving for a new adventure to returning students reconnecting with friends and teachers, the morning was filled with the small moments that make the beginning of a school year so meaningful. Old friendships picked up where they left off, new friendships began to take shape and classrooms once again came alive with the energy and curiosity of our students.

This year's enrollment represents one of Old Trail's largest opening-day student populations in recent years and reflects a community that continues to grow while maintaining the close relationships at the heart of the Old Trail experience.

For our 100 new students, the first day marked the beginning of something entirely new: new classrooms to explore, teachers to know, friends to make and a 62-acre campus within Cuyahoga Valley National Park to discover. For returning students, it offered the comfort of coming back to a place and community they know well.

That combination of familiarity and possibility is part of what makes the first day so memorable. There are new connections waiting to happen and old ones picking up right where they left off. There are challenges to embrace, questions to ask, traditions to continue and experiences that will become some of the defining memories of the year ahead.

More than anything, the first day is a reminder that some of the greatest joys of school are found in ordinary moments—walking through the doors, spotting a friend, settling into a classroom and simply being back together.

Welcome to the 2026-27 school year, Buffaloes. We're glad you're here.