The goal of the meetings between the city and the state is to offer an alternative to the current system in Tallinn, where basic and upper secondary schools are mostly combined, said Indrek Riisaar, head of the ministry's state high school program.

"This does not mean that anything has been decided — we are simply outlining this option," Riisaar explained. The ministry is currently doing extensive preparatory work: mapping future population trends using Estonia 2050 forecasts and analyzing the distribution of students across city districts.

"At the moment, construction of two state high schools in Tallinn is ongoing and will continue until 2031 and beyond. Further decisions will depend on whether we are able to secure funding for investments," said Riisaar.

It is also expected that the creation of new state vocational colleges and active image campaigns will increase the share of students choosing vocational education after completing basic school. "The colleges are actively promoting themselves," Riisaar added.

But what will happen to Tallinn's specialized municipal schools, such as the French Lyceum or the English College? According to Riisaar, the reform does not automatically mean converting all schools into basic schools.

He pointed to agreements in Tartu and Narva, where 20 percent of students can continue studying in municipally run full-cycle schools. However, where that line will be drawn in Tallinn remains undecided.

Previously, the ministry estimated that the optimal number of state high schools in Tallinn would be seven, plus those in Harju County and vocational colleges, as well as about ten specialized gymnasiums. The state has also set a goal for general upper secondary education to be fully under state responsibility by 2035.

Tallinn's Deputy Mayor for Education, Andrei Kante, confirmed that the city is very interested in expanding the network of state high schools, as it would broaden students' choices.

Kante emphasized that the city urgently needs more precise plans from the state in order to shape its own school network.

"We already see that even if the state builds a gymnasium in Lasnamäe, it will not be enough for all applicants," Kante noted. He added that the situation is similar in Mustamäe, where one state school would not be sufficient to serve the entire area.

Although building new state high schools does not automatically mean closing city-run gymnasiums, Tallinn currently has a special school network commission in operation. By the fall, the commission is expected to present its proposals for reorganizing the school network to the city government.

 "I believe we will reach some level of clarity quite soon, because we have schools in the city that might qualify for transfer to the state under an administrative agreement model. However, we currently have no such plan, as the state has not yet expressed its preferences," Kante said.

More detailed discussions with the ministry will continue in September.

More concrete progress has been made on the Lasnamäe state high school project. According to Riisaar, the architectural competition brief has been submitted to the Estonian Association of Architects for approval. After that, the plans will be reviewed again with the Tallinn Education Department, the Lasnamäe district government, and local residents before the competition is officially announced.

Regarding the new building for the Tõnismäe state high school, the city is closely monitoring whether the state stays on schedule.

In addition to state high schools, Tallinn is actively seeking solutions to the shortage of space in general education schools. Kante confirmed that the city still wants to acquire the former Ministry of Rural Affairs building in the Old Town for reorganizing the school network.

Negotiations with the state real estate company (RKAS) are ongoing, but currently paused, as the building can only be transferred to the city through an exchange deal. The final decision on the transaction must be made by the Tallinn City Council.

"We definitely have plans for this building, and we certainly need it for reorganizing the school network," Kante said.

According to the Ministry of Education, Tallinn currently has 42 city-owned high schools.

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