Cardiff Council has unveiled its reorganisation plans for the city's secondary schools.
The first stage will see three high schools - Llanedeyrn, Llanrumney and Rumney - earmarked for closure.
But two new schools would be built, one a Welsh-medium high school and the other a English-language secondary.
The council said change was needed because of the falling size of modern families and big demand for Welsh-medium education.
The future of two other secondaries - Cantonian and Radyr - will also be considered in the autumn.
"This is our chance to improve educational provision for all children across Cardiff for generations to come"
Two years ago plans were put forward by the Liberal Democrat-led council for widespread closures of both secondary and primary schools, but they were dropped after an outcry among parents, pupils and political opponents.
The council said there was now "cross-party consensus" for these proposals, although they are also likely to be similarly controversial.
They mostly affect secondaries at this stage, although some primaries are also involved.
One proposal would close Llanedeyrn High School, and move St Teilo's School onto the site.
Cardiff's third Welsh-medium secondary school would then open on the St Teilo's site.
There is also a plan to shut both Llanrumney High and Rumney High, and a build a new school for 11-16-year-olds on the site of Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney.
CARDIFF SCHOOL PROPOSALS
The council also proposes uniting Whitchurch High on one site, instead of the current two. It would mean Whitchurch moving onto the site of the lower school.
Eglwys Newydd Primary School would also be acquired and demolished to use as a play area for Whitchurch High.
Pupils from Eglwys Newydd and nearby Eglwys Wen Primary will be merged into a brand new school building on the Whitchurch upper school site.
The fate of Cantonian High in Fairwater and Radyr Comprehensive will be reconsidered in September.
Glyn Derw High and Michaelston Community College will be asked to formalise their partnership arrangements, and two primaries, Cefn Onn and St Anne's would close.
The proposals will be up for discussion at a council committee meeting on 13 July, and the future of primary schools will be examined further next year.
'Engaged and consulted'
Council leader Rodney Berman said: "We have difficult problems to tackle but, at the same time, this is our chance to improve educational provision for all children across Cardiff for generations to come."
He said communities and other interested groups would be "engaged and consulted every step of the way," and any decisions would take "some years" to implement.
But he said he was "delighted" there was consensus among the political parties on the proposals.
The council said there were about 4,500 surplus places in secondary schools, and 8,500 in all schools.
When a school's roll falls, so does its funding. The council said if no action was taken then within 10 years about half the city's secondary schools will have lost about 30% of their funding.
BBC Wales education correspondent Colette Hume said similar closures would probably extend across the rest of Wales, with councils coming under pressure from both the assembly government and education inspection body Estyn not to waste money .
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