A “cloud has been lifted” after councillors stepped away from mothballing a primary school.
A falling roll at Lochrutton Primary led to council officials coming up with three options – mothballing from the end of term, a statutory consultation to close the school – meaning it would stay open next year – or keeping it open and monitoring the situation.
Parents had already told officials they wanted to keep the school open, rather than for youngsters to be sent to nearby Shawhead.
And at Thursday’s education and learning meeting, councillors agreed to keep it open.
Parent council chair Beth Morrison said: “We’re absolutely delighted. It’s great for the school and hopefully they can turn it round before it has to be reviewed again.
“It feels like a cloud has been lifted from the school.”
The issue had arisen as the Lochrutton roll is expected to fall to 10 for the 2024/25 term.
Meetings between the school community and council officials revealed a desire from parents for the school to remain open, rather than for youngsters to be sent to nearby Shawhead.
At Thursday’s meeting, Councillor Iain Howie, said: “This is a new partnership, Lochrutton with Shawhead, it’s got a new headteacher and both the community and the parent council are requesting an opportunity for this partnership and headteacher to demonstrate they can turn the school round from its present low numbers. We’re presented with three options – option A, which is to consider mothballing, which requires the consent of the majority of the parents which we’re aware isn’t forthcoming.
“That takes us to option B, going to statutory consultation, but the last sentence is the school would remain operational for session 2024/25.
“According to our projected figures for the school for 2025/26, take it outwith the mothballing criteria. It’s a plea from myself to members to opt for option C.”
Councillor John Young shared his Castle Douglas and Crocketford colleague’s view and added: “What gets me about this particular school is the parental involvement and how anxious they are to have the school continue in the community.
“There is an awful lot of community involvement in this particular village.
At the time of the census, yes the school roll was 10, but it bounces back up to 12 in the next couple
of years.”
Councillors agreed to keep the school open, but education resources boss John Thin pointed out six of the 10 children currently at the school weren’t from the catchment area.
He said: “It is not necessarily a school that is meeting the needs of the Lochrutton catchment area but we’ll continue to work with the school and support them through.”
