A LIST of the most and least sustainable schools in the region has been drawn up by education officials
They assessed all primaries and secondaries and placed them on a priority list for potential school reviews based on a scoring system around school rolls, building condition etc.
Top of the list with the lowest sustainability score of five is Hightae Primary, followed by St Mungo Primary, Palnackie Primary and Dalry Secondary.
The final six in the top ten are Colvend Primary, Lochrutton Primary, St Joseph’s RC Primary, Shawhead Primary, Amisfield Primary, and Gelston Primary.
The entire list, with scores for all schools in the region, will be presented to councillors at the council’s education committee next Tuesday for their review.
Meanwhile, schools at the favourable end of the list and considered the most sustainable are: Lockerbie Primary, Castle Douglas Primary, Kirkcudbright Primary, Dalbeattie Primary, Stranraer Academy, Langholm Primary, Wallace Hall Academy, Lockerbie Academy, Wallace Hall Primary, and Dalbeattie Learning Campus Secondary.
Council bosses stress that schools with lower sustainability scores are not automatically being considered for closure.
However, they have admitted that some school closures/mergers will be necessary due to drastically falling school rolls and to meet curriculum for excellence requirements for pupils.
Property manager Larann Foss explained that the scoring process will assist in future planning as it is weighed against a school model for the region.
His report includes a graph showing how primary school rolls dropped from just under 10,800 in 2015/16 to 9500 in 2025.
