A PRIMARY school in Newton Stewart which has been mothballed for 16 months is set to finally close for good.
Councillors will next week be asked to rubber stamp the closure of St Ninian’s Primary.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education chiefs argue that the school is no loner viable due to the deterioration of the building, no children attending since August 2023, and the number of Roman Catholic pupils in the region falling by 34 percent between 2011 and 2022.
They also state that the council is facing challenges recruiting a Roman Catholic headteacher – and staff in general for rural schools.
This single-storey school has a capacity of 42 pupils, but only nine kids in the area of school age have been baptised. St Ninian’s pupils also previously shared facilities with the adjacent Penninghame Primary School for dining and PE.
At the council’s education committee next Tuesday, councillors will be invited to approve the closure of St Ninian’s following a public survey and consultation process.
A report due to tabled at next week’s meeting explains: “The community was overwhelmingly in favour of the building having an alternative use. Those present (at a second public meeting) were informed that members would be asked to agree to the commencement of the statutory consultation process for closure.”
The report continues: “Families were given the opportunity during the P1 enrolment process for academic year 2024/25 to enrol or transfer their children to St Ninian’s RC Primary School.
“All families living within the St Ninian’s RC catchment area were contacted via email, as well as a press release to inform families of the opportunity.
“Following this enrolment and transfer opportunity no transfer or enrolment forms were received. Through the engagement survey, no families expressed a desire to enrol their children at St Ninian’s RC Primary School.”
In the public survey, just four percent of respondents wanted the school to permanently close, while 12 percent wanted the school to reopen. Meanwhile, 77 percent said they wanted to see an alternative use for the building.
Council officers also underlined that local residents were keen to ensure that the St Ninian’s school building was “repurposed and not left to deteriorate.” The school building is also located within the conservation area in Newton Stewart.
