Parents and community groups in Elgin are to get their say on plans for a major shake-up of the area’s school catchment areas.
Moray Councillors yesterday approved plans for a consultation on the rezoning proposals, which have been drawn up to tackle overcrowding in the town’s primary schools.
A series of public meetings will be held from next month, and council officials will also be talking to parent councils, trade unions and community groups about their proposals.
Four of six primaries – Bishopmill, East End, New Elgin and Seafield – will have exceeded their current capacities by 2018.
Education officers previously warned that failing to revise the catchment areas urgently could mean children would be unable to attend their zoned school and be forced to commute to schools outwith Elgin.
As well as Bishopmill, East End, New Elgin and Seafield, the council is looking to rezone Greenwards and West End primaries.
Two new primary schools would also be built, with the second in the north completed by 2020.
Members of the council’s children and young people’s services committee unanimously the wide-ranging consultation at their meeting yesterday.
It will run from April 13 until May 29, and a series of meetings will also be held with parent councils, staff, trade unions and community groups during that time.
There will also be an online survey where responses can be posted and four public meetings have been scheduled. They will take place at Bishopmill Primary School on Monday, April 13 at 7pm, New Elgin and Ashgrove Hall on Thursday, April 16 at 7pm and at Elgin Town on Monday, April 27 at 2pm and again at 7pm.
Education Scotland will also be involved in the consultation and will prepare its own report on the rezoning proposals prior to council officer submitting a final report to the children and young people’s committee in December.
Eleanor Symon, chairwoman of West End Primary School parent council, attended yesterday’s meeting.
Afterwards she said: “I’m still concerned about what impact the rezoning will have until they build the new school, but we will wait to see what happens.”