The end may soon be nigh for a mothballed north-east primary school bereft of pupils.
Longhaven closed its doors after the April holidays in 2018 due to a dwindling population and a struggle to appoint a head teacher.
The school, five miles from Peterhead, has made repeated attempts to find a suitable leader but Aberdeenshire Council was unsuccessful in securing a suitable candidate.
Now, as the institute embarks on its second mothballed year, officers for the authority have recommended an appraisal into the viability of the school remaining in that state.
The study will consider permanent closure as an option, with no applications made for pupils to study there this year.
A consultation would have to take place before such a decision could be taken.
In the report published ahead of the Education and Children’s Services Committee next week, education officials state: “One of the options identified as part of the appraisal could be to close the school.
“If this is considered to be the only viable option for the school, then Aberdeenshire Council must undertake a statutory consultation under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.
“If this was the only viable option, there would be extensive consultation with the affected community and Buchan Area Committee.
“As a rural school, there is a presumption against closure and Aberdeenshire Council must ensure all other alternatives have been identified and robustly considered prior to undertaking any statutory consultation on this matter.”
For the school to become operational again there would need to be sufficient pupils on the roll to make the “educational experience” worthwhile.
The roll forecast, however, shows “a very small number of families” with children of school age in the area.
Public involvement in the decision is highlighted as paramount to the assessment of the 50-pupil-capacity school’s options.
The report adds: “The Longhaven community must have the opportunity to present alternatives to closure for the authority to consider.
“Therefore, as part of the options appraisal process, officers intend to engage with the community to explore all possible options for the future of the school.
“It is important that the process is not extended for a prolonged period, as this causes further uncertainty for the community.
“However, it is also imperative that a full conversation can be had with all relative stakeholders, particularly future prospective parents who may wish to see the school re-open.”
The review will be discussed at the committee meeting on August 29.
