'Campus school' options for both Forres and Buckie
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SNP councillors are calling for 'campus schools' to be given serious consideration in Forres and Buckie.
So-called campus schools incorporate both secondary and primary schools alongside community facilities.
Moray Council is in the process of preparing a business report to ask the Scottish Government for funding to replace Forres Academy and Buckie High School.
Even before it temporarily closed last week due to the presence of faulty RAAC concrete, the Forres secondary had already been pinpointed as the council's number one priority.
However both structures are now classed as being below suitable standards.
A document prepared by council officers was presented to Tuesday's meeting of the education committee.
This put the estimated cost of a straight replacement for Forres Academy at £66 million.
Meanwhile, building a replacement Buckie High, with the added cost of a swimming pool – is priced at £75 million.
Creating campus schools to cater for pupils aged all the way from three to 18 years old would be more expensive.
The estimate in Forres is £87.4 million and £95.7 million in Buckie.
Sonya Warren (SNP, Buckie), the party's education spokesperson on Moray Council, was pleased that the campus school option was being considered.
Cllr Warren said: "I was delighted to have it confirmed that scope for the inclusion of a three to 18 campus is within the plans.
"A public engagement exercise will begin soon.
"I'd urge people to make sure their voice is heard. This is a vital step forward for secondary education in both Buckie and Forres."
Scott Lawrence (Forres, SNP) said: "We have seen excellent examples of three to 18 campuses with great leisure facilities in other parts of Scotland.
"It is important to have that vision in the options in front of Moray’s school students, parents, staff and the wider community.
"It's vitally important that the sport and leisure offer includes a swimming pool.
"Moray is a relatively rural community with a good distance between major towns.
"Our children need to be able to readily access a safe place to learn to swim and it needs to be included in plans going forward."
