Second mothballed school set to close permanently

A second "mothballed" school in Dumfries and Galloway looks set to be shut for good.

The local authority is being asked to agree to the permanent closure of St Ninian's Roman Catholic Primary in Newton Stewart.

It approved a similar move at Hutton Primary in Boreland earlier this year.

In total eight schools have been mothballed by Dumfries and Galloway Council and none of them has so far reopened.

The term mothballing refers to the temporary closure of a school where the roll has fallen to very low pupil numbers, and in some cases zero.

There is no guarantee that they will be reopened nor that they cannot be mothballed again in future.

St Ninian's has been mothballed since August 2023 and an offer to enrol children this summer generated no response.

A report to councillors highlighted a continuing decline in school age children in the region as one reason for the proposed closure.

It also pointed out a 34% fall in the number of children identifying as Roman Catholic in Dumfries and Galloway between 2011 and 2022.

Challenges recruiting a head teacher have also been cited as a reason for closure.

The report added that while the school was mothballed the building was deteriorating in condition.

A survey in the area found most people were in favour of finding an alternative use for the building rather than trying to reopen it.

If the permanent closure move is agreed by councillors as recommended, it would be the second school on the region's mothballed list to go down that route after Hutton.

The other schools currently shut on a temporary basis are Ae, Borgue, Carshphairn, Hottsbridge, Kirkbean and Tundergarth.