Small school closures among potential council cuts

Schools with 25 pupils or less could be closed under savings measures being considered by political groups on Dumfries and Galloway Council (DGC).

Both the Conservative group, which runs the local authority, and opposition Labour councillors have included the move as an option in their budget proposals.

The region looks set to see a significant increase in council tax with both groups, along with the SNP, proposing rises of between 8.5% and 9.2%

The local authority will meet to agree its budget for 2025/26 on Thursday.

Many local authorities have already agreed large increases in council tax, with the neighbouring Scottish Borders having approved a 10% rise last week.

Now the three main political groups on DGC have drawn up their budget proposals.

They would all see big hikes in tax rates - 9.2% from the Conservative-led administration, 9% from the SNP and 8.5% from the Labour group.

They also include lengthy lists of potential ways of reducing costs or increasing income.

Both the Conservatives and Labour have highlighted potential savings in closing schools.

One option would be to look at mothballing schools with 10 pupils or less, saving about £600,000 over three years.

That proposal names three schools - Borgue, Kirkbean and Hottsbridge - which moved to that position in August last year.

However, it suggests a further two schools could close this year and two more in the following two years.

A more drastic option has also been tabled which would see schools with 25 pupils or less closed.

That could lead to a further 18 sites in Dumfries and Galloway being mothballed over the next three years, saving an estimated £2m.

In recent years, a number of schools across the region have been "mothballed" - closed on a temporary basis due to low pupil numbers - with none of them having reopened.

Although the budget proposals do not name the schools involved, the council regularly publishes its school rolls.

The latest figures show numbers stand at 25 or less at Dalry Secondary as well as 21 primary schools.

A number of those - Ae, Borgue, Carsphairn, Hottsbridge, Hutton, Kirkbean, St Ninian's and Tundergarth - already have rolls at zero and have been mothballed.

A group of small and rural schools across Dumfries and Galloway has previously called for action to be taken to ensure they have a sustainable future.

Parent councils in rural parts of the region recently joined forces to launch a petition calling for the council to halt the mothballing process.

The Rural and Small Schools Parent Council Alliance said it amounted to closure by another name.

The council has said it will work with communities to ensure its learning offering is as strong as possible right across the region.