Education chiefs will invest £70,000 in improving facilities at Peterhead Academy – as councillors continue to wrangle over its replacement.
Amidst suggestions a new £71 million community campus could take at least a decade to deliver, it has emerged significant sums may have to be invested to keep standards high at the Prince Street school.
In May, the Buchan area committee was told repairs needed to be carried out on the school’s roof and its ceilings, while drainage and electrical systems needed to be overhauled.
Now councillors have backed £68,866 investment to create a new support for learning base with sensory rooms and a life skills kitchen area.
The council has still to make a decision on where the new community campus – and its primary and secondary schools – would be created, whether on the current site or that on Kinmundy Road.
A public consultation later in the year will be held to help decide on the final location.
The community campus has already been included in the council’s capital plan for 2023-2028 and the money to pay for it has been set aside.
Peterhead North and Rattray councillor Alan Buchan – who favours fast-tracking construction – said he fears the piecemeal improvements needed to keep the school open will be disadvantageous to students.
He said: “With a new Peterhead Academy at least 10 to 12 years away, existing facilities will have to be continually repaired and upgraded to try to meet the needs of at least three more cycles of children going through Peterhead Academy.
“I feel this will greatly disadvantage pupils at Peterhead Academy which is why I have been strongly pushing to have the new community campus included in the council’s capital budget.”
But Peterhead South and Cruden Bay councillor Stephen Smith insists it is important to invest in the school and maintain high levels of education to help its current generation of pupils.
He said: “While the preparatory work and due process is carried out for the building of the new Peterhead Academy Campus, it is important that there continues to be investment in the existing premises in the interest of the current pupils and those pupils who will attend the school in the next few years.
“A new campus is in the capital plan for 2023/28, which I warmly welcome.
“Meanwhile, I want to see students at the current academy given the best possible education.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said the proposed improvements would “bridge the gap” ahead of the completion of the community campus.
He said: “We are continuing to develop plans for a new community campus in Peterhead, as agreed by full council.
“We are supporting parents and school staff and recognise the need for general maintenance on the existing school buildings to bridge the gap before the new campus is complete.”