Plans to revamp Peterhead Primary School’s catchment areas were put into motion by Aberdeenshire councillors yesterday.
The decision to begin public consultations comes in the wake of calls for an urgent rethink from parents.
New figures have shown that only one of Peterhead’s 10 primary schools has the correct number of pupils for its size.
While some classrooms are bursting at the seams, others are left with empty desks.
Now members of the local authority’s education, learning and leisure committee have agreed to formally consult with parents, teachers, pupils and the wider community.
Last night, committee chairwoman councillor Isobel Davidson said: “In Peterhead it’s because some schools are well over capacity and some schools are under capacity, because populations changed over the last number of years but zones haven’t changed.
“It’s really time now to distribute children better to match the school situation.”
Mrs Davidson continued: “We don’t really have overcrowded classrooms but you end up with temporary classrooms and using rooms that would maybe be general purpose space. There’s not the flexibility in schools we’d like to see.
“We’ve already got informal views from the local community but we need to be able to evidence it, and go through a statutory process.”
Of the 10 primary schools in Peterhead, Buchanhaven and Burnhaven are both over-capacity and Central and Dales Park will exceed their limits by 2015 and 2017 respectively.
On the other hand, Boddam, Clerkhill, Meethill and Port Erroll are all under-capacity and Longhaven has only 15 pupils.
In total across those five schools there are 364 spaces available. Only St Fergus is in the capacity range.
In a report to yesterday’s committee, council education chief Maria Walker said: “The rezoning process will allow the existing capacity within the network to be redistributed, substantially delaying if not altogether removing the requirement for an additional school.”
Earlier this week parents were offered assurances no child would have to move schools if catchment areas are reshuffled in term for the 2015 academic year. Only new pupils or those coming to school for the very first time would be affected.
A public meeting will be held at Peterhead Academy on Thursday October 2.