Parents will be asked for their thoughts on plans to shake-up the school catchment area in an Aberdeenshire town next week.
Aberdeenshire Council is preparing to launch a consultation on its planned re-zoning of Kintore, which will come into force when the long-awaited second primary school opens in 2016.
At the moment, there are currently 645 pupils learning in cramped conditions at the existing school – which was only built to hold 415 youngsters.
The roll is expected to continue to rise to 674 by 2016 due to the large number of homes being built in the town.
On Thursday, members of the authority’s education, learning and leisure committee will be asked to back plans to change the boundary when the new 540-pupil school finally opens. Under the plans, all homes and new housing developments to the south of Kintore, as well as some from the north-west of the town, would go to the new school.
In a report, director of education Maria Walker tells councillors that pupils at the existing primary school will not be moved to the new school unless their parents request to do so.
She added siblings would be able to continue going to the same school, but warns some families who would previously have been eligible for free school transport may no longer be.
Ms Walker states in her report: “It is important that the proposal does not have a negative impact upon any children currently attending school within the Kintore area and that they have continuity in their education.
“The proposed change to the zone will address the capacity issues in Kintore and over time will provide the additional learning space for pupils at Kintore Primary School.
“As the town develops, families moving into the south of the town will have access to some leisure and nursery facilities closer to their home than the existing provision at Kintore Primary School.”
If councillors agree, the consultation will go live on Monday, and will run until December 12. There are also plans for a public meeting held at Kintore School on November 12 from 7pm-9pm.
To take part online, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/KintoreRezoning or the council’s website from next week.