Moray Council is planning to spend about £13million refurbishing six of the region’s schools – but the local authority’s leader is refusing to tell the public which ones.
A question mark is hanging over the future of every primary and secondary in the area amid an ongoing review of the whole education system.
The council has repeatedly said that “nothing has been ruled out and nothing has been ruled in”.
But now tenders have been requested from companies to carry out extensive work at unnamed schools.
Council leader Allan Wright insisted last night that the six buildings involved could worry parents whose children go to lessons at other ones.
He said: “At this stage, in what’s going to be a sensitive situation as far as the school estate is concerned, it would be potentially upsetting to start naming the schools.
“It would demonstrate that these schools are safe in any future proposals.
“Council officers have been doing the work of choosing the schools which would be the most suitable for refurbishment.
“However, no decisions have been made yet and they will not be until after the review is finished.”
Concerns have already been raised locally about the fate of several schools – including Crossroads Primary near Keith, Findochty Primary and Milne’s High School in Fochabers.
Scottish Government minister and Moray MSP Richard Lochhead last night criticised decision not to name the schools involved in the multimillion-pound refurbishment scheme.
He said: “People and parents in the community will rightly take this as an indication about the future, given the wider issues surrounding the school estate.
“Refurbishing schools is an essential and worthwhile investment. However, the council has a duty to be open and transparent about the process.
“It’s hard to envisage how the companies can be expected to submit bids unless they know which schools are involved and exactly what needs to be done.
“The information must be available somewhere and parents should be kept informed.”
The Press and Journal asked Moray Council to reveal the names of the six schools, but was told an answer could not be supplied yesterday.
Last year, the local authority commissioned educational consultants Caledonian Economics to assess all of the region’s eight secondaries and 45 primaries.
It is expected to report its findings shortly after the start of the new school year later this month.
However, the final decisions about what changes will be made to the region’s education system will be voted on by councillors.
The review was launched after it was revealed that £70million would be needed to bring all existing school buildings up to an acceptable standard.
The refurbishment work that the council work has advertised will involve replacing windows, doors and roofs as well as electrical and heating systems at the six schools.