A Buckie High School parent has launched a campaign for urgent investment in the building amid fears of a looming “catastrophe” without it.
Moray Council has warned all current options for a major refurbishment or complete new-build are “unaffordable”.
The decision provoked an angry response from Buckie parents bemoaning years of underinvestment in one of the busiest schools in the region.
Complaints about the school have included leaks, worries about the condition of the roof and long waits to access the internet.
Nearly 1,000 people have signed an online petition within the last week calling for the same commitment to new education facilities that have been delivered in Elgin and Forres.
Moray Council says alternative proposals are being drafted and are due to be presented in May – but have warned they will be significantly scaled back due to budget cuts.
‘Buckie has put up with make do and mend for decades’
Stephen Birtwistle, who has a son in S4 at Buckie High School with two younger children at Findochty Primary, started the petition calling for investment.
The 43-year-old previously worked in schools across Moray as a technician before taking voluntary redundancy last year in budget cuts.
He said: “Every day I could see how bad a state Buckie High School is in compared to the new-builds in Elgin and Lossiemouth.
“It’s so dark and dingy compared to the newer schools. When you go into the new-builds everything works, which is what you expect.
“Buckie feels a lot more like make do and mend, but it feels like they’ve been making do and mending for decades now.
“Part of the roof blew off a few years ago. I’m always worried I’m going to get a call to say I’ve got to pick up my children because something’s happened.
“It’s risking a catastrophe—like a collapsed ceiling—before action is taken.
“I just feel like we were promised investment and every year it gets postponed or put off. It’s been going on too long now.”
Worries teachers don’t want to teach at Buckie High School
Buckie High School has now had an acting head teacher for more than a year.
Despite repeated advertisements to fill the position, pupils and staff have been without a permanent post-holder since January 2024.
The latest statistics show Moray Council has been graded C for condition, meaning it is below B for minimum standards. Meanwhile the school is at 87.5% of capacity, making it the sixth busiest in Moray.
Mr Birtwistle added: “I can’t help but feel the condition of the school is affecting the recruitment of a new head teacher.
“They’re offering a good salary of nearly £100,000, but if you had the choice of working at a nice new school or Buckie High School, which are you going to choose?
“You feel for the staff that are there, doing their best. At the end of the day though it has to be affecting the education of our children.”
Backing for Buckie High School campaign
More than 800 people have now backed Mr Birtwistle’s petition calling for a timeline to be developed for major investment in Buckie High School.
All three Buckie councillors Sonya Warren, John Stuart and Neil McLennan have given their backing to calls for investment alongside Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam.
Ms Adam said: “I’m deeply disappointed to learn that plans to refurbish or replace Buckie High School have been ruled “unaffordable” by Moray Council, leaving no clear solution in sight.
“This school is already graded below the minimum standard and is one of the busiest in Moray. The building has significant issues.
“I’ll be continuing to push for the best outcome for our community.”
Mrs Warren said: “The report saying there was no funding for either a new-build school or the cost of necessary refurbishment caused me great concern, especially as there was no what next plan in place.
“It’s heartening to see I’m not the only person concerned.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle, who is a former Buckie councillor and has two children at the school, said: “Pains me to see this. In 2018 the council did groundworks ready for Buckie High to be the next school to be rebuilt.
“My message to the council has always been the same, you simply cannot build super new builds in Forres, Lossie and Elgin and then ignore schools on the east of the council area.
“Buckie is just as deserving. The money must be found.”
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