A £4.4 million extension to an under-pressure Kirkcaldy secondary school has been mooted amid continued housebuilding.
Viewforth High School opened in 2016 with capacity for 600 pupils.
However, the school roll already exceeds 700 and could rise to more than 1,000 if further housing developments are approved.
The existing capacity issue comes “as a direct impact” of newly-completed homes.
Those include housing at the old Viewforth High site in Loughborough Road, and the large Kingdom Park development off Randolph Road.
And the school already uses a nearby YMCA building for some teaching.
Fife Council’s education director Donald MacLeod has proposed an extension to help the school cope with its increasing roll.
If approved, it would be complete by April 2027.
Who will pay for Viewforth High School extension?
Viewforth High School is located in the east of Kirkcaldy within the £21m Windmill Campus.
It includes the additional needs school Rossyln School, community sports facilities and the local library.
Only the school would be extended, with much of the cost met by housebuilders.
Developers at Loughborough Road and Kingdom Park signed legal agreements as a condition of their planning permission.
However, the council will still need to stump up £1.8m
Mr MacLeod said the school has been “over-occupied” for the past six years.
He added: “There are 1,043 pupils in the catchment area.
“If they were to choose to attend Viewforth High School, the current provision on site would not be able to accommodate them.
“There are 852 houses planned in the catchment area between now and 2033, which would see the number of pupils increase to a level which can’t be sustained in the existing accommodation.”
Three options for discussion
Mr MacLeod will put three options for the Viewforth High School extension before councillors for a decision next week.
The school’s preferred move is to extend the ground floor, creating new flexible learning spaces, an outdoor garden and new toilets.
One alternative is a two-storey extension.
However, it would also require extra dining and changing facilities and could cost more than £11m.
The third option of a smaller extension is considered inadequate.
Councillors are only being asked to approve the business case at this stage.
If they agree, detailed designs will be ready by December, with planning permission expected by early next year.
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