Assurances have been made that the five-pupil Newbigging Primary School is not at risk under Angus Council’s new mothballing policy.
And education director Kelly McIntosh said the authority would not use the temporary measure as a cover for plans to close any school.
Her assurances came during consideration of the Angus school estate’s wider future.
Major schemes for Arbroath and Montrose were axed from the 30-year Angus Schools for the Future strategy.
They were dropped after the rising cost of the new £66.5 million Monifieth High School left education bosses facing “significant” financial challenges.
But officials have rejected a suggestion other school buildings will have to ‘make do and mend’.
What is mothballing?
Mothballing is a temporary closure of a school where the roll has fallen to a very low level.
But it gives the council the opportunity to re-open a primary if pupil numbers rise.
Lethnot Primary was the last Angus school to be mothballed, in 2016.
However, it was closed two years later along with the area’s most remote primary at Tarfside in Glen Esk.
The council say very low rolls can impact children’s opportunities for learning.
Which Angus schools have the lowest pupil numbers?
Council projections for the new school year in August show only Newbigging as having fewer than 10 pupils.
Its roll is due to be five.
Aberlemno, Arbirlot, Carmyllie and Eassie are all forecast to have 20 pupils or less.
The low Newbigging figure prompted Arbroath West and Letham Conservative councillor Louise Nicol to quiz the director on the primary’s future.
Ms McIntosh told her: “I would have to say that at this moment we are not considering any schools for mothballing.
“We’ve come today to ask that the mothballing policy be approved.
“Any work to mothball a school would involve consultation with the stakeholders, including obviously the parents and the children.
“You will see Newbigging is projected to move from five to eight.
“Obviously we keep an eye on those projections because there is an element of guesswork.
“People can move into the area and outwith the area.
“Sometimes families in the area choose for their children not to attend the local school but to go to a school somewhere else.
“Equally, families put in placing requests to go to other schools, including Newbigging.
“So at this time there is no plan (to consider mothballing).”
The director added: “Mothballing is different to closure.
“I will state it right here – if we are moving to mothball, we are moving to mothball.
“If the decision is that the we should move and ask to close, we’ll be moving and asking to close.
“We won’t mothball knowing that what we really want to do is close.
“We would never do that.”
Conversation