The doors of two Angus schools will be permanently closed on Friday.
Lethnot and Tarfside’s fates were sealed earlier this year after the two primaries were earmarked for closure in the first stage of Angus Council’s far-reaching Schools for the Future strategy.
Stracathro Primary had also been facing the axe under a proposal to expand the catchment of Edzell school, but the local community forced a u-turn on the controversial idea.
Angus Council’s decision was not called-in by Scottish Ministers and consent from the Scottish Government to implement the recommended closures was received by the authority at the beginning of this week.
The former Lethnot and Tarfside catchment areas have been permanently re-zoned to Edzell primary, which is to receive £1.5 million of investment.
In September, an eleventh hour bid to mothball Tarfside rather than closing it was unsuccessful.
Tarfside’s roll has fallen steadily from a peak of 14 children in 2009 to zero in August 2017 and closure will save the council more than £125,000 a year.
Lethnot has been mothballed since 2016 and annual savings from its closure will be around £130,000.
An Angus Council statement read: “As of Friday, November 16, Lethnot Primary School and Tarfside Primary School will be permanently closed. This decision follows the completion of a statutory consultation undertaken in-line with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.
“The decision was not called-in by Scottish Ministers and Angus Council received consent from the Scottish Government to implement the recommended closures on Monday, November 12 2018.
“The former Lethnot and Tarfside catchment areas have been permanently re-zoned to Edzell Primary School.
“The proposals are part of Angus Council’s Angus Schools for the Future programme.
“Angus Schools for the Future is the most ambitious plan Angus Council has ever had for the development of our school buildings.
“The 30-year programme sets out projects for the short, medium and long term.
“Initially schools have been ranked, in accordance with the principles agreed by the council in September 2017, and a series of projects have been prioritised for the period 2018-47.”
