Up to a quarter of Dundee’s primary schools could be under threat as the city council tries to save £18 million over the next two years.
They are operating under 50% of capacity and could be included in a batch of mergers or shared campus deals to be considered in the city chambers.
Four are already subject to talks about sharing campuses Lochee, which is only 28% full; Rosebank (43%); Our Lady’s (37%); and Sidlaw View (38%).
The other four primaries operating well below capacity are Ardler (47%), St Fergus (37%), St Pius (47%) and St Vincent (44%).
Dundee’s population decline and the movement of young families across the city have left these eight primaries with fewer than half of their places filled.
Conversely, some other primaries are very well filled, with St Peter & Paul at 90%, Barnhill at 96% and Craigowl at 106%.
The council must cut its spending by £18m over the next two years, and education takes more than half of the authority’s budget.
SNP administration leader Ken Guild insisted council tax will not rise and there will be no compulsory redundancies.
Earlier this year Ballumbie Primary was created through the merger of Whitfield and Newfields primaries, and on Monday the education committee will consider a far-reaching proposal to bring Sidlaw View, Jessie Porter Nursery and Baldragon Academy together on the Baldragon site.
Mr Guild said: “Directors of departments are looking at where they can make savings, but nobody will be forced out of the door.
“We are finding that the school mergers are proving quite successful and we certainly wouldn’t rule those out in the future, although we would favour them coming together on shared sites as we have achieved in Dundee in many cases, most recently with the new west end school with St Joseph’s, Victoria Park and Balgay Hill Nursery.
“There are some schools that are operating way below capacity, and others above capacity, so it is something that would be considered.”
He said £18 million is a “sizeable chunk” of money that has to be saved to 2014. There have been bigger savings in the last couple of years £40 million in 2010-11 and £20.2 million in 2011-12 but the council was not being complacent. Another area for savings could be to offer long-serving members of education staff early retirement.
“This would be up to them but in the past many teachers in this situation have taken up the opportunity.”
Councillors will be asked to approve a voluntary early retirement, phased retirement or wind-down scheme for teachers next week.
Labour education spokesman Laurie Bidwell said: “I was very disappointed to hear that more cuts are on the way in our schools as the council seeks £18 million of cuts over the next two years, and Ken Guild is predicting potential school closures and mergers.
“It seems that once again the SNP administration will not be protecting school spending from the brunt of their cuts. With perhaps up to £8 million or £10 million of these new cuts falling to education, it is hard to see how these can be made without making damaging changes that reduce the opportunities for our young people and undermine the progress we have made in improving pupil attainment.
“At a time when we need our school staff to be focused on developing the Curriculum for Excellence and preparing pupils for the new examinations, there will be damaging distractions as school closures and mergers are rushed through.
“Unfortunately, the cracks are already beginning to show in some of our schools.”