Mothballed Fife school closure decision gets Scottish Government verdict

It made the decision to call time on the empty building in June. The small, rural school has been temporarily shuttered since 2021 after roll numbers fell from 45 pupils in 2003 to zero in 2019. The circumstances and roll numbers haven’t changed since then, so councillors decided it was time to formally close it.

However, it had to be reviewed and formalised by the Scottish Government. After a couple months deliberation, it has announced that the closure will go forward uncontested.

“Having reviewed the documents provided by Fife Council and considered all relevant representations made, Ministers consider that Fife Council has fulfilled its obligations,” a letter from Holyrood to Fife’s Director of Education stated. “Fife Council may now implement its decision to close Milton of Balgonie Primary School in line with the timescales set out in its proposal paper.”

The statement continued: “Fife Council should continue to work with affected parents to reduce the likelihood of siblings attending different schools.”

With the Scottish Government’s seal of approval, Fife Council can begin looking in earnest at “alternative uses” for the building.

Shelagh McLean, Fife’s head of education and children’s services, previously told the Cabinet committee that keeping it within education will “ensure that should the number of primary aged pupils within the area increase to a level that may require provision of an additional primary school in the future, it may be done at the least cost to the council”.