“Very serious” concerns have been raised over proposed changes to school catchment areas for Harris Academy and Baldragon which will affect children in the Carse of Gowrie, Liff and Birkhill areas.
Under the proposals put forward by Dundee’s education director Michael Wood, primary age children in Longforgan, Inchture and Abernyte will no longer be able to attend Harris Academy.
Instead, Baldragon Academy in Kirkton would become their “associated school”, along with pupils from Angus primary schools in Liff, Auchterhouse and Birkhill, who are currently bused to Monifieth.
Carse of Gowrie Councillor Mac Roberts said there was already “very serious concern” for parents over the redelineation of catchment areas for Harris Academy.
He said the proposal to have Baldragon as the associated Dundee secondary school for Longforgan, Abernyte and Inchture “is not going to go down well” with parents who traditionally looked forward to their children going to Harris Academy or closure-threatened Menzieshill.
“A lot of parents in that area work in Dundee and Baldragon would make it very difficult for some of them,” he said. “The transport issue is a big one it’s not just during school hours, it’s for those who stay behind for music lessons or sports.
“Perth schools would be equidistant for Inchture families but if you work in Dundee it would be almost impossible to sort out the transport. It’s a very difficult situation.”
Mr Roberts said he would be contacting the parent council at Longforgan to see what the reaction of parents there is.
He added he had asked the director of education at Perth and Kinross Council to provide him with numbers of children who go to Dundee from the Carse area.
He said he wanted answers to the questions of whether Harris Academy would be big enough for Invergowrie Primary pupils to still go there if they close Menzieshill and if the Western Gateway is built would Baldragon be big enough for all these extra pupils they are planning from the Carse areas.
Parents could be consulted early next year over the revamp of Dundee schools that would see Menzieshill High closed.
Dundee City Council’s education committee will discuss on Monday whether to agree in principle to four plans for school buildings.
These include the potential closure of Menzieshill High with pupils transferred to Harris Academy, while Rosebank Primary would be made an associated school of Morgan Academy.
Proposal papers would be shared with families, as well as published on the council’s website. There would also be meetings with parent councils, staff, trade unions and pupils as well as public meetings.
Labour’s education spokesman, Councillor Laurie Bidwell, has blasted the move to close Menzieshill, saying: “Pupils, parents and staff will be wondering why their secondary school has been allowed to wither on the vine as the school roll reduced over recent years.
“It was a missed opportunity the catchment area of the school was not extended to increase the potential pupil numbers.
“For example, the Western Gateway area is in the catchment area for Baldragon Academy when Menzieshill High is much closer in distance.”
At the meeting councillors will also be asked to agree to the construction of a new campus to replace the current Longhaugh Primary and Nursery, along with a merger of St Luke’s & St Matthew’s and St Vincent’s primaries.
A revision of catchment areas for primaries in the Strathmartine ward is being put forward in the report, as well as a transfer of St Clement’s Primary into the catchment area of St Paul’s Academy.