Assurances have been given over the future of a primary school despite an admission that £1.1 million of funding is not enough to cover refurbishment costs.
The bill for the work at Crail Primary School has now risen by around 50% to £1.64 million.
Fife Council area education officer John McLaughlin told a meeting of the Crail Parent Council that the £1.1m put aside for building improvement plans at the school was insufficient for buildings requiring repair and renewal.
He said there was a need to prioritise the improvements on the school buildings and Crail was one of a number of schools with buildings in a poor state.
Mr McLaughlin said the council resources team had identified the nursery as needing most attention.
Members of the parent council have expressed concern as to how costs could rise so sharply.
Chairman Andy Smith said he had been told by education officials proposed costs had doubled and wanted to know how this could happen over an apparently short period.
An East Neuk parent who contacted The Courier said: “The unanswered questions are staggering.
“Looks like Crail School will be forced into losing pupils and closure because a new school would cost more than the allocated £1.1m, although John McLaughlin cannot say why it would be so expensive.
“I think parents will be extremely angry at what can only be described as… secretive management and planning by Fife Council.”
However, when contacted by The Courier, Mr McLaughlin offered assurances.
He said he was having a meeting with members of the parent council on Thursday to look again at the process. However, the council remained committed to the improvements and would reprioritise aspects of the project towards the nursery, he added.
With the decision already taken to close a number of primary schools as part of a school estates review, cash-strapped Fife Council’s Labour administration has made a public commitment to close no more schools during its term of office, which ends in May 2017.
Crail Primary has a school roll of 98 while its nursery has capacity for 20.
Picture by George McLuskie