The green light has been given for a new Viewforth High School, which will provide a “massive” boost to the East of Kirkcaldy.
Fife Council’s executive committee unanimously agreed to grant permission for construction of the new school on the Windmill Road playing field site.
Councillors also gave permission to proceed with a public consultation on the integration of a new Rosslyn School and wider community facilities of the local library, local office and sports facilities to be sited at the new school.
Giving an update to councillors, Fife Council executive director for education, Ken Greer, said a decision was taken on February 14 to fund a new secondary school in the east of Kirkcaldy.
At the executive committee on May 7, permission was sought to proceed with a public consultation on the proposal. This ran from May 20 to August 23.
As part of the public consultation exercise, two public meetings were held, as well as a meeting with Viewforth staff.
The pupils of all the affected schools were briefed about the proposed new school and given the opportunity to ask questions.
Mr Greer said a number of staff members and parents who participated in the public consultation exercise raised the issue of the possible inclusion of Rosslyn School in the construction of the new secondary school.
Councillors were told that around three-quarters of respondents supported the proposals to build a new secondary school, while around two-thirds supported closure of the existing Viewforth if a new school was built.
Kirkcaldy councillor Neil Crooks, chairman of the Kirkcaldy area committee, said the people of East Kirkcaldy had experienced relief, followed by trepidation, followed by engagement during this process.
He said a new school in one of the most deprived parts of Fife would be “massive”. Mr Crooks added that it wouldn’t just be about the school, but the proposed sports facilities.
He said: “I am hugely excited by this report. In Kirkcaldy East we recently got £950,000 from the Scottish Government Regeneration Fund, which will also make such a difference to the area.”
Fife Council SNP group leader Peter Grant agreed with Mr Crooks. He particularly welcomed the proposed integration of Rosslyn School, which had done some “great work” over the years.
However, with relatively low numbers involved in the public consultation process, he warned that the council had to be sure there was not “hidden resistance” to the proposed changes within communities.
Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said that despite the “limitations” of the current Viewforth it was “one of the cleanest schools I’ve ever been in”.
Schools were about “more than buildings”, he said, and the “commitment and pride” of staff was self-evident.