Children at Arbroath primary schools face years of disruption if a major estate refurbishment goes ahead.
Muirfield Primary is in line to bear the brunt of a four-year decantment operation that could see temporary huts positioned in its grounds to house displaced pupils from other schools.
From October next year, staff and pupils at Timmergreens Primary may be working from the portable cabins at Muirfield, with some facing a journey of between two and three miles on foot.
Parents who don’t have transport could be asked to sign-up to “walking buses” to get groups of children safely to school together.
If further funding is found following completion of the new Timmergreens in December 2015, staff and pupils from Muirfield (2016), Ladyloan (2017) and Inverbrothock (2018) would each spend a year at the makeshift base.
Muirfield parent Jasmyn Quigley branded the move “insane”, claiming the school’s facilities won’t cope with an influx of extra children.
She said: “Just because we have space does not mean there is the indoor space to deal with a huge influx of children.
“Muirfield dining hall and gym are small enough for the children we already have.
“Has thought been considered about how you get the double capacity through the dinner hall at lunch times?”
The construction of the new Timmergreens and Warddykes will proceed next year at a combined cost of around £10.4 million.
A new Hayshead Primary, at £9m, will only be built if additional Scottish Government/Scottish Futures Trust funding is identified.
Similarly a proposed £8.5m programme of upgrades to Inverbrothock, Ladyloan, Muirfield and St Thomas primaries, and a further £3m on Arbirlot, Carmyllie and Colliston, will need external funding.
An Angus Council spokesperson said: “We will ensure that any pupils who are decanted during the construction period enjoy a good standard of accommodation, and that there will be no impact on the standard of teaching and learning of pupils at any of the schools involved.
“There will be enabling works at Muirfield to ensure the building can cope with additional pupils, for example for lunches.
“This will minimise disruption and indeed be beneficial for Muirfield pupils and staff once pupils return to Timmergreens. As there is sufficient space for temporary classrooms at Muirfield, and having undertaken similar decant arrangements in other burghs, we are confident there will be no adverse effect on Muirfield pupils.”
Schools will maintain separate identities throughout the decantment and the council say there will be opportunities to “learn collaboratively” with pupils from other schools.
Arrangements will be refined prior to construction with parents, staff and pupils asked to contribute. The council say decanting Muirfield pupils to the huts will speed up construction.
The spokesperson added: “It should also be noted that while it is possible we will use Muirfield for the Ladyloan and Inverbrothock decants, all options will be considered.
“Ideally we would like pupils to stay on campus, but it is too early to indicate whether or not this will be possible.
“All these issues, along with transport proposals, will be covered at the engagement events being held by the council.”
There are no plans to close or move Muirfield’s pre-school class, and discussions with parents of children who attend the playgroup at the school are ongoing.
Arbroath councillor Ewan Smith said he raised concerns about the arrangements during an education committee meeting in October and has asked for alterative options.
“I was really disappointed with the attitude of some councillors and I believe the option that was voted for it a cop out,” he said.
“This is going to have a significant negative impact on children both at Muirfield and at the schools that are going in.”