A DRAFT proposal to close Furnace Primary School is set to begin after councillors unanimously gave the go-ahead.
The school has been temporarily closed by Argyll and Bute Council since December 2024 after pupil numbers fell.
The proposal will come back before councillors in December, which, if approved, would then begin a public consultation on closing the school.
The decision was made at a meeting of the council’s community services committee on Thursday, June 4.
Councillor Jan Brown (SNP, Mid Argyll) said: “I attended the consultation in Furnace Primary, and before I got elected I was a dinner hall lady and saw the roll get to about five, which was nonsense, really. Shortly after that it went down to two.
“It is a great loss to the community and has always been a focal point for the village, but people do not want their kids to go there. They are happy to go to Inveraray or Lochgilphead.
“I know that the community has backed the closure of the school and see no reason why we should not go ahead with this procedure.
“There is a house at the school which until very recently has been occupied by and tenant. How would we deal with that?”
Transformation programme manager Graeme McMillan said: “It is to deal with possibly if we get to that stage. It is permanent discontinuation of education provision.
“In terms of the property aspect, that would have to be picked up at a later date. We need to deal with the operation of the school in the first instance.
“But we can pick that up with colleagues in property at a later date and fit it into the proposal paper if that is what the committee agrees to.”
Councillor Amanda Hampsey (Reform UK, Oban South and the Isles) then said: “The school is in close proximity to Inveraray and Lochgilphead. Are we seeing a decrease in numbers due to where children and families are living, or is it people wanting their children to go to larger schools?”
Mr McMillan responded: “In terms of the trend, it is a case-by-case basis, but in this instance it has been a trend of families making placing requests. It is an opportunity for children to attend larger schools.
“The travel becomes the responsibility of the parents, but it is something they accept.”
Executive director Douglas Hendry added: “There is a much wider issue in terms of rural depopulation which goes well beyond Argyll and Bute.
“The council does try to address this with corporate policies and strategies, but it is a national issue that needs addressed at that level.”
Councillor Hampsey said: “It is important to understand how these trends come about, whether it is a case of parents making placing requests and wishing for their children to go to larger schools, or if we are seeing depopulation within our areas. The community are backing the closure of Furnace in this instance.
“Parents who have placing requests are liable for transportation to Inveraray or Lochgilphead. Would it be the case going forward there would be an opportunity given for transport to be available?”
Mr McMillan said: “If it got to the stage where the school was closed and the catchment area was realigned to Inveraray Primary, as long as the families fall within the new extended catchment area, that would trigger their entitlement to school transport.”
