Permanent Closure Proposed for Second Mothballed School in Dumfries and Galloway

The permanent closure of a second “mothballed” school in Dumfries and Galloway is anticipated. The local authority has received a request to approve the definitive closure of St Ninian’s Roman Catholic Primary, located in Newton Stewart. This follows the council’s approval of a comparable action for Hutton Primary in Boreland earlier in the current year. Dumfries and Galloway Council has, to date, mothballed a total of eight schools, none of which have subsequently reopened. The concept of “mothballing” denotes a school’s temporary closure, typically initiated when student enrollment has decreased to extremely low figures, occasionally reaching zero. There is no assurance that these institutions will recommence operations, nor that they might not face temporary closure again in the future. St Ninian’s has remained mothballed since August 2023, and an attempt to register pupils for the upcoming summer term yielded no applications. A document presented to councillors identified several factors contributing to the proposed closure, including an ongoing decrease in the population of school-aged children within the region. The report also noted a 34% reduction in children identifying as Roman Catholic in Dumfries and Galloway between the years 2011 and 2022. Difficulties in appointing a head teacher were additionally mentioned as a justification for the closure. Furthermore, the report indicated that the school building’s condition had deteriorated during its mothballed period. A local survey revealed that the majority of residents supported exploring alternative uses for the premises instead of attempting to reopen the school. Should councillors endorse the recommendation for permanent closure, St Ninian’s would become the second institution from the region’s list of mothballed schools to undergo this process, following Hutton Primary. The other schools presently closed on a temporary basis include Ae, Borgue, Carshphairn, Hottsbridge, Kirkbean, and Tundergarth.