Park Primary parents seek answers on plan for school after devastating blaze in Invergordon
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A ROW has broken out about the replacement of fire-destroyed Park Primary School in Invergordon.
Some parents of pupils, now housed in Invergordon Academy, are demanding demountable buildings in the grounds of the old school until a new one can be built.
However, council officials and councillors have said that parents must be very careful in deciding what they want, as the budget will be limited for the new school, and any spend now may leave a dent in any future school budget.
One parent, who did not want to be named, said council officials were not listening to parents. Questions were also asked about the level of insurance that could be expected. It is believed to have been started by a faulty laptop.
Councillor Carolyn Wilson said she and her fellow councillors were working very hard to find a solution for pupils.
She said: “Ultimately what we want is for children to be well educated in the best setting possible.
“It may seem like a long time ago now, but within a few days of the school fire, we had children back at desks in Invergordon Academy, everyone pulled out all the stops to make it work.
"We are continuing to look at solutions for Park. We have been consulting with parents and we are planning on holding one-to-one meetings next week with anyone who wants to speak to us about their concerns for the future of the school. We only want the best for the long-term future of these children, and we will work with everyone to make sure it happens.”
The North Star was not permitted to listen in on the meeting, but asked Highland Council for a statement later. It said: “The Highland Council has received the fire report and will be issuing a copy to parents this week. The building is insured via Zurich Insurance and that the claim is still being collated.”
A spokesperson for Zurich Municipal said: “We are working closely with Highland Council on this claim and look forward to resolving it promptly. As this claim is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
The council said earlier it is engaged in discussions with parents about various options for the future of Park Primary. These range from rebuilding the school as a standalone primary school to a three to 18 campus for Invergordon.
Other options are understood to include a new build to be shared with another primary school in the town, South Lodge.
Highland Council said parents would have multiple options to share their views during a consultation period.
Related: Plea to Invergordon parents to help keep pupils safe at school
Parents get heads-up of plans following devastating fire at Park Primary
