Beauly is a step closer to securing the new school its families have waited years to see as plans move towards public consultation this week.
The Education Committee will vote on Wednesday on whether the proposals for a new Beauly school should go out to the community for comment, a move welcomed by councillor Helen Crawford who has campaigned relentlessly for safer and better school buildings across the Highlands.
The Beauly project sits within Highland Councils wider Highland Investment Plan which aims to deliver a series of new schools across the region after years of warnings about the state of the estate.
Crawford confirmed she will vote in favour of the consultation and urged everyone in the community to speak up.
She said the process must include every voice, whether it is a parent, a carer, a member of staff or a resident who simply wants the best for local children.
For years she has highlighted the conditions across Highland schools and the impact on pupils and teachers who are expected to learn and work in buildings far below the national standard.
Her push for improvement intensified last year when statistics showed the Highlands had the highest proportion of school buildings rated poor in Scotland, with almost no progress being made despite repeated warnings.
In early twenty twenty four she tabled a motion calling for Highland Council to declare a school estate emergency, a move she believed was necessary to force meaningful action.
The proposal argued that Highland schools were in significantly worse condition than those across the rest of the country and that the situation could not be solved through routine processes or business as usual.
The motion was voted down by the SNP Independent administration which insisted the situation could be managed within existing plans.
Families and community groups across the region criticised the decision and accused the administration of failing to recognise the seriousness of the problem.
The debate brought national attention to the state of Highland schools and increased pressure on the council to accelerate repairs and replacements through the Highland Investment Plan.
Crawford believes that pressure helped push Beauly up the agenda and that the community now has a real chance to make its case heard.
She said she is delighted that residents will finally have the opportunity to shape the proposals and to underline why Beauly needs a school built for the future.
“I am delighted that finally the local community can have their say on the proposals for a new school in Beauly,” she said.
“The pupils, parents and teachers of Beauly deserve better and I am proud to have been a part of delivering the quality school building that they so desperately need.”
She said the expansion of the consultation is a milestone in a campaign that has stretched across years of frustration and countless attempts to win recognition for the scale of the problem.
“Since twenty twenty three I have been campaigning for new schools to be built after it was revealed that Highland schools were in the worst condition when compared to the whole of Scotland,” she said.
“Putting the plans for Beauly school to the public marks a significant step for not only my campaign but for teachers and pupils as well.”
She said the larger battle is far from won but that there is at last a sense of momentum.
“There is still a long way to go till we have schools that are fit for purpose but I am relieved to see such positive progress being made,” she said.
“This is just the beginning and I will not stop fighting for better school buildings and a better education for our children.”
