Following a community council meeting on Thursday, February 26, members confirmed they had written to the executive director of community services at Argyll and Bute Council over fears regarding the falling school roll – which has more than halved since the start of the current academic year – with nine pupils currently enrolled compared to 17 for the 2013/14 session. Following the meeting, the community council released a statement. It read: “In a village with an ageing population it is essential we attract and retain families with children. “The council is very concerned that the school roll has more than halved since the start of the current academic year. Any business losing half of its customers in two months would see this as a crisis. The community council has studied correspondence between parents and QIOs/ education staff, an HMI report, school reviews, and school reports and as a result has now written to the Executive Director of Community Services, Argyll and Bute Council, stressing our commitment to the future of Luss School, emphasising our concern about falling pupil numbers and asking that he respond to a number of questions.” Luss and Arden Community Council has also responded to concerns from parents that elected members failed to act on the issue – despite a high level of dissatisfaction. The statement added: “The community council has been aware for some time about the level of dissatisfaction expressed by around half of the parents in the school. “Indeed the question has quite legitimately been asked why did we not do something sooner – why wait until five out of a total of nine families from the school catchment area withdrew their children? Unfortunately children did move to alternative schools but it is the diaspora that occurred in October 2014 which has spurred this community council to act.” Luss Primary School was threatened with closure in 2010 along with Rosneath, Kilcreggan, and Parklands schools. It was previously considered for a merger but Argyll and Bute Council has said this is no longer the case. The parent council at Luss Primary School has denied there is a problem with falling roll numbers. Fiona Phillips, chairwoman of the parent council told the Reporter the issue involved a ‘minority’ of parents. She said: “The parents whose children are currently attending Luss Primary School are unanimously very satisfied with the standard of teaching at the school and the high level of education their children are receiving. “Parents are also refusing to become involved in what is a personal dispute between a minority of former parents of the school and Argyll and Bute Council.” A spokeswoman at Argyll and Bute Council said: “The current pupil roll for session 2014/2015 at Luss Primary School is nine pupils – a reduction from 17 pupils in session 2013/2014. “This is not unusual in small schools which often experience fluctuations in pupil numbers which can either increase or decrease. We are also aware that nationally there has been an overall decrease over the last few years in pupil numbers. “Legislation allows parental rights to request a placement for their child or children in a school other than the one which they are designated to attend. “In circumstances where parents submit a placing request the council is required to adhere to this legislation and, where appropriate, to provide a place for children in an alternative school.”