HUNDREDS of parents and pupils from three Vale schools have united in a campaign to oppose the council’s proposed £17.2m supercampus.

Parents, pupils, and supporters from the earmarked merger schools of St Mary’s, St Martin’s, and Renton primaries, took to the streets on Saturday to march past all three schools and through Alexandria town centre.

Stephen Storrie, a member of St Martin’s Parent Council and one of the march organisers, told the Reporter around 300 people took part in the march and around 200 people signed an ongoing petition against the council’s plans.

Mr Storrie said: “A lot of people think the decision has been made already, but it hasn’t and this is everyone’s chance to have their say – this isn’t a done deal yet and parents need to know that.” West Dunbartonshire Council is consulting on closing the current St Martin’s Primary and St Mary’s, Alexandria, and merging the two schools in a new St Mary’s building at the current St Martin’s site.

Renton Primary and Language Unit and Riverside Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC) would move into new buildings on the campus. The former Renton and St Mary’s primary sites would be sold off for housing at an estimated £430,000.

However, an alternative proposal has been put forward which parents councils claim is cheaper and better for the pupils and community.

They want St Martin’s and Renton primaries and the language unit to be rebuilt on their current sites, and St Mary’s to be refurbished.

The parent councils’ say this would be more than £2 million cheaper than the council’s plans – at a total cost of £14million – and also better for the children’s education.

Under the parent councils’ plans the Renton primary site would have rebuilt school with a separate area specially designed for the learning unit.

St Martin’s Primary – the smallest in the region – would be reduced in size and a designated area would be set aside for Riverside ELCC.

Mr Storrie added: “Even if people don’t agree with our proposal we want parents to know there’s other options out there. The campaign is about opening up a discussion on the future of the schools.

“We feel our option is better for the kids’ education and better for the communities. The communities will suffer under the council’s proposal but under ours it will thrive for years to come. Mr Lanagan’s option will kill off the community.” The parent councils plan to host a public meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at 7pm in the John Connolly Centre on Main Street, Renton, when they will further showcase their alternative proposal.

In addition, pupils are all three schools are expected to receive a letter home in their school bags this week detailing the alternative proposal.

In support for the local campaign, Councillor Jim Bollnan, Socialist member for Leven, said: “The march and rally organised by the parents from the three schools the council want to close was magnificent. A tremendous show of support against the super campus idea from Mr Lanagan.

“Feedback from parents is almost universal opposition to the council plans coupled with huge support for the well worked out alternative plans from the parents.

The council is doing everything they can behind the scenes to thwart the democratic right of parents to be heard but it will not work. This campaign is owned by the parents, not the education department.” Councillor Michelle McGinty, education service convener, said: “It is my understanding 80-100 parents and their children turned up to the walk on Saturday, we welcome all feedback and I would encourage as many people to take part in the consultation as possible.” A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “The council is proposing to borrow £17.5million under a spend-to-save strategy in order to regenerate the schools estate in Alexandria by locating five educational establishments on one site to create a better and more efficient educational campus.

“This proposal would create a first-class educational facility, investing in one well-resourced campus as opposed to spreading funding thinly across a larger number of partially empty buildings. It would also generate savings to help repay the borrowing.

“Retaining or rebuilding each school on its current site with the £17.5m borrowing would not save any money and therefore the borrowing costs would be extremely high.

“The council has earmarked £2.775m to improve the existing school buildings should the current proposal not go forward.

“We welcome the views of the parent councils, and all the feedback submitted during the consultation will be included in a report which will be presented to a future meeting of the Educational Services committee.”