Moray Council welcomes Scottish Government support for Elgin High School extension
The Scottish Government has agreed to a request from Moray Council to include the Elgin High School extension project in the national Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).
The council asked for Elgin High to be transferred into the second phase of the schools improvement programme as a replacement for the Findrassie Primary School project.
A decision was taken in January to defer, by up to five years, the final design and construction start date of the new 450 pupil Findrassie School on the north side of Elgin.
Council Leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “The Scottish Government’s commitment to the revenue funding of the Elgin High School extension is very welcome and I look forward to seeing the project progress with the full engagement of pupils, families, staff and the wider community.”
The council previously approved an extension to Elgin High School to meet the demand for places that recent and future housing developments has created. It is anticipated it will need to cater for an additional 250 to 320 students – taking the school capacity to a maximum of around 1150 students.
Following detailed design and planning, site mobilisation and construction is expected to start in early 2025 and be open by August 2026.
Moray Council is required to fund the entire capital investment which is currently estimated to be just under £15 million. Under the LEIP programme, the Scottish Government will provide revenue funding over a 25-year period to meet facilities management and life cycle costs.