CAMPAIGNERS battling to keep open Beulah School have submitted their final arguments to the local education authority in a last-ditch bid to save it from closure.

Beulah Primary School, along with neighbouring Trewen Primary School, could be shut as part of a review carried out by Ceredigion County Council.

A consultation on the future of the two schools has now been closed, with a report earlier this year to the learning communities overview and scrutiny committee stating that closing the two schools would save around £155,000.

Parents campaigning to save Beulah School, which last year celebrated its 100th anniversary, have submitted a series of documents to outline their case.

Campaigner Carol Pickover said: “We have done all we can to put forward our arguments. We believe if both ourselves and Trewen were closed it would place unreasonable demands on Cenarth School.

“We are proposing a three-year stay of execution in regards to the proposed closure of Beulah school in order to prove that the decline in school numbers is short term and can recover naturally over a period of time.

“We propose if the numbers increase to 30 or above within the three-year period, there is a guarantee by Ceredigion County Council that Beulah School will remain open until the next formal review of schools within the South Ceredigion area.

“There are sufficient funds available within the surplus of the school budget to cover the shortfall of pupils at Beulah over the next 3 years, even if numbers do not increase over that period.

“Beulah School Community Project is prepared to provide £2500 raised to date towards maintenance costs of the school as long as the work undertaken will lead to reduced running costs of the school in the future. The community group has raised £2,500 over a 5 month period, therefore we believe it will be practical to raise £5,000 per annum.

“The aim is to improve Beulah School and grounds to be eco-friendly, to reduce running costs in the future and to produce a model of a small community school ready for the major technological changes likely to become reality within the next 10-20 years within education.”

“18th December 2018 –

The consultation report to be presented to Ceredigion cabinet on December 18. If the proposal is accepted, a statutory notice will be issued on the school closures.

The final decision about whether to close the two schools will be made in January 2019. If the decision is to close both schools, the two schools will formally close in July 2019.