
THE REVISION OF school catchment areas in Moray has caused sufficient confusion amongst parents to prompt a clarification by Moray Council on Monday.
In total 24 schools in the region saw alterations to their catchment areas over the last two years – now the authority has written to all parents with children at affected schools to clarify the situation.
The letter from the director of education and social care, Laurence Findlay, says that pupils are entitled to free transport of they lived “more than two miles from their zoned school”. However, parents or carers who chose to have their children educated at an establishment outside their catchment school zone “would be expected to meet their own transport costs”.
Mr Findlay said: “All children currently on the roll of a school when the catchment area changes will have the option of remaining at that school and continue to receive free transport if so entitled.
“All new enrolments will be on the basis of new catchment areas – transport will only be provided for those entitled to the new zoned school. This includes younger siblings who have older siblings attending the previously zoned school.”
Mr Findlay added that parents wishing younger siblings to attend the same previously zoned school as older siblings would have to make an out-of-zone placing request for younger siblings to attend a non-catchment area school.
He said: “In these circumstances, parents will be required to meet transport costs for these younger siblings.”