Parents are being urged to have their say on plans to spend more than £10million on Sunderland's primary schools in the next three years.
The public have been invited by the city council to give their views on the proposals and ideas to attract Government funding for refurbishment and improvements.
Anyone with an interest – parents, carers, headteachers, governors, and community gro
ups – can add their comments to the council's Primary Strategy for Change.
Coun Pat Smith, cabinet member for Children's Services, said: "Part of the strategy is to develop schools for community use, so it's vital that we hear from members of the community as well as those directly involved in schools."
No schools have been earmarked for closure or mergers. Council officials insist that would only be considered if other solutions are not appropriate.The future of 25 schools in the Hetton, Houghton, Castle View, Hylton Red House and Monkwearmouth is being discussed.
A further nine in the Farringdon area and those that feed the Venerable Bede School may see some change in the long term.
And 49 schools that feed Pennywell, Sandhill View, Washington, Biddick and Southmoor schools, as well as those that feed St Aidan's, St Anthony's and St Robert of Newminster RC schools, will see little or no change.
Plans to help attract extra funding from the Government for new and improved school buildings are part of a national drive for more improvements to primaries.
The Sunderland plan will set out the Council's "2020 Vision" for how the city's primary schools will look in 2020 and beyond.
Once approved by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the strategy will guarantee annual spending of £4,092,393 in 2009-10 and £6,470,393 in 2010-11, and more to come in the future.
The extra cash will allow for at least one school to be rebuilt or refurbished every year for the next 14 years.
The draft Primary Strategy for Change, an executive summary and consultation response form can be downloaded from www.sunderland.gov.uk.
The draft document is also available to view at libraries and Sunderland City Council Customer Service Centres, where copies of the consultation response form can also be obtained.
For a hard copy of an executive summary of the draft document and the consultation response form please contact Sunderland City Council, tel: 520 5555.
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