WORK costs relating to the discovery of RAAC at Forres Academy are expected to reach £624,000, Moray Council has said.
The local authority is currently on phase three of its project to deal with the material at the school, after it was discovered in July in phase one.
Phase two of the work was completed during the October holidays, with it addressing the RAAC issue in the roof area above the connecting space between the school’s main entrance corridor, the assembly hall, and dining area.
Phase three is currently underway and focuses on recovery of classrooms. Moray Council said that the works will recover larger areas of technical spaces on the first floor, allowing practical sciences classes to be taught again – with it hoped that full use of the space will be available for the 2024/25 academic year.
Once phase three works are complete, assessments of any further teaching space requirements will be carried out. These will be ‘relatively minor’ and can be done during the 2024 summer holiday, the local authority said.
The estimated total cost to Moray Council for the structural engineering, design, construction, and monitoring costs is £624,000. The council said this investment will allow the current building to remain functional until the new Forres Academy is operational in December 2027.
Chair of Moray Council’s education, communities, and leisure services committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said, “I would like to commend both the pupils and staff of Forres Academy for their response to the ongoing RAAC situation at Forres Academy. Pupils have shown great resilience and have adapted incredibly well during this difficult time. The entire staff team have worked tirelessly to ensure continuation of education and have truly shown their commitment and professionalism throughout an extremely unsettling period.”
