Community leaders are urging parents to attend a crunch meeting tomorrow which could be instrumental in deciding the future of Staunton Community Sports College in Wakefords Way, West Leigh.
The meeting is the first of three in a public consultati
on on Hampshire County Council's proposed revamp of education, with one option being to cut the number of places by shutting the West Leigh school.
Ann Buckley, county councillor for West Leigh, who is opposed to the closure, wants all parents to attend.
As a reported in The News, the Havant area has surplus school places and the council says a radical move, such as closing Staunton, is the only way to persuade the government to invest £120m to rebuild and update the area's nine secondary schools.
Under one proposal pupils at Staunton would go to Park Community School in Leigh Park or Warblington School instead. The plan sparked a 2,000-signature petition.
All comments need to be submitted by November 10.
The meeting this week will include a presentation, a question-and-answer session and a chance for parents to fill out a questionnaire.
Cllr Buckley said: 'It is vital that parents and local people go along because the decisions will be based on their views. It's really important for them to attend.'
Cllr David Kirk, who is in charge of schools at the council, said: 'I want to stress that no decisions have been made and I would urge anyone who hasn't already done so to let us have their views.
'Responses to the consultation are important as they will help us determine the best way forward for a one-off opportunity to get a significant amount of government cash to invest in schools.
'This investment would benefit not only pupils and staff but also the wider community who use the facilities of local schools.'
The full article contains 343 words and appears in NS-Final newspaper.
