TODAY is D-Day for two Crewe schools fighting to keep their indentities.

Parents and supporters from Ruskin and Kings Grove High Schools are travelling to Chester to lobby councillors due to decide on the future of the two sites.

A merger has been called for in order to cut costs in the light of falling pupil numbers.

But the two camps have mounted campaigns calling for a re-think and the retention of both.

On Tuesday borough councillors threw their weight behind the school campaigns.

Liberal Democrats initiated a call to county councillors to vote for the two schools to be "retained, upgraded and positively promoted".

They also:

Reminded the county council that the borough is the third fastest growing district in the country, with a population increase of over 10,000 forecast within ten years.

Cited the proposed amalgamation as a premature and short-sighted measure which would needlessly disrupt the education of pupils at both schools

Welcomed the prospect of long overdue investment in Crewe.

Urged the county to recognise and actively promote the real academic and sporting achievements of both schools, as well as the first class pastoral care they offer pupils.

Recommended a fundamental review of secondary school catchment areas in the borough.

Reminded the county of its duty to recognise and respect the views of parents at both schools, the overwhelming majority of which support retention of both schools and to recognise that the governors at both schools were never given the full range of options to consider seriously, nor the full supporting demographic information on which to base their conclusions.

Those points received cross party support.

Just which way the county set will fall was anyone's guess before Thursday. A panel set up to examine the alternatives had recommended closing both schools and reforming a new one on the Ruskin site.

But Education Committee members veered the other way considering that option the more expensive and the Kings Grove site appeared to be favoured.

One of the eight local county councillors who will be voting today, Nantwich borough representative Arthur Moran will be backing the retention of both schools.

"We should at least get any decision deferred. It could be looked at again in the future, but there should be no change now. This issue is not only going to affect Crewe, Nantwich will also suffer. Housing development there is increasing all the time. If there are not enough places in Crewe the over stretched schools there won't be able to cope,"he said.

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