Scottish Borders Council are set to invest more than £340m to deliver new schools for Galashiels, Hawick, Selkirk and Peebles.
Councillors will be presented with a suggested priority list that would mean Galashiels Academy getting replaced by 2023, a new High school in Hawick three years later with Selkirk and Peebles following in 2029 and 2032.
The proposal indicates that the total cost of building four new intergenerational campuses with a total roll of 8,023 would be around £344.9m
Galashiels is recommended to be the priority for investment because the current condition of the High School means maintenance of the building will be more disruptive to school pupils and because the strategic plan is the furthest developed.
The news comes after local politicians called for Hawick’s representatives to work together to ensure that the town can get its proposal together as quickly as possible.
Commenting John Lamont MP said: “As was likely to be the case, Galashiels Academy is the priority because of the condition of the school and the readiness of the plan to replace it. I am however pleased that Hawick and Selkirk in my constituency will follow close behind and receive significant investment in the next few years.
“This plan would see thousands of pupils in the Scottish Borders benefit and to me shows the council have got their priorities right.
“This investment is all the more impressive when you consider how much Scottish Borders Council’s budget has been cut by the Scottish Government in recent years.”
Rachael Hamilton MSP also said: “Despite the financial pressures faced by Scottish Borders Council, it is right that they are responding to the significant need to invest in our local schools. It’s good news for pupils, teaching staff and parents.
“The building of an intergenerational school campus in Hawick is only seven years away. The town must now work collaboratively to agree on the best site possible.”