*Jesper fears for his masonry company if the local school closes:* 'It will be difficult for us to run our business'
Several companies in Norddjurs Municipality fear the consequences if the small schools close.
Jesper Thomsen is co-owner of the masonry company Kusk og Thomsen in Ørsted on Djursland, and he believes it will be difficult to run the business from Norddjurs if the local school does not attract new residents. (Photo: © Private photo) 56 minutes ago
In Norddjurs Municipality, parents are up in arms because the municipality is considering closing several local schools.
And now the business community is also joining the fray.
Today is the deadline for submitting comments to the municipality, and out of the approximately 150 consultation responses received, a handful come from businesses.
They fear the consequences for them if the local school disappears.
'A local school is not just an educational offer. It is a prerequisite for us to be able to run a business in the area.'
'Without it, everything else falls apart,' the responses state, among other things.
One of those who has submitted a consultation response is the masonry company Kusk og Thomsen in Ørsted, located in the northwestern part of the municipality.
If the town's school, Rougsøskolen, closes, they feel forced to consider whether they will ultimately have to move the business out of the municipality.
- We very much want skilled craftsmen who live in the local area. And if it becomes less attractive to live here without a school, then we are afraid that we won't be able to attract employees, says Jesper Thomsen, co-owner of the masonry company, which employs between 25 and 30 people.
According to him, it is crucial that many of the employees live in the local area.
- It's about the logistics. Many come to the office and warehouse in the morning and need to pack the van. If they don't live here, then we have to get the materials out to the various construction sites, and then it becomes difficult for us to run our business from here, he says.
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Several schools threatened with closure
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Right now, several schools are at risk of closing in Norddjurs. In addition to Rougsøskolen, Langhøjskolen is also in danger of closure. This worries the steel production company L-tek.
The steel production company L-tek in Nørager has submitted a consultation response. Director Lars Lund Nielsen fears it will become difficult to recruit employees if fewer people move there due to the closure of Langhøjskolen in Vivild, five minutes away. (Photo: © Thim Jungersen, DR)
They employ 90 employees, and director Lars Lund Nielsen predicts that it will be difficult to recruit employees if Langhøjskolen in Vivild, five minutes away, closes:
- Approximately two-thirds of employees live within a radius of 12 to 15 kilometers from here. The cohesion and flexibility that comes from having employees so close is absolutely invaluable in a company like ours, he says.
Kristoffer Frandsen (left) and Thomas Rasmussen work at L-tek. They both live in the town and have children at Langhøjskolen. They fear that others will choose not to move to the local area if the school closes.
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Mayor: 'Too many children are not thriving'
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At the mayor's office, the businesses' arguments make an impression, but:
- They could just as well criticize us for not doing anything. Because there are too many children in Norddjurs who are not thriving, who have too much absenteeism, and who do not achieve the primary school leaving exam. If we don't ensure that our children move on successfully, they won't get their youth education, and then it will become harder for businesses to recruit, says Mayor Kasper Bjerregaard (Venstre).
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Why does the municipality want to make major changes?
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Mayor Kasper Bjerregaard (Venstre) explains that Norddjurs Municipality currently spends a lot of money on buildings instead of on children and teaching.
- We would rather spend money on two-teacher arrangements than on keeping buildings alive, the mayor adds.
Some children struggle with changing schools when pupils from the small schools, which only go up to 6th grade, have to switch schools. Therefore, the municipality is considering having fewer but larger schools so that more children can attend the same school from 0th to 9th grade.
How will you ensure that businesses are not left alone to face the consequences of your school reform?
- Of course I take it seriously when businesses say they will consider moving out of the area. It is a shame if that becomes the consequence, he says.
The business owners believe that you are making it significantly harder for them to run their businesses. How does that align with the fact that during the municipal election campaign you emphasized the importance of attracting new people to the municipality and creating good conditions for the business community?
- I believe that one of the prerequisites for good settlement is that we have a primary school with a high level of quality, and that is the purpose of this, says the mayor.
Now the politicians will read through the consultation responses before the future of the schools is decided.
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