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Should schools in Lipa and Sufczyn be closed? Demographic and economic realities are not conducive to education.

Should schools in Lipa and Sufczyn be closed? Demographic and economic realities are not conducive to education.

At the last session of the Bircza City Council, councilors passed resolutions of intent that could impact the future of local education. These include plans to close two primary schools in the commune – the primary school in Lipa and the primary school in Sufczyn. Both schools could close as of August 31st of next year.

The number of schools slated for closure is growing in the Podkarpacie region. Earlier this year, media reports surfaced about a dozen more educational institutions whose local governments had submitted applications to the Education Board in Rzeszów for closure. The main reasons for these plans are the continuing lack of students and high maintenance costs. The Bircza commune also grapples with these issues. At the July 28 session, two resolutions were put to a vote on the intended closure of schools. The first concerned the Rev. J. Twardowski Primary School in Lipa, the second the Polish Nobel Prize Winners Primary School in Sufczyn. As explained in the resolutions, the number of students in the former school in the 2025/26 school year was 11 (six classes), while the number in the latter school was higher, 31 (eight classes) as of September 12th of this year. Demographic data for the birth rate in the catchment area of both schools shows a downward trend. The problem, besides demographics, is also financial. The maintenance of the schools is covered by the commune budget.

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"The maintenance of the four educational institutions, for which it is the managing body, and one school run by an association are also crucial to the municipality's financial health. Over the past four years, the municipality has covered an average of 43% of its education expenditures from its own funds, and its own contribution to education costs between 2019 and 2024 amounted to PLN 4.9 million annually. Over the past four years, the number of students in primary schools has decreased by 50, and by 2029, due to demographic factors, another 59 students will be lost. If the current educational system is maintained, the municipality's own contribution in 2029 could reach PLN 7.9 million," the resolution reads.

As argued, the educational subsidy is awarded based on the number of children, while teacher salaries are the same regardless of whether a class has three or twenty students, resulting in higher costs per student. The session also focused on the numbers. The primary school in Lipa currently employs 10 full-time teachers plus one part-time teacher, with three additional teachers supplementing the positions, resulting in high maintenance costs for educating only 11 students. Meanwhile, the primary school in Sufczyn employs 11 teachers, including two part-time teachers, which also generates high costs for educating 31 students. The majority of councilors agreed that the intention to close both schools therefore seems justified, especially since some parents are already transferring their children to the Bircza School Complex. Ten councilors voted in favor of the resolution to close the school in Lipa, two against – A. Pacławski, A. Wojtowicz, one abstained – R. Okołowicz, one did not vote, and one was absent from the vote. In the case of the school in Sufczyn, the vote breakdown was as follows: ten councilors voted in favor, two against – R. Okołowicz, A. Pacławski, two abstained – J. Koterbicki, A. Wojtowicz, one was absent from the vote.

Before the vote, one councilor questioned why the decision to close the school was being made in the middle of the summer holidays. "It's playing on the emotions of parents and children," he argued. Mayor A. Szymaszek responded to the issue.

"We discussed the decline in student numbers during sessions last calendar year and organized meetings with teachers and students at both schools, so they were aware of this intention. We also presented the facts repeatedly at the education and budget committees. Furthermore, the resolution of intent allows for a year's advance consideration of the schools' future and provides...

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Updated: 09/08/2025 19:31

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