Jõhvi council may decide Toila school’s upper secondary fate

Jõhvi Municipality plans to decide in October whether Toila School will retain its upper secondary division, ERR reports. The division was previously closed, but resumed operations after parents successfully challenged the decision in court.

The issue followed the merger of Toila and Jõhvi last autumn. The new municipal authorities must decide whether to continue the upper secondary programme or close it, which would allow the municipality to seek state support for a new school building.

Jõhvi Deputy Mayor Heidi Uustalu said preparations were under way for a decision at the municipal council’s meeting on October 29.

“We are working to ensure that this decision is made at the council meeting on October 29. All preparations are being made for that,” Uustalu said.

She added that the decision was necessary to keep the municipality’s plans for the school building on schedule.

Only seven students have started 10th grade at Toila School this year, while 29 students are enrolled in ninth grade.

School principal Signe Ilmj ärv said the low number of upper secondary students was linked to uncertainty about the school’s future. Students entering 10th grade have been told they will be able to graduate from the school, she said, but its continued operation depends on the council’s decision.

The uncertainty also affects staff, Ilmj ärv said, with some teachers employed only on one-year contracts.

Residents can express their views on the future of the municipality’s education network by completing a questionnaire on the Jõhvi municipal website. The questionnaire is open until the end of this week.