Provincial Assembly Member Yoon Jongho Resolves Santong Middle School Closure Crisis... Leads Educational Environment Innovation

Resolving Overcrowded Classes Amid Declining School-Age Population
Tailored Measures Prove Effective

Sandong Middle School in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, is escaping the threat of closure and transforming into a center of educational innovation. Once on the verge of shutting down due to a declining school-age population, Sandong Middle School is expected to gain new vitality through the redistribution of students within the region. This decision was largely driven by the proactive policy efforts of Councilor Yoon Jongho (People Power Party, Gumi 6) of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Council.

Provincial Assembly Member Yoon Jongho Resolves Santong Middle School Closure Crisis... Leads Educational Environment Innovation

A view of Sandong Middle School in Gumi City

Established in 1971, Sandong Middle School once saw its student body drop to as low as 40, putting it at risk of closure. However, with the influx of residents due to the development of large apartment complexes in Sandong-eup, the nearby Indeok Middle School became overcrowded with up to 1,140 students (48 classes), intensifying the problem of oversized classes. In response, Councilor Yoon actively pursued policies for student redistribution and adjusted the system so that Sandong Middle School can accommodate approximately 200 students starting in 2025.

The Provincial Office of Education has promoted policies to revitalize small schools, with schools of fewer than 100 students accounting for 45% of all schools in North Gyeongsang. However, these policies often proved ineffective due to low preference among parents.

To address this issue, Councilor Yoon conducted surveys among parents of Indeok Elementary School and Sindang Elementary School, securing results that showed 79.5% and 56.4% of parents, respectively, preferred Sandong Middle School, thereby providing justification for the policy push.

Instead of demolishing the existing Sandong Middle School building, Councilor Yoon shortened the construction period and maximized budget savings by constructing a new building on the north side of the playground. He also arranged for a separate cafeteria and promoted the design of a three-story building that can be vertically expanded in the future, leading to the creation of a sustainable educational space.

In addition, efforts are underway to expand the educational infrastructure, including attracting Sandong High School and the tentatively named Haemaru High School, as well as bringing the North Gyeongsang Province Early Childhood Education Promotion Institute, with a budget of 40 billion KRW, to Sandong-eup.

Notably, during the process of establishing Sandong High School, Councilor Yoon pointed out the issue of overcrowded classes and organized three rounds of petition drives, which led to policy changes by the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education.

Furthermore, as a result of continuous efforts since 2018 to establish Haemaru High School, he achieved the milestone of passing the investment review in 2024.

Councilor Yoon is also working to develop Sandong Middle School into a complex facility (including a swimming pool and gymnasium) that can be used by both local residents and students, beyond just being an educational space. To this end, he plans to collect signatures from over 10,000 residents and hold consultations with local governments and the education office.

Councilor Yoon stated, "I hope this new leap for Sandong Middle School will become a turning point for the development of local education," and added, "I will continue to do my best to improve the learning environment and strengthen cooperation with the local community."