Orihuela’s governing PP–Vox coalition has rejected an opposition motion calling for education councillor Vicente Pina to resign over the closure of CEIP Virgen de la Puerta, as families pressed the council for a clear timetable for the school’s 302 pupils.
The debate took place at Thursday’s council meeting while protesting parents could be heard outside. Representatives of the affected school communities attended as councillors argued over how the closure had been handled and where pupils would study while a longer-term solution is developed.
The PSOE and Cambiemos jointly called for Pina’s resignation, with support from Ciudadanos. Cambiemos councillor Quique Montero accused the council of allowing problems to mount before moving pupils to other schools. He raised concerns about a proposal to place 18 temporary classrooms in the grounds of IES Las Espeñetas, saying the site was already under pressure.
Ciudadanos spokesperson José Aix set out a timeline of warnings and decisions. He said concerns about the school had been raised in June, but families were reassured on September 7, shortly before the start of term. Virgen de la Puerta pupils could not begin classes at their school on September 9 and were subsequently moved to schools in Molins and La Campaneta. A plan to bring the 302 pupils together at Las Espeñetas emerged later in the month.
Opposition councillors said the disruption now affected four educational communities: Virgen de la Puerta, Molins, La Campaneta and Las Espeñetas. They demanded to know when the temporary classrooms would be ready, how long pupils would use them and when a replacement school would be built.
Pina rejected the call to resign and defended his record, citing maintenance spending, thousands of administrative files processed and other education projects. He said Virgen de la Puerta needed a new school and that work towards one was under way.
Vox councillor Manuel Mestre acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said communication between administrations could have been better. He argued, however, that the motion unfairly placed sole responsibility on Pina and noted that the formal decision to close the school had been taken by the regional government. He said the coalition had a timetable for temporary classrooms and a new building, although that timetable was not set out during the debate.
When councillors again sought dates later in the meeting, Pina said the arrangements were still being processed and would be shared once finalised. He also announced plans for monthly meetings between the council and the regional education authority, with representatives of all four affected school communities invited.
The argument over Pina’s record extended to his commerce portfolio. During a separate debate, Ciudadanos councillor Luisa Boné criticised the state of shops in Orihuela. A Cambiemos motion seeking an inventory of vacant premises in the historic centre, support for prospective businesses and campaigns promoting local shopping passed despite PP opposition.
In other business, the council approved a budget amendment to pay 31 outstanding invoices totalling more than €200,000, prompting further criticism from the PSOE over spending and delayed projects. A Socialist motion calling for greater publicity in municipal buildings for Spain’s 024 suicide prevention helpline was approved unanimously.
For the families of Virgen de la Puerta pupils, the central question remains unresolved: when the children will be brought back together, and when they will have a permanent school.
