The Government’s bill for a working group that decided which primary schools would close under education reforms was revealed Wednesday in the Senate.

It cost $15,000 for a History and Legacy Committee, which was formed by the Government after campaigners criticised the scoring behind which of the island’s 18 primary schools should close.

In response to a question from opposition senator Dwayne Robinson, Owen Darrell, the Government Senate Leader, said nothing was spent on the initial scoring by the school location strategy team.

Mr Darrell added: “The assessments were conducted by public officers during the course of their normal working hours.”

However, $15,000 went to the six-member history and legacy working group “to determine and propose study factors for the rescoring process for the Minister of Education’s consideration”.

Questioned whether the principals and parents of pupils of St David’s Primary, Somerset Primary and West End Primary schools were told the outcome, Mr Darrell said principals were notified by letters from the Department of Education on May 1.

Parents were notified on May 2 via a platform set up by the department to communicate with parents and guardians.

This month the Government announced the reversal of plans to close West End Primary School and St David’s Primary School following rescoring, while Somerset Primary School will eventually be shut.

West End scored “slightly higher” on history and legacy than its Sandys Parish counterpart, Somerset Primary.

The decision followed protests by supporters of St David’s Primary and West End Primary School — with the pressure group West End Warriors demanding history and legacy be taken into account.