SCHOOLS in County Durham could be closed as part of the biggest investment in education for 50 years.

Durham County Council is looking at the future of all of its 36 secondary schools as it decides where to spend £400m - from the Government's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The county council has already identified one east Durham school which could be closed.

And yesterday it emerged more may close or merge over the next ten years.

The county, like most places across the North-East, faces a falling number of pupils working in ageing classrooms.

A few years ago, the council estimated it would get £500m from the Government. However, this is now £400m because of the falling numbers.

The first £100m of the BSF money is to be spent in east Durham.

And yesterday a governor at Dene Community School of Technology, Peterlee, said the school might close.

The Northern Echo understands that there are three options. Two involve closing Dene Community School and refurbishing or replacing the two other schools in Peterlee and schools in Sedgefield, Seaham, Wingate and Easington. The third option keeps all the schools open, but each gets a smaller portion of the £100m.

County councillors are to make a decision and submit plans to the Government by the end of next month.

Neil Foster, county council cabinet member for education, said: "We have 36 secondary schools in the county.

"We have to ensure we have the right number of schools in the right places as we have a falling roll situation.

"I would be amazed if we finished up with 36."

John Hardy, vice-chairman of governors at Dene Community School, said: "We are awaiting a decision, but we are not going to lie down and wait. We are writing to all of the county councillors."

Mr Hardy said he understood the school had been chosen because it is the smallest, with about 750 pupils.

He has produced a list of 14 other schools in County Durham that have fewer students. This will be sent to county councillors.

They are: Roseberry Community College, Chester-le-Street; Fyndoune Community College, Sacriston; Greencroft School, Stanley; Tanfield School, Stanley; Moorside School, Consett; Wolsingham Community School; Spennymoor Comprehensive; Bishop Barrington School, Bishop Auckland; Staindrop School; Teesdale School, Barnard Castle; Greenfield School, Newton Aycliffe; King James Community College, Bishop Auckland; Sunnydale School, Shildon; and Durham Community Business College.

However, Councillor Foster said smaller schools wouldn't necessarily be closed, as the council was looking at federations and amalgamations.

"We are losing 1,000 pupils a year and in 2011 there will be a big drop. Some of the towns have two secondary schools, they may be better with one more vibrant one," he said.

"We also need to consider whether a school is in an urban or a rural area, and whether it is the only school serving a particular area."

Schools closures and mergers are always highly controversial.

Last year, Darlington education bosses announced plans to merge a top-performing village school and a troubled comprehensive into a £25m academy. The row has created much controversy.

A BSF programme is under way in Middlesbrough. The council is to merge four schools into two and replace and refurbish the remaining buildings.

After decisions have been made in east Durham, the county council will look at south-west Durham, then north Durham and finally Durham City.

Dene Community School achieved record-breaking GCSE results last year and is expecting to improve further this year.