North Ayrshire Council have dropped plans to bus Cumbrae pupils from Largs ferry slip to the new campus when it opens in March, sparking outrage.
SNP councillor Alan Hill is dismayed at the controlling Labour group over the council U-turn, and has called for an emergency summit on Thursday at 5pm at the Garrison involving parents and grandparents of pupils affected.
Cllr Hill fumed: “This policy was very much welcomed on the island and has been reversed by Labour only months after it formed part of a full public consultation exercise. Parents from Cumbrae may well have reacted differently to the proposal for the new Largs Academy had they known that Labour was planning on reversing this commitment.
"Each and every pupil on Cumbrae lives considerably farther away from the school than the council’s 3 mile travel zone. Labour councillors are seeking to take advantage of the fact that in order to get to the mainland, Millport pupils have to get off of a bus and board a ferry. By the time that Cumbrae pupils reach the ferry itself some of them will already have travelled, by a combination of foot and bus, over 5 miles, and takes no account whatsoever of the fact that Cumbrae parents do not have the option of driving their children to school."
"At the recent elections much talk was made of looking after the needs of islanders, it seems that when it comes to this Labour Council, such talk was meaningless.”
“I note that Cllr Gallagher expressed his disappointment at the decision but he did not bother to oppose it. 
"I would urge local residents on the island to get behind our campaign to have the bus service restored. We need to show the Labour council that this decision is wrong and press them to reverse it."

A public meeting took place on Thursday involving very concerned parents regarding the move.
At last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Labour Cllr Alex Gallagher: "I feel very disappointed and let down by this decision
"It's called 'the reinstatement of the bus service', but it's actually the exact opposite. The bus is being removed altogether.
"The real point here is that we made a promise to the people of Cumbrae, just a few months ago, that this bus would happen and now we a re backtracking and saying it won't happen."
Kilbirnie Cllr John Bell said: "It would be inappropriate for them to receive a bus service when there are children in the Garnock Valley who are walking much further. It's really about equity. I'm sure that parents in the Garnock Valley would be thrilled to have their kids getting a bus as they currently face a two to three mile walk every day."
Cllr Robert Foster admitted the Council had "made a mistake" in promising the bus service in the first place.
He said: "I can understand where they are coming from. It was a mistake which should not have happened and we have to try and inform the parents of that."
Council leader Joe Cullinane asked Cllr Gallagher to accept the decision, saying: "Do you accept what is being said Alex, even if it is with a heavy heart?"
Cllr Gallagher responded: "I do, but I would like some of what I have said to be noted."