EVERYONE'S had an opinion on Darwen's proposed new Academy.

Council officials and councillors, residents and former residents, government officers and lawyers, the Courts and the Press.

Everyone except Rod Aldridge's cat. And he's expected to file shortly.

Everyone, that is, except for the people who really matter now. The kids.

What do they make of all the hoo-ha of the past four years? - yes, it's four years this week since the ambitious plan was first revealed.

I asked one of the students, 14-year-old Heather Stanley.

This is her report: "I was in my last year at St Barnabas' and the time came to decide which secondary school I should go to.

"We decided that, although Moorland was struggling, local families like us should be supporting it. I haven't regretted it.

"There's been talk of the new academy throughout my entire time at Moorland.

"I'm now in the fourth year and everyone expected we would be in it by now.

"But it has all dragged on and on.

"The council are supposed to start building this summer and we are told it will take 15 months to complete, taking us into late 2009.

"Higher years in the school are very disappointed because we were supposed to get a fantastic new school and now we are not going to be there when it is finally ready.

"We are stuck with school buildings more than a little frayed around the edges.

"The toilets are awful.

"The council apparently won't spend money on the buildings because, they say, we will be in the academy soon.

"Which is what I've heard since day one and frankly I'm tired of hearing it.

"When I walk into Moorland now I am disheartened.

"The pupils, teachers and the staff who look after the place all work really hard to get the best out of it but they are fighting a losing battle.

"And even now we don't know for certain if the final legal hurdle has been overcome."

I asked Sammy Hunt and Mark Bury, head girl and boy, what they thought.

They told me: "When we first heard about the academy we got the impression we would be there for our final couple of years of secondary school.

"However, it is clear that the academy will not be ready as we are now in our final year.

"It is very disappointing.

"We have been asked if we would like to stay on to a sixth form on the Moorland site but we haven't had enough information yet to make a decision.

"The majority of our school year would have seriously considered going to the brand new academy.

"But staying at the same site until the new building is ready isn't a viable option, especially when there are established colleges offering a variety of further education.

"It's all very unfortunate."

The bulldozers have finally moved in to start flattening what's left of the triangle and the last few residents are moving out.

It's all a bit late for a lot of disappointed youngsters.