The fate of the schools has been in the balance since last May

Llangedwyn school, which has 48 pupils, would have closed if councillors had chosen an option to build an area school at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant to replace the current decaying Victorian building.

But instead, members of Powys Council's education committee voted 7-3 for the other option of building a replacement school at Llanrhaeadr, which has 73 pupils, to enable Llangedwyn to remain open.

The decision to build the 120-place school is expected to be ratified by the council on 26 February.

Sanity reigns. We can now get on with the job of teaching children Llangedwyn head John Parkinson

Head teachers of both schools had supported the "replacement" school option which will cost �1.7m

The schools were among a dozen in Powys threatened with closure after the local authority started a review of primary schools last May.

Welsh language

Nine of the schools were saved last November but a decision on the schools at Llanrhaeadr and Llangedwyn was deferred for more information.

Llangedwyn head teacher John Parkinson said: "Sanity reigns. We can now get on with the job of teaching children.

"The families of children attending this school would not have sent their children to an area school at Llanrhaeadr.

"The catchment of Llangedwyn is predominantly to the east of Llanrhaeadr and parents would have chosen to send their children to schools closer to their homes rather than travel out of their way to Llanrhaeadr."

Mr Parkinson said his school was one of the few in the county that was oversubscribed.

Pupils from Llangedwyn would have travelled another five miles

"It is not logical or right to close a thriving school which is viable on the assumption that its pupils will then fill another school."

Rhodri Jones, head teacher of Llanrhaeadr, said incorporating pupils from Llangedwyn would be a mistake.

"The two schools have a different way of working because we have a strong Welsh language ethos and Llangedwyn has more English language provision," said Mr Jones.

"Whatever is decided on Thursday it is vitally important that a new school is built in Llanrhaeadr.

"Part of the building dates back to the Victorian era and there is water coming in through the roof."

Local county councillor Harry Hughes said: "I will be supporting the building of a replacement school for 90 pupils at Llanrhaeadr.

"Even though there are 73 children at the school at present, only another 20 houses can be built in the village in the next decade.

"This, and the fact that we will see less children entering primary school nationwide over the next five years, means that this is the sensible option to go for."