LOCAL SCHOOLS COULD LOSE £780,000 IN GOVERNMENT FUNDS RAID

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Oct 2007

LOCAL SCHOOLS COULD LOSE £780,000 IN GOVERNMENT FUNDS RAID

Kirklees Lib Dem Councillors have today severely criticised a government proposal which could see schools in Kirklees forced to pay back 5% of any cash balances - effectively meaning a £780,000 tax on local schools. Under the proposal, which is currently under consultation, all schools which had a surplus in March 2007 must return 5% of this amount to the Council.

Almost all schools in the Kirklees area would have money taken under the scheme, with some schools set to lose tens of thousands. The total amount to be taken from schools across Kirklees would be £781,713.

Secondary schools facing the biggest losses if the scheme goes ahead include Colne Valley High School (estimated to lose £20,963), Batley Boys High School (£20,861), Royds Hall High School (£34,331), Shelley High School and Sixth Form centre (£36,939), Earsheaton High School (£26,067) and St John Fisher Catholic High School (£22,958).

Primary Schools in the firing line include Birkby Junior School (£19,460), Ashbrow (£10,135), Lowerhouses (£16,959), Rawthorpe (£14,802) and Dryclough (£10,330).

Cllr Kath Pinnock, Leader of Kirklees Liberal Democrats, said "Schools have already been awarded their budgets, and have made plans accordingly. It is completely unfair of the government to suddenly announce that money could be taken away again. Even special schools would not be exempt from this government raid on their coffers.

"Some local schools in the area stand to lose tens of thousands of pounds. This is crazy - schools need to be able to budget securely. Any claw back of funds will encourage schools to spend their money as quickly as they can, to avoid any chance of budgets being raided again in future. The plan penalises schools who are either saving funds for a big capital project, or who have built up a surplus in anticipation of increased costs in future years.

"I am calling on the government to scrap the proposal immediately, and allow local schools to retain the funding they were originally awarded."