Powys’s local education authority is offering “adequate” value for money in its schools, says a new report, but the alarm was raised over budget deficits.

Estyn inspectors have warned Powys County Council that more needs to be done to improve standards in schools.

They claim that too many schools have budget deficits and believe councillors are putting their “local concerns” above the wider interests of students across the county.

Inspectors found shortcomings with Powys County Council when they undertook an inspection of the authority’s education services for youngsters in February and March.

The inspectors found that decision-making was not effective enough and measures to meet the needs of learners who want Welsh-medium education are weak.

It said some of the 117 schools in Powys were not being improved quickly enough to prevent them being identified by Estyn as causing concern. At the moment two primary schools are in special measures and three primary schools require significant improvement.

A report by inspector Angharad Reed said: “Too many elected members put their local concerns before the wider strategic interests of learners across Powys. In addition, decisions and their implementations are sometimes too slow.”

She added that the council provides “adequate” value for money but despite communication with parents improving, information was still not always clear.

“Too many schools have budget deficits,” the report said, adding that most of the deficits in secondary schools were high.

Powys County Council’s learning and leisure scrutiny committee will discuss the report in Llandrindod Wells on Thursday.