Budget warning issued to 15 schools

Powys County Council has 15 schools that are currently running with unlicensed budgets – those not approved by the council.

At a cabinet meeting yesterday, councillors warned that officers will intervene if the schools do not put forward properly costed budgets for 2018/19.

Portfolio holder for education, Councillor Myfanwy Alexander said the council was working on drawing up a funding formula for schools that took into account the differences between each one, from curriculum to single or dual stream – those with both Welsh and English language education.

"There are challenges that schools are facing including sustainability and curriculum development and the move to getting funding through grants which makes it difficult to budget," she said.

"The funding formula will look at what can be delivered for a certain sum of money."

"There are currently 15 schools that are in an unlicensed position."

She said the council was proposing to include an extra £1 million in next year's budget for schools as well as £250,000 for helping dual stream schools.

However, she said it was imperative that schools ensured that budgets are in order in time for the May 1 deadline.

"Certain schools are better at budgets than others and we will not accept a constant parade of excuses. There will be timely intervention to deal with those who are not dealing with the difficult problems of curriculum changes and staffing."

Director of Education, Ian Budd, said schools had to adjust to downsizing and the fact that education funding increases were not keeping pace with inflation.

"There are schools that have not planned ahead," he said.

He added that local authorities had learned that advice in dealing with short and medium term planning must be readily available.

He said: "We expect every school to submit their budget by May 1, if not there will be follow up action and intervention. There are still a couple of schools that have not responded to our offer of help."