| Members
heard that SELB schools plan to spend £3m more than
they were allocated for the year to March 2003. Some schools
can afford to finance this out of their reserves, but many
schools are going into deficit and have no plans in place
to recover this deficit.
58% of plans were approved for one year only by the Board,
who will wish those schools to re-submit in October revised
plans for the following year. Terry Heron, Head of Corporate
Services, explained: "In previous years nearly all plans
were approved for 3 years but this year many schools showed
they would not only exhaust their carry-over from 2001/2002
but would exceed their allocation to such an extent that the
Board will just about balance the books at the end of the
financial year."
Mrs Helen McClenaghan, Chief Executive, proposed that the
group of members and officers who met the Permanent Secretary
of the Department of Education to highlight funding problems,
particularly those related to the rural nature of the area,
should ask to meet both the Minister and the Assembly's Education
Committee. "It is important that the Board gives them
early notice of an impending crisis in the SELB to allow a
bid to be made to the Department of Finance and Personnel
or to Executive funds for improved education funding"
she said.
Members agreed to withdraw concessionary transport on routes
covered by private operators on the grounds that they could
not incur unwarranted costs at a time of financial hardship.
Parents affected by the decision will be informed shortly. |
