| “The Board is also extremely disappointed at the level of funding allocated to schools - representing a 1.8% increase in the SELB area rather than the 9% announced by the Department - and the implications this will have on pupils.
“Given the totally inadequate funding from the Department of Education, services provided by the SELB which may be affected include: Catering, Transport (including School Crossing patrols) Headquarters, Curriculum Advisory and Support Service, Resource Centres, Music Service, Special Education, School Library provision, Maintenance.
“A special meeting of the Board is to be held on Thursday, March 3, with a view to considering a budget for the financial year beginning April 1, 2005 . The Board has not made any decision on where savings will be effected.
“Regarding the 9% increase announced by the Department for schools, this is not based on a like-for-like comparison between the allocation for 2004/05 and the allocation for the incoming financial year.
“Schools received £3million for 2004/05 to cover an increased cost of teachers’ salaries and while the 2005/06 allocation includes this figure it has been excluded from the comparable 2004/05 figure. The allocation to schools also has to cover the unavoidable costs of pension fund increases, that is, teachers' superannuation costs from 7% to 14% and local government superannuation costs from 4.6% to 8.5%. This means that the increase to schools in real terms in the SELB area is not 9% but 1.8% at a time when costs are rising well above this level.
“Similarly, the real increase to the SELB to provide services to schools is approximately 0.09% after taking account of increasing superannuation costs, similar to those faced by schools, and additional special education costs. The SELB will be facing pressures to manage with the allocation in the light of increases in rates, transport and other costs.
“In the present financial year (2004/05) the SELB was forced to make cuts of almost £3.3m in planned maintenance to live within its allocation. The increase announced by the Department for 2005/06 does not provide sufficient funding to even restore these cuts.
“In November the public were warned about the possibility of a £6m under funding situation for the SELB for the incoming financial year and unfortunately these fears have been realised, due to the lack of funding from the Department of Education.”
The SELB’s financial target is to remain within budget for the year to March 31, 2005 , and, by imposing cuts of £3.6million this year, the Board expects to meet this target.
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