Shropshire schools axe 'unavoidable'
School closures in Shropshire will be "unavoidable" in the face of multi-million pound public spending cuts, the authority's chief executive has warned.School closures in Shropshire will be "unavoidable" in the face of multi-million pound public spending cuts, the authority's chief executive has warned. Shirehall boss Kim Ryley told a meeting that the council was fighting to balance the books as it prepares to save an estimated £60 million over the next three years. He told the Ellesmere Local Joint Committee some smaller schools across Shropshire could once again be at risk as a result. News of the cost-cutting measure comes just two years after the last threat of school closures sparked huge public protests. Asked by a member of the public if school closures were looming because of cuts and falling pupil numbers Mr Ryley said last night: "We are looking at ways to sustain smaller schools to make them more extensive community resources with more services, making them more cost effective. Read more in the Shropshire Star
School closures in Shropshire will be "unavoidable" in the face of multi-million pound public spending cuts, the authority's chief executive has warned.
Shirehall boss Kim Ryley told a meeting that the council was fighting to balance the books as it prepares to save an estimated £60 million over the next three years.
He told the Ellesmere Local Joint Committee some smaller schools across Shropshire could once again be at risk as a result.
News of the cost-cutting measure comes just two years after the last threat of school closures sparked huge public protests.
Asked by a member of the public if school closures were looming because of cuts and falling pupil numbers Mr Ryley said last night: "We are looking at ways to sustain smaller schools to make them more extensive community resources with more services, making them more cost effective.
"These are ways of keeping some smaller schools open when they would otherwise be threatened with closure.
"We want to demonstrate we have looked at all the alternatives first but some school closures are going to be unavoidable. With falling pupil numbers it gets harder to justify keeping every school because it's taking money away from other frontline services."
The council is in the "early stages" of planning its budget so no precise details about how many schools might be under threat are available, he added. It has been consulting widely on a draft vision for the future of school organisation, which has been drawn up by members, officers, headteachers and parent governors and sets out the criteria seen as necessary for a school to be successful.
In 2008 the old county council backed down in the face of public anger and opted to merge some smaller schools instead of about 20 outright closures.
Mr Ryley told last night's meeting the council was ready to embrace David Cameron's "Big Society" blueprint in a bid to ease education chiefs' big funding headache.
Community groups and not-for-profit social enterprises will be encouraged to help deliver some local services like libraries, parks and leisure centres.
By Tom Johannsen
