Powys: Schools lose out in new funding formula

And 22 schools are set to lose out under the new system.

Today the Powys County Council (PCC) Learning Skills and Economy Scrutiny Committee will get their final opportunity to quiz education officers on the new schools’ funding formula.

The formula, along with the scrutiny committee’s advice, will then go to cabinet for a decision on Tuesday, January 15.

It is expected to come into force from April

Four of the 22 schools, three secondary and one primary, will lose out by more than £100,000.

And to implement the new formula properly another £978,438 needs to be found on top of the education budget of £70,480,215.

But councillors are being warned to keep the debate to a “strategic level” and not the impact on “winners” and “losers”.

Illegal

At the last meeting it was revealed that the current funding formula, which is based on pupil numbers in Years 7 and 10, is illegal.

The Welsh Government wants local authorities to base 70 per-cent of their funding on a per pupil basis and 30 per-cent on a variety of other factors.

The briefing report states: “The purpose of the meeting on January 4 is to consider the proposals and provide observations and recommendations to cabinet.

“A number of issues were discussed at the briefing in December and there will be an opportunity to ask the portfolio holder, Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, her view on the proposals.

“Any proposals for change such as those put forward will result in winners and losers. It is important that scrutiny does not focus on the impact on individual schools and keeps any debate at a strategic level.”

Jigsaw

The final piece of the formula jigsaw, was transition arrangements – to make sure that no school tottered off the budget cliff edge due to the formula change.

On transition changes, their report states: “Proposal for implementation and transition could highlight the need for a one-off cost of a maximum of £978,000.

“The cost of those who are due more funding against what reduction is due to be applied to other schools, however due to timings needed for consultation on potential redundancies and the running of GCSEs across two years there maybe a need to protect schools for a period of time to ensure that curriculum is deliverable.”

“However this exceeds the available budget and unless further funding can be identified, transitional arrangements can only be implemented to maintain a neutral budget position.”

At the last scrutiny meeting director of education Ian Budd said: “Our present school funding formula is not compliant with regulation, it needs to be replaced.”

The formula would give schools the minimum funding needed to run a school allowing the headteacher to decide how best to use it.

Mr Budd added: “There are political choices in terms of budgeting that need to be taken as to what we can afford for schools and other services which the council is responsible for.”