£5 million left over by Shropshire schools
Schools in Shropshire had more than £5 million left over at the end of the last financial year.
But seven of the 107 Shropshire Council-maintained schools fell short by a total of £480,594.
A total of £5,481,584 was left over by 100 schools across Shropshire at the end of March, compared to £6,779,563 left over from 114 schools the previous year.
During the financial year 2017-18, one secondary school and 11 primary schools transferred to academy status.
Also, three primary schools combined into a single school. This takes the total number of Shropshire maintained schools from 121 at March 2017 to 107 at March 2018.
A report to Shropshire Council's schools forum meeting says schools’ surplus balances at the end of each financial year are carried forward and earmarked specifically for each individual school’s use.
Deficit balances are also carried forward and set against the individual school’s budget for the following year except where a school becomes a sponsored academy, in which case it remains with Shropshire Council.
Shropshire Council requires schools with deficit balances to report their financial position to the local authority on a termly basis. Monitoring meetings are held between the local authority’s school funding policy officer and the schools where appropriate.
And as and when necessary, headteachers, school business managers and chairs of governors/chairs of finance are called in to meetings with the commissioner for education improvement and efficiency.
Of 99 primary schools at the end of the financial year, five fell short financially, whereas one of six secondary schools fell short.
The year before, four of 112 primary schools fell short, while two of seven secondary schools were in deficit.
Also one of the two special schools maintained by the local authority fell short financially at the end of March, the same as the previous year.
