June 15: Why choosing schools could be affected by BSF delays
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It
might not be immediately obvious but the uncertainties over Kent's
huge school rebuilding plans could have other consequences for
those schools where ambitious schemes are now on hold.
School rebuilding plan in limbo: read
our story>>>
The issue, touched on at today's KCC cabinet meeting, was how
the authority might deal with the challenge of having large numbers
of parents voting with their feet and opting for places at schools
with "shiny new buildings" as education official Graham Ward put
it, rather than applying for places at schools
still languishing in older premises.
"There will be challenges about parental choice...schools
that have been completely rebuilt against ones where investment
does not take place," is how Mr Ward put it.
Kent's difficulties in this area have been amplified by its
decision to spread the current wave of BSF school schemes between
two geographical areas - Thanet and Gravesham.
As a result, some schools have been rebuilt in both areas and
others have not.
The outlook is not particularly optimisitic for Shepway and
Dover schools either and it struck me that KCC is going to have a
real problem winning schools round over delays and schemes that
will be scrapped.
No-one mentioned it but it might just be that some schools that
are told bad news further down the line might just fancy their
chances as one of the government's new-fangled academies - although
they won't be getting any extra money either.
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With so much talk of financial pain at today's cabinet meeting,
it was a surprise not to see a number of members wearing hair
shirts.
But the approach to looming cuts was put in sharp perspective by
KCC's financial director Lynda McMullan, after areport saying
KCC would have to save only £15-odd million this
year, not the £23million feared.
This year's 'in budget' cuts represented a cut of about 1.4 per
cent in the authority's revenue grants. In future years, and as
part of the next spending review "we are anticipating reductions of
up to 25 per cent."
With that level of belt tightening, whatever transpires by way
of cuts this year will probably seem fairly paltry next year.
Monday, June 14 2010
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