South Lanarkshire’s tiny schools under threat

Feb 18 2010

SOME of South Lanarkshire’s smallest schools may be under threat if the dire predictions concerning council finance come true.

Council Leader Eddie McAvoy said that they had managed to save frontline services and maintain capital projects for the forthcoming financial year.

But he warned that spending in 2011-12 may have to be slashed, putting at risk the council’s flagship primary schools modernisation programme and investment in the area’s crumbling roads.

The council cut their budget by £17½m for 2010/11 and expect to have to make savings of £30m in the following 12 months.

Councillor McAvoy said they were already examining proposals for the 2011-12 budget and added: “A lot of hard choices will have to be made and there is no doubt that for the first time, we will have to look at capital programmes.

“In my opinion, the biggest question we face is ‘can we continue with the primary school modernisations and roads investment’?”

Mr McAvoy said the council had given a commitment to keep all primary schools open, but that 17 schools currently had roles of fewer than 50 pupils, while the roads investment was dependent on the sale of land in East Kilbride, Rutherglen and Hamilton town centres.

Auldhouse, Chapelton, Gilmourton and Sandford primaries each have fewer than 50 pupils and there are many schools in rural Clydesdale with small numbers of pupils.

He said the council would need to borrow £125 million next year for capital programmes.

Councillor McAvoy added: “Studies made by our own finance department predict that we should expect to find savings of £30 million next year, no matter who wins the General Election.

“We've never looked at capital programmes before but people don't realise that we fund them by borrowing money and that money needs to be paid back.

“In terms of the Schools’ Modernisation Programme, we are paying back £71 million and we still have over 80 schools to be re-built or refurbished.

“As I said at the meeting, we have 17 schools with a total catchment area of just 390 pupils.

“The programme is not under threat but the council has to decide is whether we can honour our commitment to keep all our schools open.

“If that is the case, then I don't think we have the finances to continue building schools at this rate, unless we find a cheaper way of doing it.

“We may be forced to delay the entire plan or postpone work.

“It's the same with the roads programme. That was based on the sale of town centres land that was expected to bring in £36m but with the current financial situation, it is unlikely we are going to sell the land anytime soon and the programme still has six years to run.

“We can't continue spending money the way we are now.”