IF ALL 25 PUPILS at a primary school leave Powys to continue their education in England, the county council will save £99,000.
The future of Ysgol Bro Cynllaith in Llansilin near Oswestry was discussed meeting of the council’s Learning and Skill scrutiny committee on Wednesday, February 12.
Lay independent members and councillors received a report on the consultation results on the proposal to close the school.
The consultation took place between October 3 and November 24 last year and saw 81 responses received – which overwhelmingly objected to the proposal.
The points raised were all answered and rebutted by council officers in the report.
Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) asked for clarity around the finances.
Cllr Jones said: “Are officers able to give us a breakdown of the projected savings that will be made if all the pupils went to Shropshire?”
School’s finance manager Mari Thomas said: “The estimate is based on assuming that all 25 pupils transfer to a school outside of Powys.
“We’ve used the formula projections and assumes no additional transport costs.
“The full formula funding budget share, which is £206,600 to be saved, and no funding would need to be transferred to other schools in Powys.
“We’ve reduced that with business rates and statutory testing which comes to £201.800.”
The sum is also further reduced by £105,000 explained Ms Thomas as the calculation for by money that is given to the council annually the Welsh Government which is partly based on pupil numbers is put into the mix.
A small saving on catering rounds up the saving to £99,000.
Ms Thomas added: “We’ve tried to take as prudent an approach to this as we can.”
Conservative group leader, who also represents Llansilin, Cllr Aled Davies lamented that the figures did not include the potential money also lost to Powys secondary schools.
Cllr Davies said: “Once children go over the border, they will probably follow their cohort and go to the Marches (secondary school in Oswestry) or other schools in Shropshire.
“So, the funding per pupil from the Welsh Government would be impacted at high school as well.”
Head of school transformation Marianne Evans said that this could be “modelled” before the report goes to the Cabinet for a decision.
Eventually the committee exhausted their discussion and produced a number of recommendations which will be added to the report ahead of a Cabinet meeting to decide the school’s fate next Tuesday, February 18.
These recommendations include concerns about children moving to Shropshire schools, transport and extra travelling time for children, lack of opportunity to access breakfast and after school clubs, increased class sizes at Ysgol Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and the impact on the Welsh language.
If the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet agree the proposal next week a legal notice proposing to close the school from the August 31 will be published.
