Lib Dem County Councillors were appalled to discover that despite already losing staff, cutting any excess costs and really tightening their belts, over 50% of Secondary Schools in Hertfordshire are in the red this year.

At the County Council’s Performance and Resources Panel this week, council staff reported that ten of the eighteen secondary schools maintained by the council had applied for or were projecting a deficit by the end of this financial year. No information was available for academies, but it is believed the picture is broadly similar.

A total deficit of over £3.4m for just ten schools was outlined, so a shocking £347,000 average per school.

The flat cash settlement, reaffirmed by Conservative chancellor George Osborne in his autumn statement, means the situation next year is likely to mean every single school is in the red.

Paul Zukowskyj, Lib Dem spokesperson on Resources commented ‘The Chancellor’s autumn statement was another body blow for our struggling schools. He promised £10bn for education, but none of that was for our established schools, leaving them with no choice but to cut teaching staff. 

‘Our schools are getting to the point where they are flat broke, they will have to cut huge numbers of staff to make the books balance, affecting our children’s education.  Apparently the Conservative’s vision for Britain doesn’t seem to include a decent education for all.’

Mark Watkin, Opposition Spokesperson for Education added: ‘This is much more serious than simply a failure to balance the books. We are talking  subjects being cut from the curriculum, teaching assistants and ancillary staff being sacked and pupils having far fewer choices at GCSE or A Level, less extramural activities and the government talks about protecting education!’