Local authority maintained school deficits
Case reference FOI2022/01554
Published 11 November 2022
Request
I have some FOI questions relating to school funding cuts, and the impact on councils.
1.a How many LA schools had a deficit in the 2021/22 financial year (please include the actual number of schools in deficit and the actual number of schools you have - ie 2 in deficit of 20 schools)
1.b What was the cumulative deficit of those schools?
2.a How many schools are you projecting will go into financial deficit this financial year (2022/23) (same as above).
2.b What is the predicted cumulative deficit of those?
3. If you have similar projections for 2023/24 then please do provide.
4. When LA schools become sponsored academies, the deficit stays with the LA. Please can you tell me the total deficit your LA has taken on in the past three financial years, and the number of sponsored academies this relates to? (If three years is not possible, please just do the last financial year)
5.a Please could you tell me your DSG position at the end of 2021-22
5.b Your forecast DSG deficit/surplus in-year for 2022-23
5.c Your forecasted DSG position at the end of 2022-23
Response
I have some FOI questions relating to school funding cuts, and the impact on councils.
Please note Herefordshire Council do not routinely forecast school expenditure in year and have therefore used the governors' budget plans in the below responses, although these will not take account of inflationary pressures since the summer holidays. School energy prices are not a great problem this year due to West Mercia energy hedging future prices.
1.a How many LA schools had a deficit in the 2021/22 financial year (please include the actual number of schools in deficit and the actual number of schools you have - ie 2 in deficit of 20 schools)
4 in deficit out of 64 schools
1.b What was the cumulative deficit of those schools?
£76,295
2.a How many schools are you projecting will go into financial deficit this financial year (2022/23) (same as above).
Governors' budget plans for 2022-23 project zero schools in deficit
2.b What is the predicted cumulative deficit of those?
Zero
3. If you have similar projections for 2023/24 then please do provide.
Governor's budget plans for 2023-24 project zero schools in deficit
4. When LA schools become sponsored academies, the deficit stays with the LA. Please can you tell me the total deficit your LA has taken on in the past three financial years, and the number of sponsored academies this relates to? (If three years is not possible, please just do the last financial year)
£0 and zero sponsored academies
5.a Please could you tell me your DSG position at the end of 2021-22
Cumulative deficit of £275,319
5.b Your forecast DSG deficit/surplus in-year for 2022-23
£0 forecast
5.c Your forecasted DSG position at the end of 2022-23
Current forecasts for 2022-23 indicate a deficit of £275,319
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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