Schools ‘ln The Red’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 25

Schools ‘ln The Red’

Canterbury Education Board schools are going “into the red” increasingly. Last year 145 had debit balances totalling £6854 16s 5d and 108 had credits totalling £3809 10s 9d. “These figures show a further serious deterioration in No. 1 account balances compared with previous years,” said the secretary-manager (Mr W. P. Spencer) in a report yesterday. The year before credits and debits were even at £5OOO and the previous year credit balances totalled £9186 and debits £3769. A table of returns according to grades of school showed some similarities and . some marked differences in last accounts. Grade II ' schools (rolls of nine to 24) were even in credits and debits at a little more than £3OO. As the rolls increase, finances appear to get worse. At grade VII, in which the largest schools go up to 790 pupils, credits tend to disap--1 pear and deficits up to £4OO for three schools are recorded. (It was stated after the meeting that the Canterbury School Committees’ Association had urged its members to spend their funds for approved purposes and this might be one result). In discussion, board members noted a report in “The Press” that increased incidental grants were expected soon. There was talk of applying further pressure but the board eventually agreed to await the predicted announcement.