1,000 people sign school funding petition (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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1,000 people sign school funding petition
5:33pm Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in News
By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter
MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition opposing changes to the school funding formula.
The petition was organized by North Yorkshire county councillor Helen Grant amid concern that a new system of school funding would hit schools hard in the Catterick Garrison area.
Coun Grant said: “I would like to thank the 1,021 parents, residents and in particular parish councillor Ann Bagley for her efforts outside the local Tesco, who supported the hastily prepared petition in opposition to changes in school funding formula. "The petition grew from an intense feeling of anger against the way the formula review will disproportionately affect schools in the Catterick Garrison area of Richmondshire.”
The petition has been sent to Richmond MP William Hague with a request that he passes it to the education secretary.
North Yorkshire County Council has calculated that the six primary schools in the Catterick Garrison area could lose more than £430,000 a year between them, while Risedale Community College could see a drop in funding of almost £600,000.
The Government has promised to review the new system, although not before it is introduced in April.
