More than 20 schools accumulate £6.6m deficit

Twenty-two schools in Brighton and Hove have ended the latest financial year with a combined deficit of more than £6.6m.

The figures for the local state schools were compiled by Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) and showed that most of the 53 schools in the area had kept within their budget.

However, the net deficit figure was £342,000 less than at the end of the previous financial year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Council accountant Steve Williams said: "The overriding principle there is actually the position is significantly stabilised compared with previous financial years."

The number of schools ending the financial year in the red has reduced compared to 30 out 55 in the previous year.

Additionally, five out of seven secondary schools kept to their budget, compared to four the previous year.

While Williams called this an overall improvement, Longhill governor Sean Burke attributed part of the improvement to the donations received by two primary schools, as opposed to improved budget management.

A report to the Schools Forum said that donations distributed between the two schools totalled between £800,000 and £850,000.

One school leader also said that the reported figures reflected inadequate funding over time, but Williams said Brighton and Hove was in a similar position to other education authorities across the country.

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