School funding in Bury faces being cut by the equivalent of £60 per pupil in the wake of a projected £3 million shortfall.

Bury’s Lib Dem leader Cllr Tim Pickstone now says that “serious questions need to be asked” as to why this deficit has developed.

But in a letter to secondary school headteachers, Bury Council’s executive director of children’s services, Mark Carriline, denied the council was to blame.

He wrote: “The projected funding shortfall at the end of 2014/15, which could be over £3 million unless action is taken, has not been accrued by the local authority as suggested and is entirely as a consequence of actions of schools in recent years and the education funding agency of the DfE.

“In fact, the shortfall will actually be an accumulated debt that schools collectively will owe to the local authority, which has financed it.”

Mr Carriline said the initial proposal was to reduce the “basic entitlement” component of the primary and secondary schools funding formula, excluding special schools, in 2014/15 by £100 per pupil.

He added: “But after discussion with the authority’s statutory finance officer, it has been agreed to spread the repayment over three years and will mean a reduction of £60 per pupil for primary and secondary schools, but not special schools.”

Yesterday, Cllr Pickstone said: “Whatever the reasons for this deficit in school funds a reduction of £60 per pupil funding will be terrible news for schools across Bury.

“The Government is putting extra money into Bury schools — such as £5.2 million in Pupil Premium in 2013-14 — yet at the same time schools risk having their funding reduced by Bury Council. Serious questions need to be asked.”

Cllr Gill Campbell, Bury Council cabinet member for children, said: “The schools fund wasn’t allocated sufficient funds by the schools to cover the costs of areas as maternity leave etc, coupled with the fact the change in Government funding for post 16 SEN (special educational needs) education does not meet the requirements to maintain the existing provision for post 16 SEN education in Bury.

“We are working with the schools to support them in addressing their schools fund budget deficit, proposing that this is phased over a number of years to reduce the impact on schools and our pupils’ education.”