To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
25
Jan
North Yorkshire Council has unveiled proposals to reduce spending on school transport by £3.2 million.
About 10,500 of 75,000 pupils in North Yorkshire currently receive free transport, according to a council report. It says the proposals could affect 1,866 children over seven years.
The report says the cost of providing home to school travel is the council's third largest spending item after adult social care and waste management. It has increased from £20 million in 2015/16 to a forecasted £42.1 million in 2023/24.
It says this is mainly due to an increase in the number of pupils eligible and the rising costs of providing the service.
It plans to run a 28-day consultation from February 5 to March 20 on the proposed changes, which could mainly affect families whose children do not attend the nearest schools to their homes.
The Stray Ferret spoke to Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Brodigan who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa division and is on the the council's appeals committee for home to school transport.
She said that councillors will not know the exact details of the policy until after the consultation, but “there are very specific guidelines from the Department for Education” for the council to follow.
Cllr Brodigan said:
Cllr Brodigan said sending children to schools that are not closest to home was often down to “parental choice”.
But she added:
Cllr Brodigan says this has been an issue previously with children living on the borders of towns and counties.
She said:
0