A LAST ditch plea has been made urging the council to increase spending on the county's schools.

Tomorrow a full meeting of Flintshire Council will be held to set the authority's budget for next year, which will include a council tax rise of more than six per cent.

Within that it is proposed to set a 'cash-flat' budget for education, but headteachers, governors and parents say that with inflation, this will be the equivalent of a three to five per cent cut in funding, and a peaceful protest is set to be held outside County Hall today.

Jane Bellis, chair of governors at Sandycroft CP, who is leading the campaign against the proposals, says schools will face an "impossible task" if the proposals go through.

In a statement sent to the Flintshire Leader she said: "As Chair of Governors at a local school and a deeply concerned parent I am working with parents, teachers and children across Flintshire to stop the 'Cash Flat settlement'.

"We want the council to look at all other options before passing the problem onto schools who will face an impossible task if they do.

"Many have written to the council with these questions hoping we will gain some clarity next Tuesday and we have also been writing to MP’s, Welsh Government (WAG) and Westminster with our concerns as the replies we have been receiving so far have been from the council blaming Westminster and WAG for not giving them enough, and then WAG and Westminster blaming local councils for not spending properly.

"This does not sit well with parents and teachers who wants answers as to why their children are suffering with schools closing and merging and now teachers being made redundant, affecting provision.

"We are also concerned for the well-being of teaching staff who are already out under significant pressure to active results - and now given an impossible task with barely any resources. Surely the benefits system and health service are going to suffer even more as a result of this?

"The meeting is our first port of call too see what they have to say about the questions raised. We are working on plans to take our campaign further after that."

Ahead of today's meeting, deputy leader of the council, Cllr Bernie Attridge set out the council's position and said he could understand their frustrations.

But he added nothing has been set in stone yet, and added that council officers had been “working around the clock” over the weekend to crunch the numbers.

Claire Homard, Interim Chief Officer Education and Youth said the authority could not legally set a deficit budget.

She said: "We fully appreciate that schools are concerned about the impact of a potential cash flat settlement to their delegated budgets.

“We have been very open with headteachers about the financial challenges facing the council and the subsequent impact on schools funding with the risks that it poses.

“The council continues to focus on setting a legally balanced budget and this will be fully debated at the council meeting."

Councillors will meet at 2pm today to set the final budget.