THE county's education budget can't meet government spending targets. Schools face freezes on staff, limited maintenance and rising charges for services such as music tuition so sums add up.

Dr Eddie Oram, Director of Education, says the Local Education Authority (LEA) can cover expected extra school costs and commitments by calling on other cash sources such as standards funding. But he warns that 'individual circumstances' will still see some schools struggling.

On paper, Westminster has offered Herefordshire LEA a relatively generous boost to its 2002/2003 budget. Combined with an allocation for pupils in school sixth forms,the 5.5 per cent increase is £3.75 million up on last year.

Problems arise in aiming this new total Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) of £72.02 million at government targets that require the sum to be spent solely on education, with 87 per cent going to schools.

And at this stage of budget drafting Herefordshire's response to that requirement falls short by £250,000.

Part of the Education SSA has been earmarked for an estimated budget deficit of £400,000 carried forward from the current year. Another £690,000 goes toward the Council's repayment of loans taken out at the time of local government reorganisation.

The SSA, says Dr Oram, cannot cover the expected level of additional education commitments in 2002/2003. Amongst these are included day-to-day practicalities like home-school transport (£449,000) and support for special needs pupils (£220,000).

Options to make ends meet including 'selective' filling of staff vacancies (already in force with the Education Directorate), increased charges for services such as music tuition, and limits on money available to cover repairs, maintenance and minor improvements have been incorporated into the budget strategy.

Schools might also be charged for all fees associated with their own building projects.

A review of special needs funding and the impact new mechanisms for making money available will make is already underway (see HT 6/12/01).

With these proposals it should, says Dr Oram, be possible to take the target total to around 86.7 per cent. Central funds may then meet the remaining £250,000.

The increase to school budgets would, though, be below the level of the pay award to teachers (on whom about 70 per cent of school budgets are spent) which will add a further cost of between 3.6 per cent and 4.1 per cent, according to LEA figures.