The Isle of Wight council have confirmed they will only fund school crossing patrols until the end of the academic year.
Due to cuts in funding from the Government, the threat to the service has been under discussion for several years, first being raised in 2014 by the Island Independents.
Cuts confirmed
Concern has been raised this week after Isle of Wight schools received a letter from the council once again laying out the proposals for transfer of services.
Deputy council leader, Cllr Steve Stubbings, confirmed this morning (Thursday) that he’d be re-entering discussions with schools and Cllr Bacon confirmed funding had been agreed until the end of the academic year (July 2016).
Bacon: “Decision which has been reached with much regret”
Isle of Wight Council leader and Executive member for children’s services, Councillor Jonathan Bacon, said:
“Arising out of the approval of the council’s budget for 2016/2017 on 24 February Full Council confirmed that from the end of the summer term 2016 the council will cease to directly fund school crossing patrols. This is further to the decision made last year when members confirmed that the council would only fund the service for one more year.
“It is a decision which has been reached with much regret, and which has been a consequence of the extreme financial position which the council faces over the coming 12 months and into the future.
“All council road crossing patrol officers have been notified of the decision, and this week the council has also written to all schools to inform them of the decision, together with options on how they may wish to retain school crossing patrols through their own in-house arrangements.
“The existing arrangements will continue until the end of the summer term 2016, with any new options undertaken by schools beginning for the start of the September 2016 term.”
