Cuts taking place
The day before the budget was confirmed, the posts for two award winning Ross-shire arts workers were ‘deleted’. The storyteller and visual artist have worked with thousands of school children and senior citizens across the area on community arts projects.
Click here to see the Council's Vice Convener's comments.
Click here to read a website visitor's comment.
As part of the budget ‘efficiency savings’ the Council agreed to ‘delete’ the post of the Highlands Play Development Officer. The job not only involved encouraging children to play, but found ways of promoting and enhancing their play experience, through the authority's Highland Play Strategy, created by the postholder.
Click here to see the Administration's comments on this.
The Council’s Administration proposed £98,000 in cuts to our schools and community library services. This will include the loss of four posts – including the principal schools librarian.
To see the Administration's Chairman of Education's comments on this, click here.
Pre-school
childcare under threat
Parents in Lybster in Caithness are fighting the closure of their pre-school nursery facility – Lightbeams.
To see the SNP Caithness councillor’s comments on this click here.
More examples of cuts made
Non staffing elements of schools budgets – savings of £770,000
Education
department administration – review of office accommodation and back office
functions, review management structures and administrative support, reduce
quality improvement officer and support workers, and transfer staff -
£813,000 – 28.15 Full Time Equivalent jobs
Paying off
experienced teachers and taking on teachers at the bottom of the pay scales
– savings of £350,000
Pre-school
budget – cut of £240,000 – 12 FTE
Secondary
Schools devolved budgets for staffing – cut of £180,000 – 4.74 FTE
Teacher
class contact reduction budget to allow teachers more preparation and marking
time – cut of £198,000 – 5.2 FTE
School
meals charges up and school letting charges up – charge rises of
£329,000
School
cleaning – cut of £400,000 – 33.30FTE
Further
reduction to teacher numbers – cut of £250,000
Cut
teaching posts in primary schools over devolved school management formula -
fewer teachers in our schools – cutting £390,000
Review
janitorial and technician staffing structures at secondary schools -
£100,000 – 6 FTE
S
Review
young carer support and reduce funding to Princess Royal Carers by 50% -
£25,000
Cut
staff in integrating public transport services - £20,000
Review
and staff cut in Business Support - £210,000
Delete
fisheries policy officer - £35,000 – 1 FTE
Delete
and restructure posts in finance and payroll - £92,000
Corran
ferry fares by 20% - £200,000
Burial charges
by 50% - £350,000
Charges for
collection of commercial refuse - £250,000