Minutes:
The Board had before it a report by John Tomlinson, Corporate Director with Lead for Education, Culture and Sport advising that transfer arrangements must be put in place for pupils to be decanted from Kaimhill Primary School to Braeside Primary School from September, 2009, to allow the construction of the new Kaimhill School on the Kaimhill site in Garthdee. The relocation is for a 12 month period covering financial years 2009/10 and 2010/11. The provision of a safe walking route can be accommodated within existing budgets however the provision of transportation, considered necessary due to the exceptional nature of the arrangements, would require to be funded from additional savings from other parts of the Education Service. The report identified that the transfer arrangements could be funded from the recovery of monies the City Council received for providing loans to ensure the 3R’s project continued while alternative funding arrangements were being put in place following the collapse of the principal funder in 2008.
The Budget Monitoring Board was advised that this matter was considered at a meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on 27th August, 2009. The Committee agreed, in view of the exceptional circumstances, to provide transportation for all primary 1 to primary 7 pupils and nursery pupils and noted that a sum of up to £202,000 could be available to support the Kaimhill decant in the current financial year, this being a one-off sum arising from the recovery of interest on loans made as part of the refinancing of the 3R’s project. The Committee agreed to request that the Board approve the use of a maximum of £38,520 from contingencies to meet costs in the current financial year.
The report recommended:-
that the Board approve that the sum of up to £202,000 be made available for the Kaimhill decant arrangements to be funded from the recovery of monies the City Council received from providing loans to ensure the continuation of the 3R’s project.
The Convener moved, seconded by Councillor Greig:-
That the recommendation be approved and that, as requested by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee, the use of a maximum of £38,520 from contingencies is approved to meet costs in the current financial year.
Councillor Young moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-
That the Budget Monitoring Board record its disappointment at the decision of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of 27th August, 2009 in respect of the transport arrangements for pupils who are to be decanted from Kaimhill Primary School to Braehead Primary School, agree that it was inappropriate to ask the Board to sanction the expenditure and to request the Education, Culture and Sport Committee to use the Education Service’s own budget or rethink this proposal, and decline to approve the expenditure.
On a division, there voted:-
For the motion (5) – Councillors Farquharson, Greig, Leslie, McDonald and Kevin Stewart.
For the amendment (2) – Councillors Boulton and Young.
The Board resolved:-
to adopt the motion.