Seven in 10 schools are struggling with real-terms cuts to their budgets since 2010 1,200 more than last year according to the Stop School Cuts coalition, which has been monitoring school funding levels for almost a decade. Research by the coalition, which is made up of three education unions, school governors and a parents' charity, found more than 1,000 schools had suffered cumulative real-terms cuts in excess of 1m each, with Essex, Birmingham and Kent among the hardest hit areas.
The county asserted that the state violated a 2004 budget deal in which counties and cities agreed to give up a portion of vehicle licensing fees and local property taxes to help close the state budget deficit. To repay counties, the state Legislature guaranteed funding for school districts where property taxes alone do not cover school budget needs, according to the county.
"The current state of these schools is unacceptable," said State Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, describing the heartbreaking findings from the investigation regarding deteriorating school conditions.