East Dunbartonshire Council blunder leaks confidential figures to school campaigners
COUNCIL chiefs have blamed “human error” after commercially-sensitive information was sent out to protesting parents.
In recent weeks East Dunbartonshire Council has received a stream of Freedom of Information requests from residents concerned about plans to merge local primary schools.
Many demanded figures relating to how council officers arrived at a shortlist of options, which recently went to an informal consultation.
In response, they received a spreadsheet detailing the size of the school rolls and the cost of rebuilding or remodelling the schools to suitably equip them for the future.
But the spreadsheet also contained easily-accessible ‘hidden cells’ containing estimates of how much the council would hope to raise by the sale of each school site.
Potential buyers would be able to use the information to gain an advantage over the council when entering negotiations on price.
The ‘hidden’ section of the spreadsheet also includes the potential savings to be made by closing each school, as well as the amount that would need to borrowed to build each of the merged ‘super-schools’.
A minimum of £4.5million would need to be borrowed to complete each new-build, rising to £22.5million to create a building to house pupils from Gartconner, Oxgang, Hillhead, Harestanes and Gartconner primaries.
The savings to be made from closing each individual school are estimated at £300,000 per year.
Parents have responded angrily to the figures – questioning both the prices and councillors’ previous assertions that the mergers were not a bid to balance the books.
A Woodhill Primary parent said: “Although we all suspected that money was a major factor in the council’s proposals for our schools, this makes it more clear that money, rather than what is best for our children, is at the forefront of decision-making.”
However, Gordon Currie, head of education at the council, said: “These are preliminary working estimates from early in the process and we do not anticipate that the disclosure of these conservative estimates will have any bearing on the consultation.”
* Have you got a story, picture or comment? E-mail kirkyherald@jnscotland.co.uk
Alternatively you can call the newsdesk 0141 775 0040, find us on Facebook or visit us on Twitter
Or you can log in below and have your say on the site...
Email to a friend
Print this page- Osteoporosis drug and heart risk
- Lenzie lift the cup ... and urge people to support the club!
- Alleged Kirkintilloch town centre shoplifters collared by police
- Lenzie Post Office proposed move will deliver longer opening hours
- Pioneering Bishopbriggs volunteer teams up with National Autistic Society to change lives
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Kirkintilloch
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 4 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 26 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North
