MONMOUTH Comprehensive School will lose nearly £7,000 if councillors agree a new countywide funding formula; with a leading opposition member warning this could lead to teacher redundancies, writes Lesley Flynn.

Cllr Mike Smith, chairman of lifelong learning select committee issued the warning at last week's cabinet meeting when it was revealed that under the new formula half the county's schools will get less money.

He said: "We should ask officers to ease the passage of the new funding formula, because our information is that 2006 school budgets are even worse, and we are looking at 50 percent with a deficit budget, or even more than that.

"We must seriously look at how much we give, otherwise every school in this county will have a deficit budget, and I would hate to see Monmouthshire as the first authority to make teachers redundant."

He praised officers like Steve Hughes and Paula Ham who had done an enormous amount of work on the funding formula, which he called "number crunching".

The council's deputy leader, Cllr Graham Down, said the existing formula was clearly out of date and needs updating, a fact endorsed by their auditors and others.

He warned that it was possible the figures were inaccurate because it was some time since their proposals had been first published.

Cllr Ashley Thomas said many councillors had been lobbied about the new formula by the four secondary schools.

Councillor Nelmes said she is calling in the cabinet decision to change the schools' funding formula. This means it will be discussed by the select committee which can either endorse the decision or send it back.

They can also ask for it to be debated by the full council.

Meanwhile, local MP David Davies is due to meet with sixth-form funding body ELWa to discuss proposals which could lead to budget cuts in post-16 education.

The Welsh Assembly-controlled body has been told to concentrate more resources on sixth form colleges, and thus proposes cuts in funding for school sixth forms in Wales. But Mr Davies said: "I have continuously opposed ELWa over this issue and will continue to do so in the strongest possible terms."

THE only comprehensive school to benefit from the new funding formula would be Caldicot with an extra £10,324. Of the three other secondary schools Monmouth would lose out more than the others with £6,945 less. King Henry VIII Comprehensive, Abergavenny loses £3,010 and Chepstow £369.

In the primary sector, small schools like Clydach (£1,938 less), Darenfelin (£1,273), Govilon (£19,347), Llanover (£5,483), Llanfoist (£9,548), Llanfihangel Crucorney (£14,691) and Llanfair Kilgeddin (£8,622) would lose out quite significantly.

But the changes also affect larger primary schools like Overmonnow (£21,118), Pem-broke (£10,353), Thornwell (£24,151), Undy (£26,594), Magor (£19,981), Osbaston (£7,856) and Wyesham Junior School (£11,312).

Schools which will benefit include Green Lane Junior, Caldicot (+£22,120), Gilwern Primary (+£16,623), Llandogo Primary (+£12,000), and Wyesham Infants and Nursery (+£24,419).